Australian Treasurer,Wayne Swan has disappointed food growers, producers and retailers with little new being offered them in the latest Federal budget, which was released by Mr Swan on 14 May 2013. Some in the Australian food industry are hoping that the forecast deficits of $19.4bn this financial year and $18bn next financial year underline a weakness in the economy that might trigger a drop in the Australian dollar. Some food manufacturers are now pinning their hopes on a predicted decline in value... ...Read more »

The rate of growth in retail trade in Australia decreased marginally in the first three months of 2013, and is expected to ease further as the year continues, according to a report from grocery retail representative body Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) and pallet and container manufacturer CHEP. The report, called the AFGC CHEP Retail Index, showed 3 per cent growth in the March quarter year-on-year, but forecasts growth will ease to 2.6 per cent in the June quarter. In the month of March,... ...Read more »

The Senate Committee for Rural and Regional Affairs has released its recommendations from an inquiry into amendments proposed by the Greens to current Country of Origin Labelling laws. Although introduced by Greens Senator Christine Milne in 2012, the proposed Bill has been rejected by the Committee on which she serves, saying that the Bill, as currently drafted, should not be passed. Instead, the Committee has said the Government should consider developing a more effective country of origin labelling... ...Read more »

A new toolkit is being launched by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) to help businesses have a greater knowledge of and positive influence on decisions about sustainable packaging design. The program, which will particularly target marketing professionals, is an interactive e-learning program designed to increase awareness of principles and minimise the environmental impacts of packaging. The AFGC has developed the program with funding support from the Australian Packaging Covenant (APC)... ...Read more »

The Australian Federal Government could abandon plans for a voluntary code of conduct in favour of a mandatory code, enforceable by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). According to various sources, the Australian Government is considering a mandatory code if negotiations for a voluntary code fail. If a mandatory code of conduct is developed, it could be similar to the UK’s Grocery Supply Code of Practice, which is enforced by a supermarket Ombudsman. Negotiations towards... ...Read more »

Barcode company GS1 is about to launch its GoScan app. With the support of a range of food industry partners – including the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), major supermarkets and food manufacturers – the new GS1 GoScan iPhone application will be launched in Sydney next week. GS1 says the GoScan iPhone application will allow consumers to rapidly and easily access trusted product information from their mobile phone, whether they are at home, at a store or ‘on-the-go’. App users... ...Read more »

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has responded to claims that Australian processed foods for children contain ‘unacceptably high’ levels of salt. The claims were made this week in research published by Australian consumer group CHOICE, which was based on research by the George Institute for Global Health. ‘World Salt Awareness Week’, which runs from 11 March 2013 to 17 March 2013, has triggered fierce debate in Australia about ‘hidden salt’ in food. The average Australian... ...Read more »

Supermarket giant Woolworths is facing heated criticism from its suppliers after a recent newspaper report revealed the existence of a dossier produced by the Company. The dossier reportedly claims that increased competition from Aldi was driving Woolworths to expand its private label product range. The claims in the Woolworths dossier have added fuel to an already-heated debate about how the major food retailers deal with their suppliers. Both Woolworths and Coles are currently being investigated... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil, Schweppes and Lion have launched a Federal Court of Australia action to challenge the legal validity of the Northern Territory’s container deposit scheme. The beverage giants made an application to have the scheme removed in which they would no longer be required to pay the 10 cent refund per beverage container that is returned. A Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) spokesperson said that if the application is successful, CCA will move “quickly” to reduce the prices of its Northern Territory... ...Read more »

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has hit back at new Greens’ initiated legislation regarding Country of Origin labelling regulations, examined by the Senate Committee this week. According to the AFGC, the Greens reform of the regulations will “mislead consumers”, “negatively impact export opportunities”, and “threaten 300,000 Australian jobs.” The new Bill from the Greens aims to distinguish between products made from Australian ingredients and products made from Australian... ...Read more »