On 14 March, the Albanese government announced it will extend a crackdown on unfair trading practices to small businesses in its ongoing efforts to address power imbalances between small and large businesses. The government acknowledged the need for targeted protections that safeguard small businesses from unfair trading practices, including those that impact grape growers and wine producers in their dealings with larger commercial entities. “Small businesses are vital to our economy, and we’re concerned about the disadvantages they face when dealing with unfair practices from larger players ..read more

Early-bird registrations are now open for the biennial Australasian Packaging Conference, coordinated by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP). To be held from 6–7 May at the Sofitel Sydney, Wentworth, the 2025 Australasian Packaging Conference is open to all packaging professionals across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. Covering the theme ‘Reimagine Packaging Design’, the 2025 edition has been designed to provide a range of plenary sessions, panel discussions and concurrent breakout sessions with over 70 speakers and leading experts in their field covering a b ..read more

It is predicted that Australian manufacturing productivity and resilience could rise by as much as 30%, thanks to the Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Research Hub in Future Digital Manufacturing (Digital Manufacturing Hub), launched at Swinburne University of Technology on 13 March 2025. The Swinburne-led hub is designed to deliver cutting-edge technology to digitally represent, predict and improve production, and support advanced manufacturing priorities through new artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT)-powered digital manufacturing technology ..read more

Recently published studies have found more than 1000 additional chemicals present in or migrating from food-contact materials. The open-access FCCmigex database now compiles information on over 5000 food-contact chemicals from packaging and other food-contact articles across 1500 scientific studies. The latest research focuses on PFAS, phthalates and antioxidants. The database provides citable data to support scientific and regulatory efforts to improve the safety of food contact materials.  Food packaging can be a source of hazardous chemicals that transfer into food. The Database on Mi ..read more

Data released in the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook showed a $140 million drop in the overall farmgate value of vegetables produced in Australia during 2023–24, despite an increase in overall production, which may affirm the price pressures contributing to a third of Australian vegetable growers considering leaving the industry in the next year. The latest official statistics reveal Australian growers produced an overall 3.83 million tonnes of vegetables in 2023–24, compared to 3.58 million tonnes the previous year, while overall production value dropped to $5 ..read more

The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) has appointed Tim Ryan as its new Chief Executive Officer. Ryan joined AMIC in 2022 and has played a pivotal role in advocating on behalf of members. With an extensive background in the red meat industry, it is said that he has been instrumental in addressing some of the most critical issues facing the meat industry across all sectors, including changes to animal welfare standards, advocating for retail member interests in competition inquiries and pushing back on scope creep of dietary guidelines. AMIC Chair Tom Maguire welcomed Ryan’s ap ..read more

Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are transforming industries, enhancing efficiency and streamlining logistics. However, ensuring safety while maintaining productivity remains a top challenge. The SICK Flexi Mobile safety controller is designed specifically to meet the evolving demands of mobile robotics. The controller is compact, robust and easy to integrate. Unlike traditional safety controllers, Flexi Mobile features a cabinet-free design, allowing for space-saving installation directly onto AGVs, AMRs and self-driven forklifts. Its rugged aluminium hous ..read more

From gummies, liquid shots, effervescent powders to chewables — whether traditional or emerging supplement formats — taste is a critical factor for wellness products. Kerry’s 2025 Supplement Taste Charts provide a roadmap for brands to navigate the evolving expectations of consumers, leveraging insights grounded in market reality and future-forward predictions. In Asia–Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Euromonitor reported that the dietary supplements market size grew to US$75bn in 2024, up from US$61bn in 2020, due to rising consumer awareness of the importance of health, a growing ageing pop ..read more

What does a day in your life typically look like? A typical day as FSANZ CEO reflects the dynamic nature of standards setting across Australia and New Zealand. My mornings often begin with briefings on priority projects: from advancing our priority standards development work, to coordinating responses to any emerging food incidents. These strategic discussions ensure we are effectively delivering on our mission of developing evidence-based food standards while enabling innovation in the food industry. Throughout the day, I engage with diverse stakeholders — from government partners and industr ..read more

From climate change and disease, to declining production and uncertainties around tariffs and trade, the global orange juice sector is going through unprecedented upheaval, which will result in winners and losers for both growers and processors. Declining orange production November 2024 was a key month for the world’s orange juice producers. Not only was Donald Trump re-elected as the President of the United States, but the World Citrus Organisation (WCO) published its first production forecast for the northern hemisphere, suggesting an 8.7% decrease in production for the 2024/25 season. In f ..read more