The report of a study commissioned by an Australian government body, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, has found that indigenous children in the Northern Territory are eating healthier food than prior to the government initiated Intervention in the Northern Territory. The so-called Intervention in the Northern Territory otherwise known officially as the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) took place under the former Liberal-National Coalition Federal government from late June... ...Read more »

Brazil’s JBS S.A. has, through its wholly owned subsidiary Swift Australia, reached an agreement with Vion food Group to acquire Tatiara Meat Company (TMC).”TMC is a high quality lamb processing business, servicing quality high end markets in the United States, Canada and Europe. It has a strong brand and quality product reputation both in the international and Australian domestic market,” JBS noted in a statement.  JBS agreed to pay $30 million for Bordertown-based Tatiara –... ...Read more »

ASX-listed wine businesses Constellation Brands and Australian Vintage have applied for informal merger clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission as talks continue for a possible tie-up between the two firms. The companies advised that talks ”may result in a possible combining of part of CBI’s Australian and U.K. wine operations with AVL in exchange for a non-controlling, 50% equity interest in the combined entity” but warned that there is no certainty... ...Read more »

Opposition Senators expressed concerms over the relaxation of Beef imports into Australia during a Senate Inquiry on Tuesday. Liberal Senator and Farmer Bill Heffernan raised his concern that Australian domestic beef producers were held to a stricter standard than foreign imports “These fellows today are telling Australia’s beef growers that they are going to accept a lesser standard than they have imposed on Australia,” he told the Inquiry yesterday. He also had fears that beef imports... ...Read more »

The banana trade dispute between the EU, parts of Latin America and US fruit companies has officially come to an end this afternoon (15 December) after a final agreement was published in Geneva. Disputes proceedings have been staged at the WTO on EU banana import protection since 1996, almost as long as the trade body has existed. Latin exporters and US-based fruit companies have been fighting the preferential access to EU markets given to bananas from the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific, which... ...Read more »

Kraft Foods said today (15 December) that it had received clearance from US competition authorities to proceed with its proposed acquisition of UK confectioner Cadbury. Cadbury management has repeatedly rejected Kraft’s GBP10bn (US$16.25bn) cash-and-stock offer, arguing that it undervalues the company and its future prospects. However, Kraft has taken its bid directly to shareholders, who have until 5 January to decide whether or not to accept the deal. In a statement to the London Stock Exchange,... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil has announced the appointment of Martin Jansen to the role of non-Executive Director, effective immediately. Mr Jansen will take the vacated position of Irial Finan in one of the two board positions reserved for major shareholder The Coca-Cola Company. He is currently the CEO of Coca-Cola China Industries Ltd and also responsible for TCCC’s investment interests in Shanghai. “We are delighted that Martin, with his extensive knowledge and experience of fast moving consumer... ...Read more »

CSR, Australia’s largest sugar producer, has announced that their Sugar and Renewable Energy business will adopt the name of Sucrogen as part of the proposed demerger. Sucrogen will, however, retain the iconic CSR brand for its food and beverage sugar products in Australia and the market-leading Chelsea brand in New Zealand. “It’s a good time to be in the sugar business and we believe the new corporate identity reflects both our strong heritage in Australia and New Zealand but... ...Read more »

An American survey of more than 1,800 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) – has revealed that local sourcing of ingredients, sustainability and nutrition will be the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2010. Locally grown produce, locally sourced meats and seafood, sustainability, mini-desserts and locally produced wine and beer top the list of nearly 215 culinary items in the “What’s Hot in 2010″ survey from the National Restaurant... ...Read more »

The Australian Beef Association yesterday told the current Australian Senate inquiry into Beef Imports that the majority of local beef producers will continue to oppose changes to Australia’s beef import laws. The Association said that relaxation of current import laws raised concerns of imports being affected by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) (Mad Cow Disease). As European countries began reporting outbreaks of BSE in 2001, Australia had implemented blanket restrictions on beef imports.... ...Read more »