Rigid plastic and flexible packs are poised to take off in the US, with demand expected to increase by 32.85 billion packs between now and 2017, according to a new report from Canadean. [ + ]

The Fonterra Board has approved a $235 million high-efficiency milk powder plant, which will enable the co-operative to process an additional 2.4 million litres of milk each day. The plant will be built at Fonterra's Pahiatua site in New Zealand. [ + ]

Whether or not you succumb to infection by Listeria could come down to what’s in your gut. New research shows that germ-free mice are more susceptible to infection from the foodborne pathogen than mice with conventional intestinal microbiota. [ + ]

Advancing Food Safety (AFS) - SAI Global has announced the winner of its inaugural scholarship program: Emma McPherson, a laboratory technician at Lion Dairy and Drinks. [ + ]

The ACCC is taking two egg producers to court after alleging that their use of the term 'free range' to describe their products misleads consumers. [ + ]

Following a three-month investigation in response to Choice's super-complaint on the issue, NSW Fair Trading has recommended that a national standard for free-range eggs be developed under Australian Consumer Law. [ + ]

Givaudan has been named as one of the top companies in Switzerland for its action on climate change. The company was recognised as an 'A-band' performer in the CDP's 350 Climate Change 2013 Report for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. [ + ]

Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) costs Canada $403.9 million each year, a study to be published in the Journal of Food Protection shows. More than 93% of VTEC infections in Canada are caused by the E. coli O157 strain. [ + ]

The 2013 world cereal output is expected to increase significantly on 2012 figures, the latest Crop Prospects and Food Situation Report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) shows. [ + ]

Located in the Melbourne suburb of Epping, the new $8 million facility will make magnetic separators, vibratory feeders and flotation equipment for a number of applications, including mining, minerals processing, food, chemical, plastics and packaging. [ + ]

Bad news for those who blame their poor eating habits on the high price of healthy food: research has shown that the healthiest diets cost only $1.50 per day more than the least healthy diets. [ + ]

The AFGC has been accused of undermining the star rating front-of-pack labelling system that was agreed to by the former Labor government. The AFGC has defended the allegations, saying it remains committed to the scheme. [ + ]

The Brewers Association of Australia and New Zealand is funding a three-year research grant into the area of alcohol policy, in partnership with the University of Canterbury. [ + ]

The Electrical Trades Union has called on Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane to apologise to SPC Ardmona workers for comments he made regarding employees' leave and pay arrangements. [ + ]

UPM Raflatac has been awarded FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody certifications for labelstock produced in its Asia-Pacific factories. This means that all UPM Raflatac factories in the Asia-Pacific region are now PEFC and FSC certified. [ + ]