The Australian Government’s Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) has ruled that ritual slaughter methods will continue to be exempt from any “stunning” requirements. The decision came at the end of last week (28 October 2011) when the PIMC considered the issue in Melbourne at its 21st meeting. Jewish and Muslim dietary laws do not allow for animals to be stunned before application of the knife by the slaughterer. In respect of this, a number of abattoirs where Kosher slaughter or Halal... ...Read more »

Netherlands firm Albert Heijn has launched an app for its customers to help them create shopping lists by scanning barcodes of products they are running out of using their mobile phone camera. The app, dubbed Appie, also sorts the groceries on the lists according to the walking route in their local Albert Heijn store, the Dutch grocery retailer said. The app also includes features like ‘auto suggest’, ‘recipe finder’ and ‘add to prior purchases’. The Ahold-owned... ...Read more »

The Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) is investigating a number of companies in the flour industry over suspected involvement in a cartel. The agency said it drew up several reports against a number of companies suspected as having concluded cartel agreements at the end of 2009 after a “thorough” investigation. Similar investigations have also been carried out in other countries, including Germany, Italy and Belgium, the authority said. “The companies in question still have... ...Read more »

Dutch company FrieslandCampina Domo and Australia’s Warrnambool Cheese & Butter Factory has announced the opening of a new plant in Australia. The opening of the joint venture, Great Ocean Ingredients, according to the company, is a response to a growing market demand for prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides, which is marketed under the name Vivinal® GOS and used in infant nutrition, dairy products and drinks. According to Frost and Sullivan analysis, consumers are increasingly responding... ...Read more »