A six week interim closure to help reduce fishing pressure on Queensland’s overfished snapper stock will be put in place along the Queensland east coast early next year making snapper, teraglin and pearl perch off limits. Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Queensland Tim Mulherin said the closure was an interim measure until new fishing rules could be finalised to ensure take of snapper was sustainable. “The interim closure from 15 February to 31 March 2011 is immediate... ...Read more »

VicRelief Foodbank, Victoria’s largest food relief organisation, recently enlisted the help of Swinburne University and the National Centre for Sustainability, to draft and publish their Eco Report 2010, demonstrating the food relief charity’s deep commitment to the environment. Swinburne’s Carbon Accounting Course Teacher, Tony Hodgson and his students generously donated their time and resources to help the charity measure their eco footprint, ultimately enabling them to become... ...Read more »

NSW Primary Industries Minister, Steve Whan, has called for those impacted by the devastating flood events across NSW to be mindful of food safety during and following the emergency.”We now have 30 Local Government Areas placed under Natural Disaster Declarations as a result of widespread flood action in NSW,” said Mr Whan. “It is therefore important to remember that floodwaters can be contaminated with sewage,agricultural and industrial waste or any number of other things that... ...Read more »

A new survey by Sainsbury’s has found that 37% of Brits cite cooking and entertaining for guests as the most stressful part of celebrating Christmas. A further 42% are worried about the costs of cooking for extra numbers, and 20% say that gluten free is the trickiest diet to cater for – beating vegetarianism and veganism. With 1 in 4 Brits now suffering from a food intolerance or allergy, more UK households than ever will prepare different meals on the big day for guests or abandon Christmas... ...Read more »

The Australian cricket community will again encourage fans to ‘Know When to Declare’ this summer in a new and expanded responsible drinking campaign. Cricket Australia and its partners Foster’s Group, Diageo Australia and the Nine Network have expanded on last year’s ground-breaking “Classic Declarations” broadcast campaign, which featured cricket personalities including Michael Clarke, Richie Benaud and Tony Greig. The ‘Know When to Declare’ campaign was... ...Read more »

Australian salmon firm Tassal on Friday (10 December) put itself on the block and said it was ready to discuss takeover bids for the business.Tassal, which has already turned down one offer from Pacific Equity Partners, said it was open to talks with interested parties. Pacific Equity Partners has had a bid for Tassal rejected after the Tasmania-based processor said the offer under-valued the business. However, today, Tassal said it would “hold discussions with third parties regarding the possibility... ...Read more »

Food manufacturers in the EU may have to note the origin of certain ingredients on labelling, under a new proposed EU food marketing standards system.The European Commission on Friday (10 December) tabled a regulation enabling it, following consultation, to order such ingredient labelling – a memorandum said the dairy sector would be assessed first. If EU ministers and the European Parliament approve these powers, Brussels could force manufacturers to declare the geographical origin of the... ...Read more »

With a staggering 90% of young Australians turning to caffeine or sugar-fuelled energy drinks, snacks and other beverages to help them get through the day, Queensland based ZAG Beverages is set to transform the market with the release of OSKI® Positive Energy Drinks. A “better for you” natural alternative that contains no caffeine, no artificial stimulants and little to no sugar, OSKI Positive Energy Drinks are made from natural ingredients and include L-Theanine, Siberian Ginseng, Ginkgo... ...Read more »

PepsiCo has increased its investment in O.N.E. – the Los Angeles based coconut water company - thereby acquiring a majority stake in the company. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. This represents a second round of investment in O.N.E. by PepsiCo and Catterton Partners, a private equity firm based in Greenwich, Conn.”We are very excited to deepen our relationship with PepsiCo and Catterton Partners. With demand, supply, distribution, consumer education, and the capital... ...Read more »

A West Australian organic farmer has found genetically manipulated (GM) canola seeds contaminating nearly two thirds of his arable land. Australian organic standards mandate zero tolerance for any GM so he will consider suing for financial loss, the first case of its kind in Australia. Steve Marsh says he used test strips to identify the seeds of GM canola which have blown more than 1.5 km inside his boundary and contaminated about 220 hectares. He believes the seed may have blown in after a neighbouring... ...Read more »