Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai; HH Sheikh Saeed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, yesterday officially inaugurated Nestlé Middle East’s new factory in Dubai TechnoPark. Paul Bulcke, Nestlé Chief Executive Officer; Frits van Dijk, Executive Vice President and Zone Director for Asia, Oceania, Africa and Middle East; and Yves Manghardt, Chairman and CEO for Nestlé Middle East, also attended... ...Read more »

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Coca-Cola Company, Mr. Muhtar Kent, announced in Inner Mongolia last week the opening and near completion of three new bottling plants in China worth a combined 1.6 billion RMB (USD 240 million), continuing its rapid expansion in one of the world’s largest and fastest growing beverage markets.The new investments are a part of Coca-Cola’s 3-year USD 2 billion accelerated investment in China and the latest phase of Coca-Cola’s long-term... ...Read more »

The Dutch Product Board for Margarine, Fats and Oil (MVO) announced last week (5 November) that all palm oil used in the country would be sustainable by the end of 2015, as certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) The MVO said that all palm oil suppliers and buyers in the Dutch market have “pledged to work collectively towards this goal”. The Dutch Taskforce on Sustainable Palm Oil, which includes all associations representing the Dutch refining industry, food manufacturing... ...Read more »

A growing need for more food science and technology graduates in Australia will be addressed by a landmark new partnership between The University of Queensland (UQ) and the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC).Under the industry-first, five year agreement, UQ will partner with AFGC to help overcome a national skills shortage in food science and technology roles following the appointment of the AFGC Chair in Food Science and Technology early next year. AFGC Deputy Chief Executive Dr Geoffrey... ...Read more »

Australia’s largest manufacturing industry – the $100 billion food and grocery sector – will be encouraged to establish breastfeeding-friendly areas for mothers who return to work.As part of World Breastfeeding Week 2010, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) and the Infant Nutrition Council today urged members to allocate designated areas in their workplaces to increase the number of women who breastfeed their babies. Infant Nutrition Council CEO Jan Carey said the establishment... ...Read more »

Neither major political party has a policy on something that affects every Australian, every day – food and groceries, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) said today.Highlighting that Australia’s $100 billion food and grocery industry is four times larger than the automotive sector and employs 315,000 people including more than 150,000 in regional Australia, AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell said there’s been no focus on this vital industry during the 2010 election campaign. “It’s... ...Read more »

• Programs Have Cut Manufacturing Waste by 30% in Four Years • Company Now Reuses and Recycles 90% of its Manufacturing Waste • Nine Facilities in North America Send Zero Waste to Landfills Whether people call it garbage, rubbish, trash or junk – everyone creates waste. And no matter what it’s called, too much waste ends up in landfills that can affect nearby communities and cost lots of money to manage. In short, people need to find ways to create less waste and find better uses... ...Read more »

Australia’s food and grocery industry is disappointed that the Federal Government slipped its response to the Preventative Health Taskforce under the door on Budget night, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) said last night.AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell said for a Government that indicated prevention is better than cure, it was disappointing that the Taking Preventative Action report was not a key element of the Budget night announcements. “We are pleased with the Government’s... ...Read more »

Over the last decade environmental issues have received more and more publicity, and many businesses have found that ‘going green’ is not only good for the environment, but good for the bottom line as well. One aspect of ‘going green’ that many businesses find confusing or challenging is how to make their industrial buildings more environmentally sound. The Food and Beverage industry in particular presents unique challenges in this area. One relatively user-friendly way of determining... ...Read more »

Now in its 9th year, the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame showcases the excellence that continually elevates Victoria to the next level of manufacturing. The awards include excellence in manufacturing, the industry nominated young manufacturer of the year, and lifetime achievement by individuals who have made outstanding contributions to sustained manufacturing excellence. Since the hall of fame’s inception in 2001, 96 companies, 19 honour roll recipients, two lifetime members and six outstanding... ...Read more »