Don’t compared bottled water with tap water, the Australasian Bottled Water Institute has urged consumers. The institute has rejected recent media reports that bottled water is expensive and environmentally questionable. [ + ]

Following Simplot’s announcement that its Bathurst cannery may close after the 2014 season, the AMWU has urged consumers, supermarkets and the government to take action to save Australia’s canned food industry. [ + ]

Wiley has won the AIB (Australian Institute of Building) Queensland Chapter’s Professional Excellence in Building State Award for Research, Development and Technology for its work on the Primo Smallgoods facility in Brisbane. [ + ]

Dairy processors can now test to verify the authenticity of claims that milk is organic. [ + ]

Arla Foods Ingredients has responded to the ‘acid whey’ controversy, claiming its processes do not produce the by-product.  [ + ]

The Australian Greens have launched a new national independent biosecurity authority that they say will give greater protection against pests and diseases that are threatening Australia’s agricultural sector and environment. [ + ]

A report from the US National Toxicology Program has found “clear evidence” that Gingko biloba caused liver cancer in mice, and “some evidence” that gingko caused thyroid cancer in rats. [ + ]

To help the US dairy industry achieve its goal of a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, University of Arkansas researchers have developed a ‘cradle-to-grave’ life-cycle analysis of milk. [ + ]

A study has found that an omega-3 supplement derived from NZ green-lipped mussel significantly improved lung function and reduced airway inflammation in asthmatics who experience exercise-induced asthma. [ + ]

The Australian Wine Research Institute is hosting a series of webinars covering a range of winemaking, winery management and viticulture topics, from climate change to phylloxera to Chinese consumer insights. [ + ]

While robots on banana farms may sound like a sci-fi movie plot, a University of Sydney robotics expert says this could be a reality in Australia within 10 years. [ + ]

What’s New in Food Technology & Manufacturing talked with Tony Dinallo from JL Lennard about the new Multipond multihead weigher. [ + ]

A journal article claiming that bisphenol A (BPA) exposure during pregnancy in mice can affect brain function and behaviour has drawn mixed responses from experts. [ + ]

In conjunction with PAC.NZ, the Australian Institute of Packaging will deliver its Introduction to Packaging Economics half-day training course in New Zealand. [ + ]

A sustainable farming model could transform cassava from a poor people’s food crop into a 21st-century crop, the FAO says. Cassava is a cheaper alternative to wheat and maize, and can be processed into a high-quality flour. [ + ]