The University of Queensland and the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation have jointly developed a new AU$7 million research centre to focus on research, development, extension and education in subtropical dairy production. The centre’s work is expected to be particularly relevant for farmers in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales. University of Queensland’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor Alan Rix said the research would allow the development of on-farm... ...Read more »

ASX-listed food company, Patties Food Limited, whose products include Australia’s iconic pie brands Four’n Twenty and Herbert Adams, announced a positive set of results for the half year ended on December 31, 2011. For the fifth consecutive half, Patties Food reported financial growth, with an 11.1% increase of Net Profit after Tax (NPAT) to $10.8 million for the half-year. It reported an 11.3% increase in earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to $17.7 million. Managing Director, Mr. Greg Bourke,... ...Read more »

EU researchers believe that whey protein’s future potential as a packaging material could reduce or replace the use of petrochemicals in food packaging. Researchers working on the EU’s “Wheylayer” project have developed a whey protein layer to replace a petrochemical-based polymer layer in packaging. The natural ingredients in the whey extend the shelf life of food products, and the whey protein layer is biodegradable. Currently, transparent multilayer films, in which each... ...Read more »

Following a cabinet reshuffle announced today by Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Australia’s Senator Kim Carr has lost his position as Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research to Australian Labor Party member Greg Combet. After the 2007 federal election, Senator Carr, also a member of the Australian Labor Party, was appointed Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research by the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Senator Carr was then re-elected in the 2010... ...Read more »

The breed of barley developed by one of Australia’s leading science research bodies, the CSIRO, has now reached national distribution status in Australia’s leading supermarkets three years after being introduced as a breakfast cereal ingredient. The BARLEYmax™ ingredient is said to help control diabetes, improve digestion, reduce weight and lower cholesterol. It is a natural wholegrain with enhanced nutritional benefits, containing twice the dietary fibre of regular grains and four times the... ...Read more »

One in three Chief Executives in the Australian food and beverage industry, surveyed by accountancy organisation Grant Thornton has identified product innovation as the main driver of improvements in profitability. Grant Thornton, in conjunction with Monash University and the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), has just released the results of its survey of the views of Australian food and beverage industry CEOs. However, according to the Grant Thornton findings, smaller companies are struggling... ...Read more »

A gourmet ice cream store in Hong Kong that sources milk from Australia is breaking new taboos in the ice cream world with its French Lobster flavour ice cream. Owner of the Ice Cream Gallery, ice cream chef Arron Lui revealed his most recent foray into unusual flavours at the Hong Kong Food Expo last week. Mr Liu says the French Lobster ice cream is the most complicated of the 600 flavours of ice cream he has developed since he began in 1994. The Ice Cream Gallery’s French range also includes... ...Read more »

GS1 Recallnet, a new national product recall service to remove potentially harmful grocery, food, liquor and other products from the supply chain, was launched Australia-wide August 10, 2011. The new service extends existing GS1 Australia services and enables industry to manage product recalls and withdrawals online. Maria Palazzola, CEO of GS1 Australia, said that it will build consumer safety into the supply chain. Kate Carnell, CEO of the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) said, “Product... ...Read more »

Nestlé has announced it will begin using bioplastic caps for its UHT and ready-to-drink milk brands in Brazil from today. The new caps are made from plastic derived from sugar-cane materials. The initiative is the result of Nestlé’s partnership with Tetra Pak and Braskem. “This is an innovating initiative that adds further value to our products,” said Ivan Zurite, President of Nestlé Brazil. “Our participation in this project is fully aligned with our global social responsibility platform... ...Read more »

A report released this month in the US has found that retailers are not adequately responding to the rising trend of consumers using mobile phone technology while shopping in supermarkets and other retail stores. The report, title “the Future of In-Aisle Mobile: A Framework for Consumer-Centered Innovation”, was released by White Horse Digital Futures Group, which specialises in consumer technologies. The report found that more consumers are able to use their smartphones to scan, research... ...Read more »