The new dessert item at Eagle Boys Pizza, the Chocolate Fudge Mousse, comes with a glowing pedigree. The dessert, developed with Australian dessert producer Exquisine, has received a gold medal at the 2010 Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show, and will now compete in the Australian Grand Dairy Awards later this year. The dessert, one of three new desserts in the new-look Eagle Boys menu, took top honours in the ‘Dairy dessert (other than custard)’ category this year. The Chocolate Fudge... ...Read more »

The Foreign Investment Review Board has delayed its decision on whether the proposed acquisition of CSR’s sugar unit, Sucrogen, by China’s Bright Food Group will be allowed to proceed. Bright Food Group issued a conditional bid of A$1.75bn (US$1.45bn) for the business, but CSR has since successfully appealed against the blocking of its preferred option – a demerger. The FIRB said that it will block any deal for 90 days from 19 May in order to further consider the offer. just-food... ...Read more »

Australia’s Fresh Produce Group has announced the appointment of Mano Babiolakis as CEO-elect, effective 1 June. Babiolakis previously served as CEO of CostaExchange and Chiquita Brands South Pacific. “This is a most significant and exciting appointment in the evolution of our company,” FPG founder and CEO Robert Nugan suggested. “[Babiolakis'] deep industry experience, high level relationships, knowledge and enthusiasm will be invaluable to help conquer the challenges before... ...Read more »

Fosters Group Ltd today announced its plans to demerge its beer and wine businesses in a move to separate the thriving beer side from the globally unstable wine market. “We are increasingly seeing the benefits of operationally separating the beer and wine businesses.  While the beer and wine businesses are market leaders, they operate in separate market segments with different strategic and operating characteristics,” said Foster’s CEO Ian Johnston. “The beer business is Australia’s... ...Read more »

Online and internet shopping represents one of the fast growing sectors within the global food and grocery market at present, especially across the more developed parts of the world. With household internet access continuing to increase, the customer base for online grocery shopping is widening, while other technological innovations such as the advent of smart phones is further benefiting the market. The global online grocery retailing market is dominated by the UK and the US, which together accounted... ...Read more »

A Senate report on competition and pricing in the Australian dairy industry has slammed the results of a deregulated dairy industry, with dominance by the two major supermarket chains and a handful of mostly foreign-owned processors placing farmers at a competitive disadvantage. The inquiry investigated the varying prices being paid to dairy farmers in different Australian states, particularly focussing on the impact of consolidation that has occurred within the dairy supply chain since deregulation... ...Read more »

155 bakers from the Italian community in the small Swiss town of Porrentruy have taken back the world record for largest tiramisu, after creating a 2.3 ton monster in their local ice-skating rink. The Agence Telegraphique Suisse reported on Sunday that Guiness World Record officials certified the gigantic dessert as the world record holder – after a food-safety check. The monster confection required 799kg of mascarpone, 6400 eggs, 350 litres of cream, 189kg of sugar, 300 litres of coffee, 35kg... ...Read more »

Marks and Spencer has started selling Fairtrade-certified vegetables, with the launch of green beans from Kenya. The UK retailer will add Fairtrade green beans to its stable of over 300 different Fairtrade food, drink and flowers lines. M&S has reported success with Fairtrade products, reporting a sales rise of 40% last year. The move has been made possible by the extension of Fairtrade standards for vegetables to include small-scale outgrowers who can only access export markets by selling crops... ...Read more »

The young chefs, waiters and restauranteurs shortlisted for the Electrolux Appetite for Excellence awards face a gruelling Masterchef-style road to victory. In Sydney later next month, the chefs will participate in a professional cook-off, racing against the clock to prepare and present a dish for the judging panel. The waiters will be asked to put their palates to the test with a blind food and wine tasting, and demonstrate their customer service skills under careful scrutiny of judges, including... ...Read more »

Western Australian farmer Sue Middleton has won the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award in recognition of her work turning piggery waste into usable energy. Middleton, who runs a diverse pork, citrus and grain-farming operation at Wongan Hills, north of Perth, has a vision  of creating a more sustainable pork industry by converting the waste produced at piggeries into biogas. “Sue’s ambition to investigate the enormous potential of piggery waste to be converted into energy epitomises the efforts... ...Read more »