New Zealand today launched a major initiative to boost its food and
beverage exports, including NZ$19m earmarked for new market
development and a roadmap for innovations.
Food allergies in Australian children have risen 12-fold since 1995
and there is an "urgent need" for further research into the trend,
according to a new study.
Australia can adopt commercialised genetically modified (GM) canola
production without compromising its organic agriculture, say new
findings from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and
Resource Economics (ABARE).
New Zealand is proposing to update its dietary supplement
regulations to take into account new food-like delivery formats
that have emerged in the 20 years since they were drawn up.
Globalisation is creating a challenging environment for Australia's
food industry but has also opened up new markets with strong
potential, finds a new report.
Chocolate giant Cadbury will spend NZ$20 million (€10.3m) to expand
production of chocolate crumb in New Zealand, allowing it to meet
forecast growth in demand from the Asia-Pacific region, it
announced yesterday.
Cholesterol-lowering margarines are set to be joined by
cholesterol-lowering milks, yoghurts and cereals as Australia and
New Zealand's food authority finally approves the new categories.
Food miles, the trendy catchphrase alluding to pollution caused by
food exports, is 'a red herring' that detracts from serious
environmental issues to be faced by food producers, says Fonterra's
trade strategy manager,...
Australia's government will work with industry to reduce trans
fatty acids in Australian food, it announced this week, despite
figures that suggest intake of the fats among the population is
within safe limits.
Poultry processors in Australia are expected to implement
'significant price increases' for chicken meat, as drought leads to
surging grain prices, a major production cost for the country's
chicken farmers.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has unveiled its new
'Science Strategy' 2006 to maintain safety standards in the food
supply for food processors.
Australian dairies will drum up A$15 million in funding over the
next three years to support a new innovation centre that will be
tasked with finding ways to better compete with a challenging
marketplace.
Bakeries in Australia and New Zealand may be required to use only
iodised salt in the future, if a proposal from the countries' food
regulator is approved.
Australian baker George Weston Foods says government plans to
require all bread to be fortified with folic acid are based on
inadequate science and should not be brought into law.
The proportion of value-added food and beverage products exported
from New Zealand has continued to rise steadily against commodity
products, with the value-added sector enjoying growth of nearly 10
per cent in the past five years.
Australian brewer Lion Nathan has responded to last week's
objections by Coopers, the subject of a hostile takeover by the
firm, with similar claims of foul play.
Foster's has taken a streamlined approach to 'brand Australia' on
the world wine market, announcing two wineries will be sold off as
the firm tries to realise cost-savings from its Southcorp buyout.
More productive sugarcane varieties can be delivered two to three
years earlier, say Australian scientists, helping the sugar
industry maintain its productivity and sustainability.
Australian prawn farmers have reacted angrily to the government's
proposed labelling reforms, which could provide the country's food
producers with increased competition from imports, Tom Armitage
reports.
Australia's biggest wine producer, Southcorp, has announced an
extensive restructuring designed to counteract the affects of a
downturn in the US economy and a weakened Australian dollar. The
AUS93 million (€53.7m) package involves...
An Australian beef industry leader has indicated that the
Australian beef sector is riding a short-term boom following a
series of bans on US beef exports to major Asian markets.
Thai fruit farmers have won a long battle to get their lychees and
longans onto the Australian market place, breaking a long ban by
Australian authorities which deemed the fruit as a potential
pest-carrying hazard to agricultural...
Red meat sales in Australia are firmly back on the road to
recovery, according to statistics released today from Meat &
Livestock Australia. The figures show a second year of strong
recovery following dwindling sales in the 80s...
