A new industry report released by the National Australia Bank (NAB) forecasts a 2.2 per cent increase in milk production in Australia for the 2011/12 season. In its November 2011 Rural Commodities report, the NAB said that it expects Australian dairy production to reach 9.3 billion litres in 2011-12, as a result of favourable conditions and healthy water storage levels along the east coast. The NAB report noted that while production is lifting, the 2011-12 outlook is only consistent with what is... ...Read more »

The European Food Standards Authority (EFSA) has responded to criticism over its ruling that bottled water manufacturers are banned from claiming that water can prevent dehydration. The EFSA is responsible for scientific assessment of food and composition and food marketing claims in Europe. On 16 November 2011 the European Commission published a list of health claims made on foods that refer to the reduction of disease risk (EU No 1170/​2011) that had been rejected in previous months by the... ...Read more »

Two key resources designed to ensure Australian water derived from any source is clean and safe to drink were released Friday by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), with support from the National Water Commission: The revised Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG); and The expanded Community Water Planner (CWP) tool.  Clean, safe drinking water is a blessing Australians often take for granted- but the quality and safety of Australian water is no accident. Used by catchment... ...Read more »

According to a report from Australian food law specialists FoodLegal, Australian beverage and food companies will need to watch closely what emerges from a recent American lawsuit. Foodlegal has reported that parents of a 13-year-old girl from Maryland, USA, have filed a lawsuit against Nestle USA, manufacturer of ‘Deer Park’ and ‘Poland Spring’ bottled waters with added fluoride, and also against Gerber Products Company, which manufactures baby food and infant formula products containing... ...Read more »

New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra has installed five large milk vats in Christchurch, which will be filled with fresh water by the company’s tankers, for use while the city’s earthquake-shattered water infrastructure is repaired. CEO Andrew Ferrier says the vats will be installed in locations around the city as recommended by Civil Defence. “Having these vats will give more people access to the water they desperately need. We will have a tanker on stand-by to re-fill the vats as the... ...Read more »

A report commissioned by the UK government on how to improve environmental labelling on food products has outlined the difficulties of producing a single “green” label. The report by the University of Hertfordshire, the Food Ethics Council and the Policy Studies Institute today (7 February) revealed that the number of different environmental labels on food – covering issues such as carbon emissions and water use – has been growing. The number of labels, the report noted, has... ...Read more »

A landmark new partnership to improve the sustainability of Australia’s $102 billion food and grocery manufacturing industry in Victoria has been signed today between the Victorian Government and the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC). Under the innovative Sustainability Covenant, Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria, Sustainability Victoria and AFGC will commit up to $500,000 over three years to support food and grocery manufacturers in Victoria to produce food and grocery products... ...Read more »

Saturday October 16 marks World Food Day – a day when the world recognises the vital contribution that farmers make to our society and the multiple challenges they face in maintaining our current food security over the next 40 years. If farmers are to overcome those challenges, then they are going to need an array of scientifically developed tools. However, some groups in Australia seem determined to make accessing these tools a difficult feat. For several decades farmers have been subject... ...Read more »

The Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation firmly believes that foreshadowed irrigation cuts in the Murray Darling Basin would have a devastating impact on farmers and their families, the dairy industry and rural communities. Last week, the Murray Darling Basin Authority announced its guide to the Proposed Basin Plan. It announced massive cutbacks to Queensland surface water ranging from 27% to 37%, and even higher in less-developed river systems where the cuts could be as high as 45%. QDO is... ...Read more »

Reducing water allocations in the Murray Darling Basin is another setback for Australia’s $102 billion food and grocery manufacturing sector which is the second major industry in the regions behind agriculture, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) said today. Responding to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s (MDBA) proposal to cut up to 40 per cent of water extractions from the basin, AFGC highlighted that food and grocery manufacturing – which employs about 100,000 people... ...Read more »