The Avolution, a new Australian avocado industry marketing company was officially launched 12 June 2013. The Company said its business model would simplify and centralise the marketing of avocados in Australian so that growers could concentrate on producing the fruit. “We are focused on the expansion of the avocado category, as well as making sure that growers are maximizing returns on their fruit,” said Antony Allen, The Avolution CEO. Originally founded in March 2012 by major Queensland-based... ...Read more »

Just weeks after rival supermarket group Coles announced it would extend its ‘Down Down’ campaign to cut the prices of big brands, Woolworths has announced that the price of hundreds of its most popular products have been cut by up to 33 per cent. Products included in the price cut include MSA Australian beef, slice and shaved ham, Tip Top bread, Western Star Butter, Arnott’s multipacks and International Roast Coffee. “Our customers have told us that finding savings in their family budget... ...Read more »

An Australian bottled water manufacturer, Thankyou Water, has announced the rollout of a new sparkling water in its range. As with its existing products, Thankyou Water says every bottle of the new Thankyou Water Lightly Sparkling will “provide at least one month of safe drinking water to someone in need”. Thankyou Water is a company that describes itself as a ‘social enterprise’ and says it uses its profits to fund water projects in the developing world. Consumers are able to see the impact... ...Read more »

Foods marketed as ‘healthier’ are seen by consumers as a “licence to overeat” and may actually lead to weight gain, according to interim results of a new study from the University of Ulster in the UK. The research, which was funded by Irish food safety and nutrition advocacy group SafeFood and published in the International Journal of Obesity, indicates that products with health and nutrition claims such as ‘low fat’ and ‘reduced fat’ may be contributing to people eating larger than... ...Read more »

Australian producer of Italian-style foods, Leggo’s, is set to launch what it calls a ‘People’s Cookbook’, with recipes sourced from fans on the Company’s Facebook page. Leggo’s, which is a division of Simplot Australia Pty Ltd, says it has produced cookbooks since the 1920s, but “this new edition marks a change in the way that home cooking has become a shared and social experience”. Aspiring chefs and every day cooks alike are invited to upload their favourite original recipe to... ...Read more »

Australian Pears, the industry body for Australian pear growers, has teamed up with Australian cooks and chefs, including Maggie Beer and Vincent Gadan, to release a cookbook called ‘Rediscover Australian Pears’. Due to hit bookstore shelves on 7 June 2013, the new cookbook is a collection of original pear recipes, which Australian Pears says “celebrates the versatility of the iconic fruit through sweet and savoury recipes”. Country cook Maggie Beer, who owns an orchard in the Barossa Valley... ...Read more »

Just as the footy season really starts to heat up, Tip Top®, Australia’s iconic bread brand, has launched a limited edition of NRL & AFL footy superstar collection in packs of Tip Top® Sunblest® available for the next 12 weeks. With free special edition NRL & AFL inserts in Tip Top Sunblest packs of bread in-store now, footy-loving families now have the chance to show their love for the game through their sandwiches! From this week, inside every Tip Top Sunblest pack sporting the NRL... ...Read more »

Major Australian supermarkets appear to be gradually moving towards new store formats that will offer additional services or attempt to create a more ‘market-style’ environment. Woolworths recently advertised positions available for qualified butchers for its “exciting new concept stores”. Woolworths supermarkets also appear to be gradually changing their approach to the format of stores, perhaps in an attempt to emulate its rival Coles’ strategy of focusing on the customer in-store ‘experience’. In... ...Read more »

Global soft drink company Coca-Cola has said it will work to make its beverages lower-calorie, and make nutrition information more widely available on its products globally. The US-based Company already has diet drinks available in most markets around the world, but they are not always as readily available in emerging markets such as China. Coca-Cola said the goal is to have diet options available wherever regular versions are sold, and to have cans and bottles of its soft drinks display nutrition... ...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 »