Australia’s resilient cafe culture will see the cafe and coffee shop industry experience sustained growth over the next five years, according to industry analysts from Australian market research company Ibisworld. According to Ibisworld’s latest industry report, overall revenue is expected to grow by an annualised 2.6 per cent over the five years to 2016/17 to total AU$4.96 billion. The forecast comes on the heels of separate research published earlier this year by Euromonitor. In March... ...Read more »

New research, published this week by market research company Mintel, has found that for the first time, in 2011, the proportion of private label food and beverage product launches overtook branded food and beverage product launches in the UK. According to Mintel’s research, while brands accounted for 55 per cent of new food and beverage products in the UK in 2010, the balance tipped in 2011 in favour of private labels as they accounted for 54 per cent of new food and beverage products, compared... ...Read more »

The inventors or a pioneering “edible lubricant”, developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the US, say it could help reduce food waste through its application in the packaging of condiments. ‘LiquiGlide’ was developed by Dave Smith and the Varanasi Research Group  at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The lubricant improves the flow rate of condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard. The inventors have released promotional videos of LiquiGlide... ...Read more »

A motion has been tabled in Victorian Parliament to urge vegetable processor McCain Foods Australia to keep collective bargaining in place for potato growers in Tasmania. McCain has been accused of “abandoning” Tasmanian potato growers by forcing them into a “race to the bottom” through individual contract negotiations to supply its potato chip processing factory in Smithton, in Tasmania. Justifying its actions, McCain has claimed that cheaper potatoes are “flooding”... ...Read more »

The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) has called for public comment on the proposed Egg Standard Australia, the controversial industry standard that would allow increases to the stocking densities of free range layer hens in Australia. The Australian Egg Corporation, which represents commercial egg producers in Australia, has made an application to register a certification trade mark. The application includes amendments to the Farm Standards for Egg Producers. The Australian Egg... ...Read more »

Global foodservice retailer, McDonald’s, has rejected a resolution requiring the corporation to publicly assess the impacts of its food on public health. At the company’s annual shareholder meeting, shareholders voted on a resolution requiring the corporation to publicly assess its impacts on public health. The resolution received a 6.4 per cent vote. The resolution would compel McDonald’s Board of Directors to assess how the growing body of evidence linking fast food and its marketing... ...Read more »

As part of a pilot program to test the new vending technology, Kraft Foods has rolled out a new vending solution in Melbourne with touch screens that allows consumers to choose products and view product information. In place of a traditional glass panel, an LCD touch screen fronts the vending unit. The units can also host digital advertising, creating a new revenue stream for vending. Kraft Foods’ Neil Low said that the units were an innovation that engaged and informed consumers at the purchase... ...Read more »

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has issued a warning to consumers and food businesses not to use or sell two direct mail order products labelled, Tempeh Starter Yeast and Super Starter Yeast. The products have been recalled in the US because there have been reported cases of salmonellosis associated with consumption of Tempeh (a fermented bean product) made with the recalled yeast products. Salmonellosis can be a serious foodborne illness, especially in young children, the elderly and... ...Read more »

US scientists claim they have identified exactly what makes for good tomato chemistry – including some aromas that give the perception of sweetness independent of sugars. The scientists, from the University of Florida, say their research is “the first step to restoring good flavour in commercial tomatoes.” Tomato flavour depends on sugars, acids, and a host of less well-defined aroma volatiles (so named for the ease with which they vaporize, sending scent molecules into the air). Dr... ...Read more »

Tsunami-devastated farmers from Fukishima in Japan have made North Queensland the home for a new source of Japanese-produced rice and are celebrating the harvesting of their first crop. The initial trials have proven very successful. Producers from the city of Iwaki have been conducting a rice-growing trial in the richly-irrigated Burdekin River Valley, around the Ayr Research Station of the Queensland Government’s Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). The scheme is aiming to... ...Read more »