The Federal Government has announced they will be reducing restrictions on foreign supermarkets entering the Australian marketplace. The changes will provide supermarkets with five years to develop vacant commercial land as opposed to the current one-year allowance. The new legislation is designed to entice multinational companies like Wal-Mart, Costco and Tesco into Australia; with assistant treasurer Chris Bowen indicating that old legislation stifled competition in the sector. “We... ...Read more »
A summit, headed by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, has discussed concerns about rising global food prices. The summit was attended by 25 experts including UN World Food Program Chief Josette Sheeran, African Development Bank Chief Donald Kaberuka, the UK’s chief scientist and environmental and international development ministers. A number of issues were discussed to ensure short-term and long-term solutions were created. Several policy changes were mooted, including: Greater work... ...Read more »
The first Thomas Dux store has opened in Lane Cove, NSW with another set to open in a few months. Thomas Dux, a grocer/deli with an emphasis on fresh foods, represents Woolworths latest attempt to increase their share of the grocery industry. The store will sell smallgoods, quality cheeses, fruit and vegetables and will primarily utilise suppliers that do not currently supply Woolworths supermarkets. Woolworths have plans to slowly roll out more Thomas Dux stores in the future with the... ...Read more »
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced today that it had concluded its investigations into allegations that Bakers Delight engaged in misleading and deceptive and unconscionable conduct towards franchisees in operating its franchise system. Having conducted an in-depth investigation, including analysing a large amount of documentary evidence and conducting a number of detailed interviews with various witnesses the ACCC has decided not to take any further action. This... ...Read more »
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is seeking public comment on changes it is considering making to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code). The first change is a proposal to amend the Code to require the mandatory fortification of bread with iodine in Australia. The second follows an application from Syngenta Seeds Pty Ltd for permission to sell and use food derived from a new genetically modified (GM) variety of corn. When we receive an application to change food... ...Read more »
The Reserve Bank of Australia is now more likely to consider raising interest rates again in May following the release of inflation data for the March quarter. CPI rose 1.3% in the quarter, resulting in a CPI figure for the year to the March quarter of 4.2%. The figure was higher than analyst forecasts of 4% and markedly above the 2-3% level which the RBA targets, indicating that rates could rise next month. Education and health prices were the biggest contributors to the high quarterly... ...Read more »
Tetsuya’s and Rockpool have once again been recognised among the top 50 restaurants worldwide in the highly coveted Restaurant Magazine list. The awards, held overnight, were started in 2002 and are chosen by prominent food writers, critics, publishers and commentators from 23 different world regions. Sydney restaurants Tetsuya’s and Rockpool have been on the list since the beginning with Rockpool regarded as the world’s fourth best in 2002 with Tetsuya’s at ten.... ...Read more »
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) in America has blamed the food-for-fuel program for the high cost of commodities. The food-for-fuel legislation provides incentives to farmers to use corn in ethanol production and has seen production of ethanol triple over the past seven years. There has been a growing wave of discontent for the legislation as more than a quarter of corn is now directed to fuel instead of food production. It is considered that this then has a flow-on effect to... ...Read more »
The Chinese Government have outlined a draft food safety law which will ensure harsher penalties for producers breaking the law. The new law would pave the way for judges to give a life sentence to anyone responsible for substandard food production. For lesser violations offenders can expect fines, income confiscation and/or cancellation of licences. According to the official news agency (Xinhua), the government is seeking public comments and opinions on the law until May 20. Chinese people... ...Read more »
Woolworths is set to introduce self-checkout technology into 70 of their supermarkets by the end of June, with 16 outlets already equipped with self-checkout lanes. Each of the 70 stores is likely to have about four self-checkout machines which will enable the customer to scan, weigh and pay for their groceries via cash, credit or debit cards. They will also allow the customer to get cash out, top-up mobile phone vouchers and receive petrol reward dockets. To cater for those people who are... ...Read more »