Queensland Health is warning against consuming a batch of salami made by smallgoods company Backa Australia, after samples were found with high levels of bacteria. The company based in Beenleigh, in Queensland, has begun a voluntary recall of its chabi salami products sold at farmers markets in Brisbane and the Gold Coast last weekend (14-15 January 2012). The salami product tested positive to staphylococcus bacteria which can cause a type of food poisoning. Consumers who purchased the chabi products... ...Read more »

Queensland Government scientists and researchers from the University of Queensland have discovered new anti-microbial properties in a combination of natural-plant ingredients, including two common native Australian plums. A research team led by QAAFI food scientist Dr Yasmina Sultanbawa has discovered that when small amounts of the kakadu and Queensland Davidson plum are combined with organic acids they display new anti-microbial properties. The researchers are now looking at ways to extend the shelf-life... ...Read more »

The State of Queensland has announced plans to introduce new legislation requiring fast food outlets to display the energy content of foods and drinks on their menus – a move which has already been voluntarily pre-empted by several of Australia’s major fast food chains. Several major quick service food chains in Australia now voluntarily display energy contents on their menus, including Subway, Hungry Jacks, Domino’s, and McDonald’s. Similar to laws are already in place in NSW and the... ...Read more »

New legislation passed yesterday by the Queensland Parliament will allow a government-led food business rating scheme to be introduced across Queensland. The Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2011, tabled by Health Minister Geoff Wilson, was passed just days after Queensland Health unveiled figures that suggest there are more cases of food poisoning in Queensland than any other Australian State. According to Queensland Health, more than 7,700 cases of the most common forms of food poisoning were... ...Read more »

The Australian Senate inquiry into the impacts of supermarket price decisions on the dairy industry has concluded that most Australian dairy farmers “will not be significantly worse off” because of supermarkets cutting the price of milk. The Senate’s Economic References Committee final report, published today, states that the vast majority of Australia’s milk production occurs in States such as Victoria where a number of processors operate and drinking milk represents a relatively small share... ...Read more »

Summerfruit Australia, the peak industry body representing growers of stone fruits in Australia, has predicted a productive summer season for stonefruit growers this year. Chairman of Summerfruit Australia, Ian McAlister said conditions are as good as they could possibly be given the disruptions of last season. According to Mr McAlister, prospects for nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots this summer are positive with promising flowering and the moisture content in the soil at optimum levels. Last... ...Read more »

New research from the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) has found that several types of Asian vegetables contain folate levels equal to or greater than spinach, making them one of the richest sources of folate known. The research team, led by scientists at the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) used new technologies to measure the folate levels of ten Asian vegetables including buk choy, choy sum and wombok and compared them... ...Read more »

Australian-based, family-owned beverages manufacturer Bundaberg Brewed Drinks has recalled a batch of its Bundaberg Burgundee Creaming Soda in New South Wales and Queensland. Bundaberg Brewed Drinks said that the drinks in question, with a ‘Best Before’ date of 20 November 2012, contain high pH levels, causing fermentation and an increased risk of product shattering. The company has warned consumers not to drink the product. The recalled product has been available for sale in IGA Supermarkets,... ...Read more »

Ongoing concerns about the safety of eating fish caught in Gladstone Harbour, central Queensland, have led the owners of the city’s largest fish market to refuse fish caught in the harbour. This is despite government agencies in Queensland suggesting that the fish pose no health risk. Last week, the Queensland Government lifted a three-week fishing ban it had previously imposed on the harbour last week. At the time, Queensland Fisheries Minister Craig Wallace claimed the results of a water quality... ...Read more »

A report released today by the Queensland Government predicts the State’s milk production will fall by 5 per cent for the year 2011/12. The report attributes the impacts of natural disaster recovery and the supermarket ‘milk war’ to estimated low production levels. According to the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) report, the gross value of milk production in the State of Queensland for 2011-12 is forecast at A$229 million, 5% lower than the final estimate... ...Read more »