Industry News
Salmon most popular with consumers aged 65+
What's for dinner for almost a quarter of all Australians aged 14+? Salmon, according to new research from Roy Morgan. While 53% of all Australians ate fish in any given week, 24% - almost half - ate salmon, the research shows. [ + ]
Toddler milk products cashing in on parental guilt?
'Junior milk' products aimed at toddlers offer few nutritional benefits and trade on "parental guilt" that fussy eaters aren't getting all the nutrients they need, consumer watchdog Choice has claimed. [ + ]
New bee pollination awareness website launches
A new website has been developed to help crop producers get the full benefit of honey bee pollination. The BeeAware site aims to protect honey bees by promoting the increased yield honey bee pollination provides crops. [ + ]
Simple DIY halal kit to be developed
Malaysian researchers are developing a testing kit that identifies non-halal ingredients within one minute. The kit, developed by the University of Selangor, can be used to test food, cosmetics and medicines. [ + ]
Okra gains attention as emulsifier
There's a new emulsifier in town: okra. An Estonian PhD student is investigating the potential of carbohydrates extracted from the pods of the okra plant as emulsifiers. [ + ]
Submissions closing soon for Ignite Packaging program
Planning to sponsor a participant in the Ignite Packaging pilot program? Time's running out: submissions close 25 July. [ + ]
Health Star Rating System fails on the vegetable front
The Health Star Rating System has one fatal flaw, according to AUSVEG: at least 50% of vegetables don't receive a five-star rating. If the system fails to identify these foods as optimum healthy choices, where else does it fall down? [ + ]
Fonterra and Abbott to develop Chinese dairy farm hub
Fonterra has signed an agreement with Abbott to develop a dairy farm hub in China. The hub would be Fonterra's third in the country. [ + ]
GreenPalm trades 11 millionth certificate
Sustainable palm oil certificate-trading program GreenPalm recently traded its 11 millionth certificate. [ + ]
Second call for submissions on raw milk and code changes
FSANZ is calling for submissions, for a second time, on two different proposals: one pertaining to the production of raw milk products, the other on a revision of the Food Standards Code. [ + ]
Labelling course to run at FoodTech PackTech
The AIP is delivering a half-day training course alongside FoodTech PackTech on 24 September. Presented by Dr Carol Lawrence MAIP, the Labelling & Matching the Label with the Package course will run from 10.00 am to 3.30 pm. [ + ]
Australian Certified Organic achieves equivalence with Swiss organic standards
The Australian Certified Organic Standard has achieved equivalence with organic standards in Switzerland. This means that Australian businesses exporting ACO products to Switzerland no longer require Swiss organic certification. [ + ]
Nestlé creates modular factories for developing world
Nestlé has revealed plans for a modular factory that can be built in half the time that it takes to build a conventional factory - and for half the cost. [ + ]
Report reveals Asian opportunities for food processors
AFGC has released a series of reports that aim to improve the Australian food industry's understanding of the opportunities available in the Asian market. [ + ]
Demand increases for premium prepared meals
The gap between rich and poor is beginning to close - at least in terms of prepared meal consumption. A report from Canadean shows that 48.3% of the richest consumers and 51.7% of the poorest consumers purchase prepared meals regularly. [ + ]