Alcoa has sold its packaging and consumer businesses to New Zealand’s Rank Group.

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has started planning for the 2009 New Zealand Total Diet Survey, when commonly eaten food substances are put under the microscope.

Unilever R&D opened the Centre of Excellence Structured Emulsions on Tuesday, designed to develop food innovations, healthier choices and functional foods with the natural goodness of oils.

The NSW government is amending the legislation to allow the NSW Food Authority to publish on its website details of food businesses that receive penalty notices for food law breaches.

Eating curcumin, a natural ingredient in the spice turmeric, may dramatically reduce the chance of developing heart failure, according to recent research.

The New South Wales government is again being accused of poor infrastructure management with the decision of rail freight company Pacific National to stop transporting grain for export.

Confectionery and the consumer is the theme this year at ConFectioNZ 2008, the New Zealand annual conference of the Confectionery Manufacturers of Australasia.

Food, beverage, packaging and manufacturing industries are invited to attend the 2008 Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) National Conference, held on 12-13 June 2008 at Sydney's Luna Park.

The food and beverage industry has questioned the objectives of the South Australian Government in light of its decision to double the container deposit levy on beverage containers from 5 to 10 cents.

Food companies will find it easier to collect required information to meet the legal obligations surrounding the sale of food with a new product information form, launched recently.

Researchers have laboratory evidence that the widespread use of no-calorie sweeteners may actually make it harder for people to control their intake and body weight. The findings appear in the February issue of Behavioural Neuroscience, which is published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

A team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are developing a new technology that could lead to low-calorie foods that taste like the real thing. Low-fat foods are often disappointing to consumers since removing the fat changes the desirable taste, texture and aroma of the original product.

Demand for frozen-food packaging in the US is projected to increase 4.1% per year to US$6.4 billion in 2011. This, along with other trends, was presented in Frozen Food Packaging — a new study from The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

A European labelling proposal has been welcomed by the peak body of Australian food producers, the Australian Food and Grocery Council. This labelling includes placing nutritional information on the front of packs to give consumers clearer information to help them with their dietary choices.

The 2008 Australasian Milling Conference is excited by its positive progress and near completion for the biennial conference, to be held on April 14-16.