The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is looking forward to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) providing the results of its much-anticipated Grocery Price Inquiry to the Australian Government tomorrow. “Farmers are, quite literally, at the bottom of the food supply chain,” NFF Vice-President Charles Burke said. “Once our produce leaves the farm we have no idea where the added costs that consumers bear come from.” Mr Burke added that the nature... ...Read more »

The City of Sydney is hoping new measures will help stimulate activity and interest in CBD laneways and forgotten spaces.A report to Council’s Cultural Community Services Committee on Monday 28 July 2008 recommends offering business development grants of up to $30,000, encouraging the creation of small retail, service and hospitality businesses. Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the City will also host a new temporary laneway art program By George! from October 3, as part of this year’s... ...Read more »

Mintel, a leading supplier of market intelligence, has come a step closer to discovering the next big things in food and drink by combining research from their Global New Products Database (GNPD) and information from the recent Institute of Food Technologists meeting. “Mintel’s IFT ‘08 presentations focused on issues and new products driving food and drink innovation,” comments Lynn Dornblaser, a new product expert with Mintel. “Our taste tests allowed attendees to experience... ...Read more »

A NSW Food Authority safety survey of bakery products has revealed that 1 in 4 Vietnamese-style rolls tested scored either “unsatisfactory” or had “marginal” satisfactory levels for human consumption, but overall the industry was typically meeting strict food safety guidelines. The survey of 125 small non-supermarket bakeries was conducted over eight months by the NSW Food Authority and 40 local councils. “The good news is that out of almost 700 samples, the vast majority... ...Read more »

Starbucks has announced they will close more than two-thirds of their Australian outlets by Sunday August 3. The decision to close 61 of their 84 Australian stores was finalised following a meeting of store managers yesterday afternoon, and comes at the end of a turbulent month for the company. The American coffee giant announced earlier this month that they would close 600 stores in America as part of their “transformation strategy” in the wake of declining sales caused, in part, by... ...Read more »

The European Commission launched a new Organic Farming Campaign at the beginning of the week to improve farmer and consumer awareness of organic produce. Under the campaign slogan: “Organic farming. Good for nature, good for you”, the promotional campaign aims to inform consumers about the meaning and benefits of organic farming and food production. The campaign will focus on increasing consumer awareness and recognition of organic products, and especially on young people and children... ...Read more »

The recent combination of increased fuel prices and interest rate hikes is taking its toll on in-store spending by consumers in the convenience trade, a report released today by The Nielsen Company has revealed. Close to three quarters of Australian consumers (74%) say their lifestyle has been negatively affected by fuel price increases, with two of the top three responses to rising fuel prices being to stop buying non-essential items at the supermarket and at petrol stations. According to the 2008... ...Read more »

Cargill, a leading agribusiness company, believe that their new taste tissue imaging system will help food and beverage companies deliver better-tasting products to consumers. Cargill has received a patent for the breakthrough technology in taste tissue imaging and taste modification, and claim the system is superior to the cell screening technology currently available in the flavor, food and beverage industries. The patented technology will allow Cargill to effectively discover taste modifiers –... ...Read more »

Scientists in the UK are calling for the Government to allow them to keep sites for GM crop trials a secret in the wake of continued vandalising of crops by protesters. Under current European Union rules the sites of GM trials are required to be disclosed to the public and this has led to most of the 54 sites used in Britain since the turn of the century being damaged at some stage by protesters. Professor Howard Atkinson of Leeds University, whose pest-resistant potato study was destroyed in June,... ...Read more »

The grocery sector has ended packaging growth in the UK despite a sharp increase in sales, the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) said overnight. WRAP has been working in consultation with the UK’s top retailers and brands to achieve this target and believe the sector is now on track to cut food and packaging waste. This success is the result of the ‘Courtauld Commitment’, according to WRAP. This is a voluntary agreement between WRAP, Defra (Department for Environment,... ...Read more »