One of Australia’s key industrialists, Anthony Pratt, who is chairman of the leading Australian packaging business Visy Industries, has called upon the Australian government to work with Australia’s food industry to boost production. Speaking at a conference on food security yesterday in Shepparton, Victoria, Mr Pratt offered five ways he believes Australia can quadruple its food production: Accelerated depreciation should be introduced to encourage new manufacturing investments in food. Mr... ...Read more »

The Australian Food and Grocery Council said today that commitments by both of the major political parties to reforming anti-dumping laws in Australia will benefit Australia’s food manufacturers. Dumping occurs when goods are imported into the domestic market at below production cost or through unlawful subsidies from other foreign governments. The AFGC said that smaller Australian food manufacturers are hit hard by these practices. Yesterday, the Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott launched... ...Read more »

The Medical Journal of Australia has published a report which has found that non-government volunteer organisations in Australia and New Zealand have had a positive impact in encouraging bread manufacturers to voluntarily reduce sodium levels in bread products in Australia and New Zealand. Working together, the University of Auckland, in New Zealand, and the George Institute for Global Health, in Sydney, studied the effectiveness of collaborations between the Australian Division of World Action on... ...Read more »

Does your special Functional food or beverage meet all food law standards? Does your product need to be TGA registered? Will your healthy claims really stand up to government scrutiny? Some of Australia’s leading experts in the areas of food law, health and therapeutic regulations, and marketing law will be providing answers to these questions at a half-day symposium being held in Sydney on Monday 10 October 2011. The symposium, titled ‘Healthy Bodies of Law: Food or Therapeutic? Finding... ...Read more »

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has applauded the decision by the Federal Government to oppose the Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling Palm Oil) Bill 2011. The AFGC is now urging the Coalition to follow suit. Tabled into the Australian Parliament as a Private Member’s Bill by Independent senator Nick Xenophon, the legislation was rejected by a Senate Committee in July, but passed by the Australian Federal Senate through an alliance between independent senator Nick Xenophon,... ...Read more »

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) is urging the Federal Government to act quickly to keep Australia’s food manufacturing industry alive. The AFGC has called on the Australian government to “remove unnecessary regulation and duplication, such as food labelling changes, and reduce costs of doing business”. The AFGC also says it is “critical” that Australian government fast-tracks its National Food Plan. The AFGC’s CEO Kate Carnell says several food and grocery manufacturing... ...Read more »

The public has only been given a month to comment on an issues paper guiding the formation of a much-needed national food plan – a period which is inadequate and must be extended, according to advocacy group the Sydney Food Fairness Alliance (SFFA). The Alliance, a network which describes itself as “advocating for a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable food system in the Sydney region and beyond”, said it will be making a submission by the August 5 deadline but says... ...Read more »

McCormick & Co. has reduced its full-year earnings per share forecast despite posting sales and profit growth in the second quarter of its financial year. The US spice manufacturer is cutting its EPS forecast for the full-year by US$0.06 a share to between $2.74 to $2.79 a share due to $9m in costs related to its acquisition of Polish spice firm Kamis and the joint venture it has formed with Indian company Kohinoor Foods. For the quarter ended 31 May, net profit rose 11.2% to reach US$73.6m,... ...Read more »

This year’s Annual Food and Grocery Executive Program, run by the Institute of Food and Grocery Management, will be held from the 18th through 23rd of September at the Mt Eliza Centre for Executive Education in Victoria. This program is for present and next generation leaders in the Australian and New Zealand fresh food, grocery, beverage and FMCG industry.  The course provides a unique opportunity for managers and entrepreneurs across all industry segments to network and address current issues... ...Read more »

Ireland’s Kerry Group has lifted its target for volume growth from 2013 as the company set out its forecasts for its next five-year cycle. The company, which owns a variety of food businesses in Australia, set out a target yesterday for its annual like-for-like volumes to rise 3-5% between 2013 and 2017. The company’s current aim is for like-for-like volumes to climb by 2-4% a year but it expects that growth to accelerate. “We expect to achieve like-for-like volume growth of 3%... ...Read more »