One of the world’s biggest food processors, Heinz, has moved to deprecate news reports suggesting hostility between Heinz and Australia’s leading supermarkets who are its major customers. Articles in both the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age this week claimed Heinz had “hit out at (supermarket) home brands” and had been “forced to rework strategy” because of the impact of growing home brand label presence in Australia’s supermarkets. Heinz told Australian Food News today that both... ...Read more »

Organised by the  Public Health Association of Australia Inc. For more information log on to www.phaa.net.au/2ndFoodConference.php Date: 22-23 November 2011 Location: Grand Chancellor, Hobart, Tasmania.  Read More →

Woolworths Supermarkets has warned Australian bread manufacturing giant, Goodman Fielder, that any changes made to the shelf-life of its bread will be “taken seriously” by the supermarket chain. Woolworths statement came in response to reports this week that Goodman Fielder is considering extending the shelf-life of its bread using food technology to save money through a lower frequency of deliveries. Woolworths spokesperson Benedict Brook told Australian Food News, “Woolworths are the ‘fresh... ...Read more »

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled that current U.S. Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL) measures are inconsistent with the U.S.’s WTO trade obligations. The WTO had examined complaints by Canada regarding the United States’ current CoOL requirements. The U.S. Food, Conservation and Energy Act imposes mandatory CoOL for beef, pork, chicken, lamb and goat as well as some perishables sold by U.S. retailers. The WTO ruled that the requirements discriminate against foreign livestock. In... ...Read more »

Japan’s government has imposed a ban on shipments of rice produced in certain parts of Fukushima after high levels of radioactive caesium were detected. The announcement was made by the Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, who said restrictions had been imposed on the shipment of rice produced in 2011 in former Oguni-mura in Fukushima City, where radiation leaks occurred after the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. Mr Fujimura said that the Japanese government had asked the Governor of Fukushima... ...Read more »

Australian restaurant chain Eagle Boys has launched what it claims to be Australia’s first profiterole pizza, the ‘Profiterizza’. Eagle Boys CEO Todd Clayton said, “At Eagle Boys we’ve focused on developing a real taste menu made from flavoursome ingredient combinations. We know our customers are always looking for something different to satisfy their tastebuds. The Profiterizza contains Bavarian custard, strawberries, chocolate fudge and patisserie crème filled profiteroles. Eagle Boys... ...Read more »

Junk food advertisements will be banned from commercial television at certain times of the day in Australia if a new Bill introduced today by the Australian Greens party is passed. The ‘Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising (Broadcasting and Telecommunications Amendment)’ private member’s bill seeks a ban on “junk food” advertisements on commercial television from 6-9am and 4-9pm on weekdays, and from 6am-12pm and 4-9pm on weekends and school holidays. Junk food is defined by the... ...Read more »

Subway has announced that, from today, its Australian stores will display the kilojoule content of food products on their menu boards. Subway is the latest of several major quick service food chains in Australia to make this move. Other include Hungry Jacks, Domino’s, and McDonald’s. From today, Subway restaurants in Australia will also display nutritional content information on napkins, counter displays and store brochures. In a statement released today, a spokesperson for Subway said the labelling... ...Read more »

Australia’s largest bread manufacturer, Goodman Fielder, is reported to be reviewing alternatives to making daily deliveries of its bread to Australia’s supermarkets and extending the shelf-life of its bread products using food technology as part of a major cost-cutting exercise. With many Australian supermarkets now bake their own home-branded bread instore, external bakeries like Goodman Fielder are facing tough competition on price. As part of its Strategic Review, announced in August 2011,... ...Read more »

The breed of barley developed by one of Australia’s leading science research bodies, the CSIRO, has now reached national distribution status in Australia’s leading supermarkets three years after being introduced as a breakfast cereal ingredient. The BARLEYmax™ ingredient is said to help control diabetes, improve digestion, reduce weight and lower cholesterol. It is a natural wholegrain with enhanced nutritional benefits, containing twice the dietary fibre of regular grains and four times the... ...Read more »