KR Castlemaine has  launched a campaign for a pre-packaged ham product with the claim to be “natural”, using new technologies to become the “first Australian pre-packaged ham that is artificially preservative-free”. This new range of ham is said to be produced using cutting-edge High Pressure Pasteurisation (HPP) technology. The company claims that it “does not use heat”, thereby preserving texture and nutritional value for the product. HR Castlemaine also says  the new technology ... ...Read more »

A free smartphone app, developed by the Western Australian State government agency Consumer Protection and called iShopWA, is now available for shoppers in the State of Western Australia to easily access information about their rights under the new Australian Consumer Law. WA’s Commerce Minister Simon O’Brien said this would be the first Christmas that West Australians have the protections of the new laws, and it was important that they knew their rights regarding refunds, warranties and lay-bys. “Many... ...Read more »

In a world first, Australian sugar cane is being made into a new gluten-free, low-sugar, high-fibre flour substitute, with a production line swinging into action this week. The breakthrough technology was developed by KFSU Pty Ltd, an Australian company at Ayr, near Townsville in Queensland, after five years of research and millions of dollars of investment. The first commercial production of the flour began at the KFSU factory in Ayr this week, using sugar cane harvested from the surrounding Burdekin... ...Read more »

As prices for bananas begin to return to normal levels in Australia, Baskin-Robbins is providing another way for Aussies to get their banana fix: the brand has launched a new banana flavour ice cream. Baskin-Robbins said the new flavour was developed specifically for the Australian market and was introduced after Baskin-Robbins franchisees reported a high level of requests for banana ice cream. A major portion of the Australian banana crop was wiped out by Cyclone Yasi in February 2011. While the... ...Read more »

Mars Chocolate Australia has created special edition Pink and White M&Ms, to be sold exclusively at IGA stores during October 2011 as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Pink and White M&Ms are now available exclusively at more than 700 independent IGA grocery stores nationwide. Mars Chocolate Australia will be donating 30 cents from each 200g pack sold to the McGrath Foundation. Co-founded by Australian cricketer hero Glenn McGrath and his wife Jane after her initial recovery from... ...Read more »

The Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Catherine King, today launched the new version of a popular Nutrition Panel Calculator (NPC) used by industry to provide important nutrition information on food labels. Ms King said “the NPC has been available since 2001 and is the most popular feature on the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) website, attracting about 10,000 unique visitors per month”. However, feedback received by FSANZ and the availability of new data meant it was... ...Read more »

In an interesting development today, fast food chain Hungry Jack’s announced that it would be offering broccoli alongside its burgers. Aaron McKie, CEO of Hungry Jack’s said the broccoli would be served as part of a vegetable medley comprising carrot, celery and capsicum sticks, hand-cut and served fresh in a cup supplying a full serve of vegetables. It will be accompanied by an optional hommus dip in a mini tub. “Salad Stix can only be described as a nutritional goldmine,” Mr McKie said.... ...Read more »

Cadbury has created Cadbury Screme Egg Minis in time for Australia’s own Halloween (‘ANZAC Beersheba Day’, 31 October in Australia). The new eggs are a miniature version of the Cadbury Creme Eggs and are filled with “green gooey goodness” encased in Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate. Cadbury Screme Egg Minis will be putting all the spooky touches on the Werribee Mansion for the Screme Egg Spook Party at Werribee Park, Victoria, in preparation for the freaky, scary and ghostly Halloween festivities... ...Read more »

SPC Ardmona has announced the release of three new fruit snacks aimed at kids of all ages into supermarkets across Australia. The Coca-Cola Amatil subsidiary said the three snacks, SPC Fruit Squeezies, SPC Fruit Crush-Ups and SPC Power Pulp, are designed specifically to make fruit fun for kids of all ages, from preschoolers to teens. “According to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, kids aged four to 18 should eat between one and five serves of fruit each day. However the latest National... ...Read more »

The latest offering in the organic yoghurt market, five:am, has launched with six new flavours and boasting a wholly natural manufacturing process, free of gluten, gelatin, preservatives, starches, artificial colours, flavours, stabilisers or sweeteners. Creator, surfer and long time yogi David Prior, said he was inspired to create a product that allowed him to have a clear ecological conscience during one of his early morning moments of clarity. “It’s just as much about what’s not in our food... ...Read more »