The US National Pork Board has issued a cease and desist letter to online retailer ThinkGeek regarding a potential infrigement of their trademark slogan ‘The Other White Meat’ – in regard to an April Fools Day ‘canned unicorn’ product. A headline on the ThinkGeek gag page for Radiant Farms Canned Unicorn Meat  reads “Pate is passe. Unicorn – the new white meat.” The page also describes the product as an ‘excellent source of sparkles’ and... ...Read more »

Coles has upped its support for the Queensland meat industry, introducing a ’100% QLD Beef’ logo for its Queensland customers. The initiative uses the National Livestock Identification System, allowing Coles to trace the origin of its beef products. The NLIS was introduced in Australia in 1999 as part of requirements for export to the EU, tracking livestock throughout their lifetimes. Coles said that they have been working for many years to develop a hole-proof system with Australian... ...Read more »

Italian confectionary maker Ferrero is looking to cut its carbon emissions by 17% by 2013 as part of a sustainability drive outlined in a report published by the maker of Ferrero Rocher, Rafaello, Nutella and Kinder yesterday.”We are proud of the fact that the commitment to Ferrero entrepreneurial values goes together with our engagement of working for the benefit of the local communities and territories where we operate,” said Pietro Ferrero CEO of Ferrero International. “The respect... ...Read more »

The functional food and drinks market in the EU is expected to continue to grow over the next five years, but at a slowing rate, according to a report by market intelligence firm Key Note.The functional foods report revealed that the major issue in food and drink development and manufacturing remains health, boosted by the threat posed by the rising level of obesity. Yet the inclusion of several functional elements in food products has reportedly proved confusing to consumers and some products are... ...Read more »

Australian Good Taste Magazine has begun its annual search for Australia’s Home Cook of the Year, with the 2010 Golden Whisk Awards now open to passionate amateur cooks with simple, great recipes to share. The competition has partnered with Channel 10′s morning program The Circle, allowing viewers to vote on recipes, as well as giving them a chance at a year’s worth of groceries from Woolworths and weekly gift cards. The most popular recipe will receive a new $500-prize People’s... ...Read more »

Four years of work by Western Australian researchers has opened the door for exports of Australian grapefruit to one of the world’s biggest markets.Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman said the decision by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries was welcome news, potentially worth millions of dollars to Australia’s growing grapefruit industry. “Japan is the global pace maker for quarantine standards in many horticultural products,” Mr Redman said. “If... ...Read more »

Newly Weds Foods Inc. has acquired food ingredients manufacturer Witwood Food Products Ltd for an undisclosed sum.The combination of the two businesses – both of which have manufacturing sites in Sydney – will give customers across the globe access to a range of innovative new products and technologies. Witwoods, which employs 23 people at its Chester Hill site in Sydney, is headquartered in the UK, with additional manufacturing sites in the UK and Thailand, servicing a customer base... ...Read more »

UK retailer Sainsbury’s could enter the Chinese market as part of expansion plans under its new-look management team.Sainsbury’s management revamp, announced on Monday (21 June) and designed to “support and drive” the company’s long-term growth strategy, will see CFO Darren Shapland become group development director on the plc board. A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s told just-food today that Shapland’s new role will also involve international business development,... ...Read more »

Unsuspecting taste buds beware – Harvest Kitchen Soft Centres may look like normal biscuits, but they’re oozing with a rich, gooey surprise inside. It’s a biscuit with a soft fudgy coating turned inside-out; crunchy on the outside, smooth on the inside. Harvest Kitchen Soft Centres are made by Australian owned and managed specialty biscuit company Unibic, who has developed a unique manufacturing process that enables a soft chocolate centre to be enveloped inside a moreish biscuit. This... ...Read more »

According to the latest research from The Nielsen Company, the profile of the Australian shopper is rapidly evolving and retailers and manufacturers in the Australian retail trade will need to develop strategies that accommodate growing ethnicity, population increases and an ageing society in order to succeed in the future. The results from Nielsen’s 2010 ShopperTrends Report – The Future of Retailing were shared with around 1,000 delegates from the FMCG, Liquor and Fresh Produce sectors... ...Read more »