International milk and milk products standard setting body met in New Zealand last week and successfully wrapped up 16 years of work, developing international standards to keep milk products flowing, a subject close to New Zealand’s heart as exporter of a third of the world’s dairy trade. More than 130 delegates from 34 member countries and 5 observer organisations convened last week in Auckland for the ninth session of the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products (CCMMP), which sets... ...Read more »

Baxters Food Group, the UK soup maker, is planning to use Australia as a manufacturing base for its chutneys business to push the products into new markets in Asia. The company, which snapped up Australian vegetables-to-pesto firm Sole Mio last year, wants to use its production facility in the market to launch its “side-of-plate” products in the country – and further afield in the region. Baxters has launched a series of products, including chutneys and relishes, in the UK over... ...Read more »

Thousands of food manufacturers worldwide stand to benefit from a newly published document in the ISO 22000 series designed to prevent and control food safety hazards. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) technical specification ISO/TS 22002-1:2009, Prerequisite programmes on food safety – Part 1: Food manufacturing, sets out requirements for prerequisite programmes needed to realize safe products and provide food that is safe for human consumption. It is intended to be... ...Read more »

 Woolworths supermarkets yesterday posted the price of more than 5,000 packaged grocery products oline, with the launch of their Woolworths Price Check website. The company has commenced listing product prices online following calls from consumer advocate groups for the major supermarkets to deliver greater price transparency to customers. According to some commentators however, the website leaves a lot to be desired.  Associate Professor Frank Zumbo, Competition and Consumer Law Expert at the... ...Read more »

Australia’s first variety of home grown Royal Pom pomegranates is hitting Australian fresh produce aisles this March. Grown by family owned business PMG Agriculture and brought to market by Australian company Perfection Fresh, they are the first pomegranates produced commercially on Australian soil. Pomegranates are well known for their nutritional benefits, especially their high antioxidant levels, which assist in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, and can reduce cholesterol levels... ...Read more »

Dairy has not always been considered favorably when it came to its use in weight reducing diets. However this assumption has now been proven to be incorrect.  Evidence is growing in support of increased dairy product consumption to assist weight loss. A recent study conducted at Curtin University of Technology is strongly supportive of increasing dairy intake.  Dr Wendy Chan She Ping Delfos, from Curtin’s School of Public Health, compared three serves of dairy with five serves of dairy within... ...Read more »

Australian sugar prices have recently reached levels not seen for 30 years, driven by high demand from India and poor harvest progress in Brazil. According to a prediction in the latest NAB Rural Communities Wrap released today, the price of sugar will remain strong in the short term due to the tight supply/demand situation.  Import demand is expected to lift mid 2010, and the medium term price outlook will depend of the 2010-11 crop conditions in both Australia and Brazil. Khan Horne, NAB Agribusiness... ...Read more »

US food and drink giant PepsiCo plans to build on its “global leadership” in “macro” snacks in 2010 through acquisitions and the development of healthier products. The firm today (11 February) reported a 16% increase in full-year profits, driven by gains in its worldwide snack and international beverage businesses. CEO and chairman Indra Nooyi said the Frito-Lay owner will take advantage of its “global leadership position” in “macro” snacks in a bid... ...Read more »

Wal-Mart has launched the index it uses to measure the “sustainability” of its suppliers in Canada.The retail giant’s local arm announced the move yesterday (10 February) among a series of initiatives it believes will make its business – and those of its suppliers – more sustainable. Wal-Mart’s index was first unveiled in the US last year and David Cheesewright, president and CEO of the retailer’s Canadian business, insisted the scheme would give its supply... ...Read more »

Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move‘ campaign, launched yesterday by US President Obama, has gained support from America’s National Restaurant Association and the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation. The campaign, aiming to tackle childhood obesity, will focus on “ensuring access to healthy, affordable food, increasing physical activity in schools and communities, providing healthier food in schools and empowering parents with information and tools to make good choices... ...Read more »