The traffic light labelling system may have lost steam in Europe but in Australia, the debate has again been reignited with a new study on the nutritional content of muesli.
Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings today announced an agreement to acquire 100% of Independent Liquor from Pacific Equity Partners and Unitas Capital in a 97.6bn Yen ($1.28bn) deal.
Bright Food’s acquisition of Manassen could be reassuring for consumers, according to an industry analyst, amid rumours that it is hoping to buy a 75% stake worth A$400m.
Australian food manufacturer Goodman Fielder Ltd is set to open a new dedicated gluten free bakery in Huntly, New Zealand next month in order to cater to the rising demand for such products there.
The New Zealand Commerce Commission says there are no grounds for an investigation of wholesale and retail milk pricing practices in the New Zealand market that is 90% dominated by Fonterra.
A report commissioned by Fonterra to investigate the fairness of the dairy giant’s milk pricing has faced criticism from its competitors, according to news reports.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced that it does not believe that supermarket operator Coles broke any competition rules when it dropped the price of it’s house brand milk to AU$1 a litre
India's new food safety act will strengthen better the ability of regulators and the government to handle food contamination incidents, the head of one of India's top food research institutes has said.
The incoming chief of Australian supermarket giant Woolworths Ltd has said that the chain will welcome food products out of New Zealand on its shelves, despite its policy of buying local first.
Asahi is to proceed with two Australian and New Zealand soft drinks deals, with the aim of becoming one of the world’s top food and beverage companies.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called for a compulsory ban on television junk food advertisements in Australia, saying industry self-regulation has failed.
An Australian bill requiring palm oil to be explicitly labelled has come in for harsh criticism from food industry representatives, after it was passed by the Senate last week.
Intake of flour containing 40 per cent lupin flour in place of conventional wholemeal flour could significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, according to research from Australia’s Victoria University.
The Australian medicines regulator is warning people off a weight management herbal called St Nirvana, after product testing revealed illegal doses of the banned pharma ingredient, sibutramine.
French dairy Danone has built on its 2010 joint venture with Australian co-op Murray Goulburn by belatedly launching its €4bn global selling probiotic yoghurt Activia on the market there.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has updated its highly popular nutrient database to include new information about fatty acids, iodine, vitamin D and more.
Australia and New Zealand’s food standards body has approved an application for higher maximum permitted levels of steviol glycosides in ice cream and several beverage categories, which will enable a more acceptable taste profile in finished products.
The Wrigley Company is launching a new calcium enriched gum in Australia and New Zealand, claiming its ‘on-the-go’ delivery system can help address the reported calcium intake deficiency among 90 per cent of the Australian population.
Dutch-based Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) player, Lipid Nutrition, has withdrawn its CLA Novel Foods application in Australia and New Zealand due to the two countries’ policy to reduce all trans fatty acids (TFAs) in the diet.
Ajinomoto’s Advantame has moved a step closer to approval in Australia and New Zealand, as FSANZ has published its preferred option that the Food Standards Code be amended to approve the intense sweetener for sale and use.
An explosion in Fairtrade chocolate sales last year in Australia has seen it overtake coffee to become the biggest selling Fairtrade certified product in that market, said the organisation behind the standard.
New Zealand opposition party members are calling on the government to fortify the country’s flour supply and bread output with folic acid, following reports of the success of a similar program across the Tasman Sea in Australia.
Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW), an alliance of Nestlé and General Mills, said that a large percentage of its cereal brands sold in Australia including Cheerios have been endorsed by the Heart Foundation there through its Tick programme.
The mainstreaming of functional foods has created an increasingly sophisticated nutritional landscape that is leading into food choices being driven by genetic expression, according to new market research.
The Food Standards Agency of of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) says that intense sweetener Advantame poses no risk to consumers relative to its proposed usage in a range of foods.
Asahi Breweries has agreed to acquire P&N Beverages, the third largest soft drinks company in Australia in its latest move towards the goal of joining the ranks of the biggest global food companies.
Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has signed a five-year deal with Sugar Australia for distribution and marketing of its stevia-derived sweeteners for the Australian and New Zealand food and beverage markets.
More money for dairy producers, paid earlier in the season to ease cash flow problems are the aims behind a new incentive payment from Fonterra Australia.
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is advising parents that energy drinks and energy shots are not suitable for consumption by children and young teenagers due to caffeine levels.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) has backed a generic definition for phytosterols, phytostanols and their esters to replace the formulation-specific approvals that exist at the moment.
The ongoing rethinking of the rules governing herbal products in Australia has highlighted more than 30 herbs for safety review, according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
DSM’s lipase enzyme from GM Aspergillus niger is set to be approved by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, opening up opportunities for bakers to use it as a processing aid.
Mooted revisions to regulations governing drugs and supplements in Australia may see weight management products ruled by food regulations, where previously they may have been governed by drug law, TGA discussions have revealed.
Cargill’s bid to buy Goodman Fielder’s edible fats and oils business looks to be scuppered by the Australian competition authorities, who say it would be an unacceptable concentration of refining assets in the country.
Plans are afoot to merge the New Zealand Food Safety Authority back into the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, 3 years after the risk assessor and risk manager were split out.
Cargill has entered into an agreement to acquire the edible fats and oils business of Goodman Fielder in Australia and New Zealand, which it says will aid efficient future growth in the region.
AkzoNobel’s National Starch business has acquired Penford’s Australian specialty starch business in order to shorten its supply chain for specialty corn starches in the region - despite National Starch being up for sale.
Australia has announced it is to reopen its borders to beef imports from countries that have previously reported incidents of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
The New Zealand government has pledged to update what it describes as its “outdated” 28-year-old Food Act to make it more relevant to businesses and consumers while improving safety standards.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has announced that as of Sunday, Australian bread makers must use folic acid-enriched flour to reduce the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) in newborns.
Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales (NSW), is considering a ban on high caffeine energy drinks in the Red Bull-led sector, after its Primary Industries minister, Ian McDonald, highlighted products loaded with up to 15 times recommended caffeine...
The New Zealand baking industry has said it will move towards a voluntary fortification of some breads with folic acid as the government is expected to delay plans for mandatory fortification.
The mandatory fortification of bread with folic acid in New Zealand is likely to be delayed for another three years, following heated debate over the risks and benefits of adding the synthetic B vitamin to bread.
New Zealand’s Food Safety Authority has received a dozen responses supporting a proposal to allow the manufacture, sale and import and export of unpasteurised dairy products, and which would open up a new global market.
