A new certification body for genetically modified organism free (GMO-free) foods has been launched in Australia. GMO-ID Australia, a subsidiary of accreditation body HACCP International Pty Ltd, which has specialised in product certification for the food industry since 1998, will use the ‘Cert ID Non GMO’ (Cert ID) certification system in Australia and the Pacific region. The Cert ID system will offer a range of third party certification schemes aimed at the food industry, including farmers and... ...Read more »

There has been a widespread rollout of products containing Stevia in recent times, with new products containing the natural sweetener increasing by 400 per cent globally between 2008 and 2012, and 158 per cent between 2011 and 2012, according to new research from global market research organisation Mintel. Europe is experience “phenomenal growth” and is now a key market driver for Stevia, according to Mintel. It accounted for a quarter of global new product launches containing Stevia in 2012,... ...Read more »

The proposal by the Australian Greens Party to make amendments to Australian Country of Origin (COO) labelling laws has been met with mixed reactions by the food industry. The legislation from the Greens would simplify COO labelling to three claims: Product of or Grown in Australia, Manufactured in Australia, and Packaged in Australia. Australian vegetable and potato growers’ representative body AusVeg said it is backing the Bill, which was introduced into the Senate on 16 May 2013 by Greens’... ...Read more »

The Australian Government has launched a new website portal that provides links to best practice information on managing food allergies. The launch coincides with Food Allergy Awareness Week, which runs globally from 12-18 May 2013. The portal is a result of collaboration between Government, industry and consumer representatives and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Shayne Neummann, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing launched the new website portal, saying that it would provide... ...Read more »

An Australian study which addresses the benefits of education about nutritional information in fast food is being presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Liverpool on Monday 13th May. Professor Ian Caterson, of the Boden Institute of Obesity Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders at the University of Sydney, is presenting the paper to the ECO delegates. The study concludes that information in fast food outlets helps improve awareness of and reduce energy intake amongst consumers. According... ...Read more »

Australian-made products rated highly among Australian consumers, according to new findings from market research organisation Roy Morgan Research. The research found that 87.4 per cent of Australians more likely to buy food produced in Australia, while 88.5 per cent of Australians aged 14 plus said they were more likely to buy Australian-made products across all categories over products manufactured in other countries. The US and the UK also rated highly, with 56.2 per cent of Australians saying... ...Read more »

Australian fruit cannery SPC Ardmona has called on the Australian government to put in place emergency tariffs on cheap imported fruit and tomatoes in an attempt to save the local industry. The Australian newspaper reported that SPC Ardmona Managing Director Peter Kelly had written to Australian Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig asking him to activate protection measures permitted under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules where a surge of imports causes or threatens to cause damage to a domestic injury. “The... ...Read more »

More than half of US consumers agree that labelling food or other products organic is just an excuse for companies to charge more, according to research from US market research organisation Harris Interactive. A March 2013 ‘Harris Poll’, conducted by the market research organisation, found that more Americans are concerned about the current state and future of the environment in 2013 than in 2012 (38 per cent in 2013, compared with 31 per cent in 2012). But this did not necessarily translate... ...Read more »

A new filter for the FoodSwitch mobile phone app, called GlutenSwitch, has been launched to help Australians with coeliac disease or a gluten intolerance make more informed choices. The new GlutenSwitch function provides instant information about whether a scanned product contains gluten – it also recommends gluten-free alternatives, listed by order of ‘healthiness’. It also shows consumer-friendly traffic lights for fat, saturated fat, sugars, salt and energy. The FoodSwitch app and the new... ...Read more »

People sometimes “see” flavours in foods and beverages before actually tasting them, according to a scientist speaking at a meeting of the American Chemical Society on 11 April 2013. The eyes sometimes beat the tongue, nose and brain in the emotional and biochemical balloting that determines the taste and allure of food, according to Terry E. Acree, Ph.D, a Professor of Food Science at Cornell University in New York. “There have been important new insights into how people perceive food flavours,”... ...Read more »