Industry News
Premium fragrant rice developed for Australian conditions
A new premium rice variety has been developed for Australia. Topaz rice will be available to rice growers in October 2014. [ + ]
Could personalised diets be the new frontier in food marketing?
Personalised medicine is making its way into the US, with blood tests at the heart of changes to the way consumers see their health. Canadean predicts that this technology will also shift into personalised diets. [ + ]
Tracking fresh produce to maximise shelf life
Researchers have turned the traditional 'first in, first out' approach to fresh produce distribution on its head, suggesting that a 'first expired, first out' approach would be more suitable when dealing with delicate fruits and vegetables like strawberries. [ + ]
Familiar ingredients entice consumers to healthy eating
The report ‘Healthy Dining Trends’ released by market research company Mintel, endeavoured to uncover what motivates Americans to eat healthfully. [ + ]
First Australian organic inspector approved to Chinese regulations
An inspector from the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia (NASAA), has become the first person outside of China approved to inspect to Chinese regulations. [ + ]
Sirane invests to keep pace with growth in cooking-bag market
Packaging manufacturer Sirane has invested in two new machines and additional manufacturing capacity to keep pace with global interest in cooking-bag solutions. [ + ]
Coffee farmers generate energy from wastewater
Results from a four-year project on coffee wastewater treatment have shown that it is possible to generate energy, tackle climate change and protect water resources by treating discharges from coffee mills. [ + ]
Pro Mach expands bottling and capping with acquisition
Pro Mach has expanded its bottling and capping capabilities by acquiring Pace Packaging. New Jersey-based Pace manufactures automated bottle unscramblers and orientors. [ + ]
Rebate available for small exporters
Small exporters, listen up: there's still time to apply for a rebate for your export registration charges for the 2014-15 financial year. The rebate covers 50% of export registration charges. [ + ]
Older consumers equate 'natural' with 'healthy'
For many older consumers, seeing the word 'natural' on a food label tends to make them think it's more healthy, new research from Canadean shows. [ + ]
Healthy snacks at meal times an opportunity for food marketers
US consumers are eating traditional snack foods, particularly snacks with a perceived health benefit, in between and at meals. This behaviour will drive the growth of snack foods eaten at main meals over next five years, according to The NPD Group. [ + ]
Fonterra commended for progress on inquiry recommendations
Fonterra has been commended for its implementation of improvements after last year's recall of whey protein concentrate WPC80. [ + ]
First probiotic listed in Food Chemicals Codex
The first probiotic has had a monograph published in the FCC. This means that there are now strain-specific standards for testing the identity, concentration and purity of the GanedenBC30 (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086) probiotic. [ + ]
Weston Milling merges with AB Mauri's ANZ operations
GWF's Weston Milling business will merge with AB Mauri's Australian and New Zealand operations. The merged companies will be launced as MAURI anz and will be a division of GWF and an affiliate of the global AB Mauri business. [ + ]