Australian restaurants could soon be forced to follow some of their American counterparts by posting calorie counts on menus. The Preventative Health Taskforce, set up to provide recommendations to the Federal Government on health policy going forward, is contemplating a number of labelling approaches. The Taskforce is to submit the ‘National Preventative Health Strategy’ to the Department of Health and Ageing in June this year, with many potential changes affecting all in the food industry. Chairman... ...Read more »

A Federal Government survey has discovered bacteria levels in some raw meats to be higher than expected, according to The Australian, which claimed the results of the survey had been withheld due to concerns about the potential impact on Christmas sales. The survey, did, however, establish ‘superbugs’ were not yet prevalent in Australian food. Escherichia coli, commonly known as E.coli, was found in 69 per cent of poultry, 29.7 per cent of beef and 18.1 per cent of pork, but only 1 per... ...Read more »

British shoppers are becoming increasingly engaged with standards of animal welfare when purchasing food, according to research into consumer behaviour from international food and grocery expert IGD. One-fifth of shoppers (20%) now say that knowing about the standards of animal welfare has become one of their key drivers of product choice, which is up from 13% in 2008, according to Shopper Trends 2009, IGD’s latest research. When asked about concerns they have relating to food production,... ...Read more »

Streets is today launching an innovative marketing campaign, encouraging customers to buy a Cornetto product to potentially find an MP3 player inside. In what is suggested to be a world-first, winners will find a Samsung S2 Pebble MP3 vacuum sealed inside their Cornetto cone, which is exactly the same weight, size and texture as a genuine Streets Cornetto. Winners will also be able to claim a free Cornetto to compensate for the fact that their original purchase of what they thought to be an ice-cream... ...Read more »

Pizza Hut, the world’s largest pizza franchise, is launching the first stage in a menu-wide transition to pizzas made entirely from natural ingredients in the US. The new pizzas will provide their customers the opportunity to have pizza free from artificial preservatives, colours and flavours, they advised. The notion of ‘natural’ has been a popular one in the food industry over the last couple of years, with research released yesterday suggesting that “natural” was... ...Read more »

Amidst global financial meltdown and looming job losses, businesses – and employees – are apprehensive about what’s in store for 2009. Business information analysts IBISWorld have compiled a list of the “riskiest” industries this year, as well as those which are likely to be safe despite turbulent economic times.While the risk forecasts take historical data into account, they largely look ahead and consider vital information about the dynamic business environment and... ...Read more »

Professional services firm Deloitte has outlined the likely responses of retailers this year as financial worries continue to restrict confidence. In their 2009 Global Powers of Retail report, in which Wal-Mart again came out on top with Australia’s Coles and Woolworths both finding a spot in the top 30 global retailers, Deloitte suggests successful retailers will find a way to enhance the customer experience, while also improving risk management systems. Cut costs On a global level, many retailers... ...Read more »

Kraft Australia has requested approval from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to use phytosterol esters in their low-fat cream cheeses and low-fat processed cheeses. Phytosterol esters, commonly known as plant sterols, are prepared by the reaction of phytosterols with fatty acid methyl esters or free fatty acids. They occur naturally at low levels in common vegetable oils and have been reported as an effective way to reduce cholesterol absorption. Phytosterols are classified as a ‘novel... ...Read more »

The bottled water industry has yet another new entrant seeking to make an impact in what has been a flourishing industry since the turn of the century; but this entrant offers differentiation never before seen in Australia – a promise to use all of their profits to assist those in need of clean water supplies. Duncan Goose, founder of Global Ethics and the One Foundation, today joined with actors Bridie Carter and Rhys Muldoon, presenter Jennifer Adams and MTV VJ Ruby Rose to launch the product,... ...Read more »

A unique “healthy halo” is driving the flourishing global market for food and beverage products enhanced with omega fatty acids, according to new research, published overnight. The ‘halo’ is characterised by enhanced public awareness of omega fatty acid compounds, their proven scientific and health benefits, consumer willingness to purchase products that contain them, and positive media exposure. In the report, Omega Fatty Acids: Trends in the Worldwide Food and Beverage Markets,... ...Read more »