Cereal manufacturer Kellogg’s Australia has launched a new breakfast cereal, Special K Multigrain Oats and Honey. Kellogg’s says the new variation on Special K is made from a combination of Australian-grown grains, including “puffed triticale and rolled oats, light crispy flakes”, topped off with a “touch of honey”. According to Kellogg’s, Special K Multigrain Oats and Honey is “high in protein” and a “source of fibre”. Special K Multigrain Oats and Honey is available from Coles,... ...Read more »

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 »

Australian supermarket giant Woolworths Limited will continue to focus on improving value within its stores, after announcing third quarter sales of $14.4 billion to the end of March 2013. The result is an increase of 5.7 per cent on the same period last year, or 5.2 per cent after adjusting for the impact of an earlier Easter. “The momentum of the first half has continued into this quarter as a result of sharpened focus on our core businesses and early results from work on our strategic priorities,”... ...Read more »

The total value of food and liquor retailing in Australia grew by 4.2 per cent in 2011-12, to $135.8 billion. The figures come from ‘Australian Food Statistics’, a report produced by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) with data extracted from Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The report also confirms that spending in supermarkets and grocery outlets continued to account for the bulk of food retailing expenditure in 2011-12, with a share of 62 per cent.... ...Read more »

A new report tabled in the South Australian parliament shows that despite overwhelming community support for a plastic bag ban in the State, sales of bin liners have increased by more 80 per cent in South Australia (SA). According to research conducted by the Ehrenberg Bass Institute for Marketing Science at the University of South Australia, the plastic bag ban, which was implemented in South Australia in May 2009, has seen the household purchase of bin liners increase from 15 per cent to 80 per... ...Read more »

Corner stores in Australia are continuing to disappear as service stations move towards having convenience stores within the station, according to research from Australian industry research group BIS Shrapnel. Service stations with convenience stores – defined as those with more than a very simple food and beverage offering – increased almost 10 per cent from an estimated 3,162 outlets in 2010 to an estimated 3,450 outlets in 2012. Service stations without a convenience store declined from an... ...Read more »

Data analysis is changing the way we manufacture food, track our diets and serve our dishes, having an impact on everything from food safety to trends in restaurants, according to US-based business analysis organisation Good Data. Writing on the Business2Community website, Good Data’s Ana Andreescu said the saying “you are what you eat” might have to be updated to “you analyse what you eat”. In the area of food safety, Andreescu said ‘big data’ is already being used by farmers to analyse... ...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 »

Heavy rain and flooding caused by Cyclone Oswald in Queensland has had an immediate impact on produce availability, with Queensland-sourced vegetable supplies from mid-April to late May expected to be in very short supply.   Eroded farmland and stranded trucks have ruined many Queensland crops and will diminish fresh produce supplies, according to Fresh Food Economist and CEO of the SOCExchange, Franco Lagudi. Mr Lagudi said that while the extent of the damage can not be assessed for another few... ...Read more »