Stevia supplier PureCircle has signed another venture to market sweeteners, this time with German food ingredients group Dohler.The venture, announced yesterday (23 September), comes a day after Malaysia-based PureCircle announced it was teaming up with French sugar giant Tereos to sell low-calorie sweeteners in Europe and Brazil. The Dohler venture will see PureCircle combine its stevia ingredients with the German group’s “sweetening flavour and application know-how” to make “natural,... ...Read more »

The sale of grocery retailer Franklins to local rival Metcash has come under scrutiny from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) which said it has serious concerns about the planned acquisition. The ACCC yesterday released a statement of issues, which said the proposed acquisition is likely to result in a “substantial lessening of competition in the market for the supply of packaged groceries to independent retailers in NSW”. The competition watchdog said it was particularly... ...Read more »

Yum! Brands announced today the launch of World Hunger Relief featuring global spokesperson and new World Food Programme (WFP) Ambassador Aganst Hunger, Christina Aguilera. According to the United Nations, there are approximately 1 billion people around the world who are hungry today. World Hunger Relief is the world’s largest private sector hunger relief effort, spanning 110 countries, 37,000 KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and A&W All-American Food restaurants and... ...Read more »

Seafood Choices, an initiative of the ocean conservation organization SeaWeb, today announced the opening of nominations for the 2011 Seafood Champions Awards.Seafood Choices established these awards to acknowledge those who have demonstrated commitment to innovations that lead to positive change in the seafood industry. Now in their sixth year and judged by an independent, international panel, these annual awards honor organizations and individuals throughout the world who have made outstanding... ...Read more »

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced today that Austral Fisheries’ and Australian Longline’s Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) toothfish fishery has entered full assessment for MSC certification.To be conducted by independent certification body Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), the assessment will evaluate the Southern Ocean fishery against the MSC standard for well-managed and sustainable fisheries, which examines the sustainability of the fish stock, the environmental... ...Read more »

Despite a new Productivity Commission (PC) report backing the strengths of Australia’s Rural Research and Development Corporation (RDC) system, new Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig will need to head off savage cuts to research and development.”Earlier this week Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd announced at the UN General Assembly that “across our entire overseas development assistance program, Australia expects between now and 2015 to allocate… $1.8 billion to food security”,”... ...Read more »

AgriFood Skills Australia – the key body on skills training and workforce development issues in the agrifood industry and regional Australia – has awarded three International Fellowships as part of its ongoing support for innovation.The awards, offered in conjunction with International Specialised Skills Institute, were announced at the opening dinner for the 2010 AgriFood National Conference in Melbourne on Wednesday night. The conference, which attracted some 200 delegates from government,... ...Read more »

This October the Wine Industry Association of WA (Inc.) is launching the Inaugural WA Wine Month; an opportunity to celebrate, discover, experience and enjoy local Western Australian wines.In year one WA Wine Month showcases over 35 masterclasses, food and wine matching experiences and other WA wine themed activity taking place in both the Perth CBD and in WA’s wine regions. As this event evolves, year-on-year, consumers will have an exciting and comprehensive list of exclusive wine themed... ...Read more »

Warrnambool Cheese and Butter has reported a recovery from last year’s losses of nearly $20 million, with the company now back in the black to the tune of $8.8 million. The company reported steady milk intake and a record production level, with a 7.4% increase in sales volumes, but revenues down 5.6%. EBIT were up from a $24.6 million loss last year to a $16.9 million profit in 2010 – a gain of $41.4 million. “The Company was able to record a solid profit outcome of $8.8 million,... ...Read more »

New research from Michigan State University has shown what anecdotal evidence has long suggested: that headlines about food poisoning outbreaks and tainted foods affect consumer spending and purchasing decisions. Consumers are not only quite attuned to food safety issues, but they also have significantly changed their shopping habits because of them, according to Chris Peterson, director of MSU’s Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources. Similar patterns also are evident among food... ...Read more »