Australia’s oldest dairy company, Warrnambool Cheese and Butter, has more than doubled its operating profits for the year to 30 June 2011. The Victoria-based dairy company has recorded a net profit of $18.5 million, with total revenue of about $504 million. Its full year results were published yesterday. Warrnambool Cheese and Butter’s principal activities are the manufacture, processing, and sale of cheese, milk powder, butter, cream, whey protein concentrate, bulk and processed milk, and... ...Read more »

Australia’s national farming industry association, the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is calling on the Federal Government to ensure the future viability of Australia’s food manufacturing sector, without resorting to protectionist measures. NFF President Jock Laurie said in a statement today that it is in the interests of farmers to see a strong and vibrant manufacturing industry in Australia, particularly food manufacturing, but without compromising Australia’s long running trading... ...Read more »

A small but growing Western Australian food manufacturer, Sticky Fingers Gourmet Foods, claims that if traffic light labelling were introduced, it could spell the death knell for many small Australian food manufacturers. Lyn Bentley, Managing Director of Sticky Fingers Gourmet Foods contacted Australian Food News about its recent report of the dispute between CHOICE and the ACCC over front-of-pack label systems. Ms Bentley said, “As a small manufacturer supplying to both the food service and retail... ...Read more »

Australian Food News has conducted a review of international marketing trends in the fields of dietary supplements and functional foods. Some such substances may not be permissible in Australia as foods, while some may require permission from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to be listed for sale in Australia as therapeutic products. Our Australian Food News review reveals several interesting trends. In particular, the marketing claims reveal the health function promotion priority claims... ...Read more »

The Chief Executive of Australia’s leading science agency, the CSIRO, has warned that scientists and food producers must first earn community trust if scientific developments in plant genetics are to improve health and support global food supply. In a statement published today, the CSIRO’s Chief Executive Megan Clark said there is a gap between the concerns of the community and the knowledge of scientists around genetic research. Ms Clark said, “We recognise that the modification of genes... ...Read more »

Scientists at the University of Cambridge, in the UK, have found high levels of chocolate consumption might be associated with a one-third reduction in the risk of developing heart disease. The research findings, published in the British Medical Journal this week, confirm results of existing studies that generally agree on a potential beneficial link between chocolate consumption and heart health. However, the authors, led by Dr Oscar Franco, stress that further studies are needed to test whether... ...Read more »

Australia’s chemical regulator, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), is considering banning dimethoate. The APVMA is concerned that the insecticide, widely used to control fruit fly in fruit and vegetables, may pose a health risk for consumers. After completing a Residues and Dietary Risk Assessment, the APVMA said this week that the use of dimethoate on many crops exceeds the health standard established in January this year. The APVMA proposes to suspend dimethoate... ...Read more »

Australasia’s largest food manufacturer, Goodman Fielder, has announced a full year Net Profit After Tax of A$133.3 million for the year ended 30 June 2011, down 17.3 % from A$161.1 million for the previous corresponding period. Goodman Fielder’s bread brands include Country Life Bakery, Flinders Bread, Freya’s, Helga’s, Lawson’s, Mackenzie, Leaning Tower, Mighty Soft, Wonder White, Vogel’s, and Quality Bakers. Its dairy brands include Activate, Bouton d’or, Chesdale, Meadow Fresh,... ...Read more »

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) and consumer advocacy group CHOICE continue to disagree over the choice of different front-of-pack methods for food product labels to display nutritional information about the food. A Newspoll online survey published this week, commissioned by the AFGC, has found 78 per cent of Australian consumers are familiar with the AFGC-promoted scheme of Daily Intake Guide food labels. Daily Intake Guide labels use thumbnail symbols that outline the amount of energy,... ...Read more »

Milk processor Parmalat Australia has come under fire from Dairy Farmers Milk Co-operative (DFMC) over its approach to securing raw milk to fulfil a new private label contract with Woolworths. The dairy farmers are not happy. Their co-operative, the DFMC, has warned that the viability of the New South Wales Dairy Industry is “under threat”, based on its belief that Parmalat has secured very little milk from New South Wales suppliers to meet the 110 million litres required on an annual basis to... ...Read more »