Fine Food Australia will expand in 2017 to include new zones for organics, start-ups, fit-out and design, plus a co-located Commercial Drinks event. [ + ]

Wallaby tenderloins marinated and cooked over charcoal with a spiced cashew sauce won the Best in Taste award at Taste of Sydney. [ + ]

Nearly half of all deaths due to heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes in the US in 2012 were linked to a poor diet, according to a study published in JAMA. [ + ]

Twenty-seven percent of beer drinkers said that they already have substituted cannabis for beer, or would substitute their retail beer purchases with cannabis in the future if cannabis was legalised. [ + ]

Horticulture Innovation Australia has signed a three-year $600,000 contract with Netball Australia, securing exposure for Aussie Apples at elite international matches and local games across the nation. [ + ]

The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) has welcomed a new national president and new board at its annual general meeting, held alongside AUSPACK 2017. [ + ]

Avery Dennison has completed the acquisition of Hanita Coatings, a pressure-sensitive materials manufacturer of specialty films and laminates. [ + ]

Federal government announces $50 m in funding for the Food Agility CRC. [ + ]

Collaborative robots manufacturer Universal Robots (UR) has announced the signing of four new partnerships with robotics distributors selling to industries across Australia and New Zealand. [ + ]

The fallout from the ACCC's oregano investigation continues, with Hoyt's Food paying a penalty of $10,800 following the issue of an infringement notice by the ACCC. [ + ]

Food processing and packaging equipment supplier tna has announced the acquisition of Australian confectionery equipment supplier NID. [ + ]

Better get your skates on if you want to see everything at AUSPACK 2017. The event is on from 7–10 March at Sydney Showground, Homebush. [ + ]

In the US, demand for meat packed in pouches is increasing as consumers embrace the convenience factor. And there is no reason to assume antipodean consumers are not likewise purchasing pouch-packed product to make meal preparation simpler. [ + ]

Western Australian company Fresh Produce Alliance is utilising high-pressure processing (HPP) to produce its brands of baby food and avocado-based foods and drinks, capitalising on the method's ability to preserve the flavour, aroma, colour and nutrition. [ + ]

The worldwide production capacity for bio-based polymers grew by 4% to 6.6 million tonnes from 2015 to 2016, with capacity forecast to grow to 8.5 million tonnes by 2021, according to a report published by nova-Institute. [ + ]