A new report from Smithers Pira estimates the global market for functional and barrier coatings used in paper and board applications will reach $5.1 billion by 2018. Worth $4.2 billion in 2012, the market is expected to increase by almost 420,000 tonnes by 2018. [ + ]

Eight companies have formed a partnership with WWF to encourage the responsible development of bioplastics. The Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance comprises: Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, Ford, HJ Heinz Company, Nike, P&G and Unilever. [ + ]

In the US, 20 independent retailers have implemented the third-party HowGood rating system that tells customers just how sustainable a product is. [ + ]

Researchers from across multiple disciplines within the University of Newcastle (UoN), as well as government members and experts from within the Central Coast food and beverage industry, are linking up to develop solutions for complex problems in the food and beverage industry. [ + ]

If you have packaging-related knowledge that you would like to share with the Australian packaging industry, the place to do it is at the Australian Institute of Packaging's National Conference - and the call for papers is now open. [ + ]

Roche has released SeqCap EZ Exome Designs for the target enrichment of the wheat, barley and maize genomes. These agriculture exome designs provide researchers a cost-effective and easy-to-use alternative sequencing method beyond whole genome sequencing. [ + ]

Foods suitable for irritable bowel syndrome sufferers and others who have intolerance towards ingredients high in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols can now be easily identified with the FODMAP logo. [ + ]

Consumers' taste for aspartame has soured, new data from Canadean shows. Overall, sweetener consumption is changing across the globe, with increasing positive sentiment towards all-natural sweetness and clean label products. [ + ]

Celebrity chef Rick Stein and Dr Pia Winberg, a sustainable seafood expert from the University of Wollongong, have lent their support to a plan from Fisheries NSW to introduce three Commercial Shellfish Aquaculture Leases in the town of Jervis Bay. [ + ]

Record production and strong demand has seen the value of canola increase by 25% since 2012, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows. [ + ]

Ardagh has won the Can of the Year Award for 2013 for a food can that could potentially save the food canning industry thousands of tonnes of steel each year. [ + ]

Coles and Woolworths have reached an agreement with the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) on the terms of a food and grocery industry code of conduct. [ + ]

Not all vegetable oils are as healthy as they seem, new research suggests. An analysis in the Canadian Medical Association Journal has found that some vegetable oils may actually increase the risk of heart disease. [ + ]

In an attempt to help food manufacturers reduce acrylamide levels in certain foods, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued draft guidance on the topic. [ + ]

Finally, the news we've all been hoping for: researchers have discovered that the more chocolate you eat, the lower your body fat. Unfortunately, it doesn't mean that eating a family-sized block each day will help you lose weight, but nevertheless it's good news for chocolate lovers: your addiction may be helping, rather than harming, your health. [ + ]