Food labelling, marketing and food policy initiatives could help reduce obesity rates and prevent negative health effects such as an increased risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. [ + ]

A study conducted by University of South Australia researchers confirmed that consuming a Mediterranean diet can reduce depression and improve quality of life. [ + ]

Held at the ICC Sydney from 27–29 May, Foodservice Australia 2018 will see Australia's best chefs battle it out to win a range of special events, including Battle of the Pacific and Chef of the Year. [ + ]

Hort Connections will be returning in 2018 and is now open for delegate registrations. [ + ]

Concerns about food intolerances, healthier diets and the quest for smaller waistlines are driving consumers to look for better and fewer carbohydrates, according to the '10 Key Trends in Food, Nutrition and Health 2018' report by New Nutrition Business. [ + ]

Do you really know the nutritional value of your favourite festive tipple? [ + ]

A new research project called BeefLedger has been launched by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) that aims to track beef from the paddock to the plate and fight food fraud. [ + ]

Beer can help develop sustainable petrol, according to scientists from the University of Bristol. [ + ]

SPC ProVital's easy-open cup has won a 2018 World Packaging Organisation's WorldStar Award. [ + ]

By detecting decay compounds such as cadaverine at very low levels, a newly developed bioelectronics sensor can alert users to rotting food before the stench becomes obvious. [ + ]

Researchers demonstrated that dormant L. monocytogenes, the bacterium that causes listeriois, can be unknowingly harboured by humans and animals. [ + ]

A study by the University of Navada, Las Vegas (UNLV) suggested consuming the placenta does not have as many health benefits as expected. [ + ]

Now is the time to enter submissions for the 2018 Packaging & Processing Innovation and Design Awards (PIDA), which will be held in Queensland on 2 May. [ + ]

German packaging and bottling manufacturer Krones has been awarded the 2017 Energy Efficiency Award for its 'Brewery of the Future'. [ + ]

Researchers from the University of Kansas School of Engineering are working on developing a low-cost, easy-to-use device that attaches to the bottle and can filter up to 99% of sulfites from any wine as it is being poured. [ + ]