Beverages

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Riviana releases pressed pear juice in a 1 litre Tetra Pak

Pressed Pear Juice from Riviana has been released in a 1 litre Tetra Pak.

According to the company, Riviana Pressed Pear Juice is made from quality fresh pears which have been pressed against a fine sieve to extract the juice.

The cloudy appearance underscores the fact that it is not made from concentrate and has not been diluted with water.

“We don’t ‘produce’ juice – we press and then pack it,” explained Riviana Foodservice Channel and Strategy Manager Nick Dymond.

“Taking this approach ensures quality and flavour and makes the product much more appealing than reconstituted juice.”

The shelf-stable packaging with convenient resealable screw cap is designed to ensure ease of use.

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John West lands top sustainability award

Solidifying its position as Australia’s most sustainable tuna brand, Simplot Australia owned John West, was awarded the highest accolade at the 2016 Banksia Sustainability Awards, in Sydney recently.

John West Australia, the only national supermarket brand to be recognised in the awards this year, won the Communication for Change Award, followed by the prestigious 2016 Banksia Gold Award, which reflects the ‘Best of the Best’ across the categories.

Earlier this year, alongside the WWF-Australia (WWF) and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a world leading brand commitment was made, to help end unsustainable fishing methods within the canned tuna industry in Australia, thanks to Pacifical, supplied by the world’s largest sustainable tuna purse seine fishery, controlled by the PNA (Parties to the Nauru Agreement).

The alliance with WWF, MSC and Pacifical and Simplot’s supplier network, is the result of years of the entities working together to find a way to overhaul John West’s supply standards within Australia, moving towards a more sustainable future for the world’s oceans.

Simplot Australia Managing Director, Terry O’Brien, said, “We feel privileged to have been awarded such an accolade in Australian sustainability. The category shift has been years of work alongside our partners, to truly lead the industry, consumers and the environment, towards a more positive future. We look forward to continuing the work, as we move into the next phase of ensuring a positive future for our oceans.”

The Banksia Awards is the longest running and most prestigious acknowledgement of commitment to sustainability in Australia. They recognise Australian individuals, communities, businesses and government for their innovation, achievement and commitment to sustainability.

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ELIX Polymers launches new food grade contact material

ELIX Polymers has launched a new ABS grade for use in products that come into contact with food and which also require extra toughness and resistance to high temperatures.

Target applications include kitchenware, products for preparation and storage of food, and also toys.

The new M545TF grade will enhance the company’s Healthcare portfolio, which already includes grades for medical devices, cosmetics, food contact applications and toys.

The latest grade has been migration tested with different food simulants.

This enables ELIX Polymers to advise its customers about migration issues and regulatory compliance during the product design phase, helping to prevent problems before they occur and shortening time to market.

M545TF can be supplied precolored, with ELIX taking the responsibility for compliance of the pigments with food contact regulations.

ELIX Polymers’ current portfolio of FDA-approved colors already includes more than 120 active recipes; new colors are under continual development.

“ELIX Polymers offers a high level of service to our customers, especially for the healthcare portfolio,” says Aurelie Mannella, Industry Manager Healthcare at ELIX Polymers.

“We are pleased to have gained a reputation among our customers as a company that consistently offers excellence in service, along with high-quality products and constant innovation. We have implemented a rigorous selection of our pigments and suppliers in order to be able to guarantee consistent and zero-risk solutions.”

 

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Murray Goulburn and Mead Johnson Nutrition dissolve partnership

Murray Goulburn (MG) has announced today that Mead Johnson Nutrition (MJN) and MG have mutually agreed that they intend to terminate the March 2016 agreement for an alliance for the supply of nutritional products.

MG said that it remained committed to a B2B nutritionals strategy and MG and MJN will continue to explore new ways to work together.

Interim CEO David Mallinson announced that MG will now review its strategy for its nutritionals investment to ensure MG is maximising value for its suppliers and owners, whilst exercising discipline with MG’s capital.

Approximately 90 per cent of MG’s existing nutritional sales are destined for markets outside of China and MG’s supply agreement with Indonesia’s Kalbe Nutritionals remains in place.

Mallinson noted that “MG remains committed to developing a leading B2B nutritionals business for all export markets and we will continue to assess the best possible way to invest for future growth in this business.”

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Wine makers looking overseas as Aussies drinking less

A recent report by IBISWorld reveals that in 2016-17, domestic consumption of alcohol per capita is expected to reach the lowest level of the past 50 years.

This is part of a trend of consistently declining alcohol consumption that has played out over the past decade. Beer brewers have struggled, with negligible export exposure forcing them to rely on limited domestic demand. Meanwhile, many wine makers have found new growth as export demand for Australian wines booms, particularly in Asian markets.

Declining Consumption

IBISWorld expects per capita alcohol consumption will decrease by 0.8% over 2016-17, to 9.37 litres per capita. This trend is forecast to continue, with alcohol consumption in Australia expected to fall to 8.54 litres per capita by 2023-24, down from 10.57 litres in 1990-91.

“Domestic per capita consumption of beer, wine and spirits has slumped to a 55 year low, largely as a result of government legislation and increasing health consciousness among consumers,” said Mr Andrew Ledovskikh, IBISWorld Senior Industry Analyst.

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Wine exports boom

According to IBISWorld, export markets represent the largest market for wine makers, and are expected to account for 41.5% of industry revenue in 2016-17, totalling $2.5 billion. Domestic wholesale wine merchants represent the second largest market for wine makers, and are expected to account for 27.5% of industry revenue in 2016-17.

“Rising exports to Asia are anticipated to drive export growth over the next five years. Free trade agreements signed with Japan, South Korea and China in 2014 and 2015 are expected to lead to new growth in Asian export markets, as Australian wines become more competitive,” said Mr Ledovskikh.

“Rising middle class incomes in China are also expected to contribute to strong demand growth over the next five years. As a result, China is anticipated to overtake the United States as the largest importer of Australian wine,” added Mr Ledovskikh. “Despite declines in per capita wine consumption, the wine production industry is expected to increase by an annualised 2.3% over the five years through 2016-17. Strong demand growth from Asia is improving world prices and easing global oversupply issues, which have plagued the industry over the past decade.”

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Beer market

The Beer Manufacturing industry is expected to decline by an annualised 0.7% over the five years through 2016-17. The domestic consumption of beer has been hit hard by increasing health consciousness among consumers. Traditionally staple brands, such as VB, are declining rapidly in popularity, proving a major challenge for local beer manufacturers looking for growth.

“Unlike the Wine Production industry, local beer brewers produce almost exclusively for the domestic market. This has compounded the effect of declining alcohol consumption for brewing companies,” said Mr Ledovskikh.

As most of the large Australian beer brewers are owned by foreign multinationals, which have extensive worldwide production and distribution facilities, there is little incentive for these companies to produce locally for export. Most exported brands are actually produced under contract in the destination country, rather than physically shipped overseas.

Crafting a future

One silver lining for the Beer Manufacturing industry has been growing demand for craft beer. Craft breweries have popped up around the country at a rapid pace. In 2011-12, there were just over 140 craft brewers in Australia. In 2016-17, there are expected to be almost 300.

The Craft Beer Production industry is expected to grow by an annualised 11.7% over the five years through 2016-17, to $454.2 million. This strong performance has helped offset some of the declines in the consumption of traditional mainstream beer brands.

Export demand for craft beer is a potentially lucrative market, although it is not without challenges. Exporting bottled beers tends to be expensive, and the transport process can harm the quality of the product. Some local producers, such as Australian Brewery, have switched to canned craft beer products to help tap into export markets.

Craft beer batches also tend to be small, making efficient transport difficult. This will likely drive craft brewers to create export groups among themselves, using export agents to consolidate shipments and reduce per unit costs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kono Beverages and Bouchon Wines and Spirits form partnership

Kono Beverages of New Zealand and Bouchon Wines and Spirits of Australia have announced a distribution partnership.  Bouchon will exclusively promote the Tohu and Aronui brands in the State of Queensland.

Bouchon will be adding eight Kono wines to their portfolio.  These eight wines are made by Kono Chief Winemaker, Bruce Taylor, at their Awatere Valley Winery in Marlborough, New Zealand.  The wines are made from premium fruit grown on ancestral lands in Marlborough and Nelson.

The Bouchon range is predominantly Single Vineyard wines from the acclaimed Tohu vineyard in the Upper Awatere, Marlborough.  This area is world renowned for producing quality Sauvignon Blanc. The Tohu Sauvignon Blanc recently received the Grower’s Trophy for Sauvignon Blanc at the Bragato Wine Awards for the second time.

Other wines in the Bouchon range are made from fruit grown at the ‘Whenua Matua’ vineyard in Nelson, including the Aronui Pinot Noir and the Aronui Albariño.  The Pinot Noir was recently rewarded a gold medal by Decanter World Wine Awards.  The Albariño was recently awarded a trophy at the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show.  Both the Tohu and Aronui Wines ranges are well awarded at the Sydney International Wine Competition too.

Rory Smith, owner of Bouchon, commented, “The team at Bouchon Wines and Spirits is delighted to announce the inclusion of Tohu and Aronui Wines into the portfolio. We are very excited about these wines.

“They represent both great value and a ‘modern classic’ style of winemaking.  With some unusual grape varieties like Grüner Veltliner and Albariño plus traditional varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a pleasure to be working with New Zealand’s first Māori owned wine company.”

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Sugar tax idea “bonkers mad”, says Joyce

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has slammed the proposal to introduce a sugar tax and said eating less and exercise are the ways to reduce obesity.

As the SMH reports, Joyce was responding to a report presented to  Parliament which claims there should be a tax of 40 cents per 100 grams of sugar on sugary soft drinks.

The report by the Gratton Institute estimates that community or “third party” costs of obesity were about A$5.3 billion in 2014/15; and says a tax would not only reduce obesity levels but also recoup some of these costs.

But Joyce, who is also Agriculture Minister and has warned of the devastating affect a sugar tax would have on the sugar industry of North Queensland, said the National Party would not support it.

“If you want to deal with being overweight, here’s a suggestion: stop eating so much and do a bit of exercise,” he said.

“This is one of these suggestions right from the start we always thought was bonkers mad but now it’s getting more and more momentum so we have to say, ‘We are not going to be supporting a sugar tax’.”

He said the comparison with the tobacco excise does not hold because all cigarettes are bad for you, while the occasional soft drink is not.

“I believe in the freedom of the individual … We the government are not going to moralise about what you take out of the fridge,” he said.

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Beer maker Stone & Wood may expand further

Byron Bay beer company Stone & Wood has been reported to be looking to further expand its largest brewery as sales jump by 60 per cent to more than $30 million as a response to rivals’ “corporate comb overs” – attempts by large global breweries to spur growth in the premium and craft beer segments by launching their own boutique brands or buying up smaller brewers to try to compensate in a small way for the declining growth in their core mainstream beer sales.

According to the Australian Financing Review, Stone & Wood has already invested $12 million on a second brewery at Murwillumbah which opened in 2014, but founder Jamie Cook described its production as reaching its “limit”.

This would point to Stone & Wood giving the green light on a further expansion as preparation to meet summer peak season demands and at the same time eye a bigger share of Australia’s $14 billion beer market.

“We’re looking at expansion in the next 12 months,” Cook told AFR.

Cook is adamant on maintaining Stone & Wood as a mainstream brewer and doesn’t classify itself as a “craft brewer”, of which there are 350 operators in Australia who have started out small, and niche.

“We’ve always had the strategy that we’re building a regional beer business,” he said.

 

 On The Shelf

Backburner IPA from the Lord Nelson Brewery

The Lord Nelson Brewery has released Backburner IPA, an experimental seasonal ale as it celebrate its 30th year of brewing and the 175th birthday of the pub whose name it bears.

Whilst history and tradition are very important to the brewer, convention is rare. It is in this spirit that it has entered the arena of current trend with its first can release. Then to really cement this modernity, The Lord Nelson has filled it with Australia’s current favourite craft style – an IPA.

This ‘out there’ style innovates while sticking to the brewer’s principles of no added sugar or preservatives. Using bold malts and intense hop flavours, they have injected the IPA with some real spice, using Belgian Wit yeast to ensure its sessionability and coriander and curacao orange to add to its depth of flavour.

Copper in colour with subtle fruit hop aromatics, subtle phenolic wit yeast characters and bitterness, Backburner IPA has fresh curacao orange peel and coriander added at the final turn for depth, intensity and flavour.

 

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Matua named New Zealand Wine Producer of Year at IWSC

Matua has taken out the top prize for all New Zealand wineries at the prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC), winning the trophy for New Zealand Wine Producer of the Year, announced last night in London.

The winery, which produced New Zealand’s first Sauvignon Blanc in 1974, had a medal tally which incorporated the Trophy alongside 12 medals, including Gold Outstanding for the 2013 Matua Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, five Silver Outstanding medals, four Silvers and a Bronze.

This now means that Matua has received the title of NZ Wine Producer or Winemaker of the Year at a major international wine competition four years consecutively – 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 – after having already been bestowed this honour at the 2013 and 2015 New Zealand Royal Easter Show Wine Awards and the 2014 New Zealand International Wine Show.

Matua was up against Giesen, Kim Crawford and Brancott Estate for the coveted 2016 IWSC Trophy.

Greg Rowdon, Matua Chief Winemaker is absolutely thrilled with the result. “More than ever New Zealand is producing wines that stand up on the global stage and to be acknowledged as the IWSC New Zealand Producer of the Year is testament not only to the quality of Matua wines but also the breadth of our portfolio and the consistently high standards we are achieving,” he said.

“We entered 12 wines and received 12 medals – so we are so pleased to have a 100% strike rate. It wasn’t a case of one particular wine outshining the rest either, but our portfolio as a whole consistently performing well, which is our ultimate aim,” Rowdon said.

Founded in 1969, the International Wine & Spirit Competition is widely recognised as the original, the most prestigious and the most respected wine & spirit competition in the world. Receiving entries from nearly 90 countries worldwide, the Competition uses a two stage judging process taking place over a six month period to ensure the IWSC produces the industry’s most credible results.

 Featured

What bulk packaging system should you choose?

When it comes to choosing a bulk packaging system, every business has its own unique needs. There are different types of bulk packaging systems available on the market, and each machine comes with its own uses and advantages.

Some focus more on outer packaging functions such as forming, cleaning, and sealing. Others focus more on the interior of the package through filling, wrapping, and creative packaging solutions. What you’ll need depends on the type of items you’ll be packaging and the type of packaging you’ll be using, as well as your budget.

Form, fill and seal machines (FFS)

These machines are commonly used for food packaging, although they can also be used for other items including liquids and solids. The FFS machine creates a bag from a flat roll of film, while simultaneously filling the bag with the product and sealing the bag once it’s full. The advantages of FFS machines are that they can operate at a high speed and they’re ideal for running the same product continuously.

The cost of the film is cheaper than purchasing pre-made bags, so you will save on operating costs. However, changing the film is time-consuming, and if the bag is dropped it will often break.

Vertical form, fill and seal machines (VFFS)

VFFS machines fill each bag before heat sealing it, labelling it with a time stamp, and auto cutting the bag. Most VFFS machines can operate at about one finished bag per second, so they are ideal for businesses with high output requirements.

They can be used for small individual packages (like sachets) or for larger bags, and they can package a wide variety of materials like seeds, powders, liquids. VFFS machines are suitable for bagging oats, hay, mulch, fertilisers and more.

Bale packaging machines

Bale packaging machines use hydraulic cylinders to compress products to a quarter of their original size. This allows you to store more products, maximise your available space, and save on packing and transportation costs. This type of bulk packaging system is normally used for cereals, rags, sawdust, humus, straw, hay and fodder.

Valve bag fillers

These machines are consistent, accurate, and simple to install and adjust. Valve bag fillers use a two-stage filling system. The majority of product is filled at maximum rate, and then just before the bag reaches its target, the machine reduces the fill rate to a dribble feed.

This way, the machine can stop filling more accurately when the bag reaches its target weight.

Valve bag fillers are relatively small machines, so they don’t take up a lot of floor space. They’re suitable for packaging dry materials, powders and granular products such as soil, mulch, minerals, grains or concrete mix.

Pre-made bags or open mouth baggers

These systems are extremely flexible. They are compatible with paper bags or woven bags, heat sealers, inner liners, stitched outer bags, fold overs and taped seals.

They offer various feeding methods including gravity feeding, auger feeding, and vibratory feeding, providing you with the ability to package unusual products.

You can add dust extraction systems or bag compression functions depending on your business needs. Poly woven bags are, on average, more robust than FFS bags, but your cost per bag will be higher. Open mouth baggers also tend to be slower than FFS systems.

Visit www.accupak.com.au to find out more.

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Tetra Pak announces new US$110 million Vietnam factory

Bolstered by rapid consumption growth and increasing customer needs in the Asia Pacific region, leading food processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pak today announced their US$110 million investment in a state-of-the-art regional manufacturing facility near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to serve customers across the region.

The move is prompted by increasing consumption volumes, with the 2016 total packed liquid dairy and fruit-based beverages intake at 70 billion litres across ASEAN, South Asia, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Additionally, over the next three years, these markets are likely to grow at a healthy 5.6 per cent per annum, with products packed in Tetra Pak cartons projected to grow at a much faster rate as compared to other packaging formats such as glass bottles and cans.

“Tetra Pak has been present in the region for decades, with our first factory set up in Gotemba, Japan in 1971,” said Michael Zacka, Regional Vice President, Tetra Pak South Asia, East Asia and Oceania.

“Over the years, we have seen substantial growth of our products, driven by a wide portfolio and a number of innovations that we have introduced in the market. Hence our investment in a new plant, which will be our fourth Packaging Material factory in the region, providing us with expansive coverage and scale.

This decision is a strong reflection of our commitment to the region and our firm belief in its future potential.”

The greenfield factory, expected to begin operations in Q1 2019, will have an expandable production capacity of approximately 20 Billion packs per annum, across a variety of packaging formats, including the popular Tetra Brik Aseptic and Tetra Fino Aseptic.

It will primarily serve customers based in ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand. With a strong focus on sustainability, the site will adopt a host of global best practices to minimise the environmental footprint, including the utilisation of a high proportion of renewable energy sources.

This investment will complement Tetra Pak’s three long-standing production facilities in Singapore, India and Japan, building on the wealth of experience built up throughout the company’s operation in the region.

Together, the factories will enable the company to offer more innovations, efficiency and customer service to meet the rapid growth in Asia.

“We are committed to investing in Australia and New Zealand’s food export business to help our customers tap into the huge opportunities opening up both at home and in the wider region. Our investment in this manufacturing facility means we will be able service our ASEAN markets more efficiently, offering greater innovation, enhanced quality, efficiency and flexibility for producers.” said Craig Salkeld, Managing Director for Oceania, Tetra Pak.

 Featured

Not everyone loves wheat – so why not remove the bad bits

Wheat is everywhere. It’s in bread, pasta, pastries, biscuits, pizza, batter, cereals, soups, sauces, instant drinks, salad dressing, processed meats and sweets, to name but a few.

The western diet is so infatuated with wheat that most of us eat a kilo or more a week. So why do we love it?

It’s simple. It provides the texture of our pasta, the spring in our bread, the thickening in our soups and sauces, and the crunch in our batter and pastries.

But what some of us crave, others look to avoid. They study ingredients on packaging and travel across town to find processed foods that don’t contain wheat. While they may enjoy the texture, spring, thickness and crunch, they don’t feel well after they eat wheat.

So what’s the problem?

An intolerance

Some have a sensitivity to a small set of wheat proteins called gluten. For a subset of people their reaction is so extreme it’s defined as coeliac disease.

But most people who avoid wheat are not intolerant to gluten but rather to some other substance in wheat. Scientists agree this is likely to be other proteins found in the wheat grain, but it is typically unknown what the culprit is in each case.

This is a frustrating mystery for wheat sensitivity sufferers which hangs over their café breakfasts, luncheons with friends and social dinner parties.

The full set of proteins that make up wheat grains has only recently been revealed, with details published last month in The Plant Journal. These proteins make up the wheat proteome and have been exhaustively mapped out for the first time in wheat by research conducted here in Australia.

With this discovery we now know that, beyond gluten, thousands of different proteins can be found in wheat grain. Some of them we didn’t even know existed before this research was undertaken.

We know when they are made during grain development and we know if they are also found in other parts of the wheat plant such as the leaves, stems and roots. Each of these long wheat grain proteins are digested in our gut to become short peptides.

That means there are hundreds of thousands of different peptides that can be derived from wheat. Most are harmless and good nutrition but for some people, a set of them will make us unwell.

Single out the proteins

Only now that this mapping of the wheat proteome has been completed can we measure each protein separately and see how abundant they are in different varieties of wheat.

This information enables scientists to use mass spectrometers to sift through proteins and peptides by subtle differences in their weight – a difference that can be smaller than the mass as a proton.

We can literally dial up the masses of a particular set of peptides and set the mass spectrometer to work measuring them. The technology is at the cutting edge of new blood tests for disease. It can now be applied to make new measures in wheat.

This means we have a remarkable new opportunity to see wheat in a novel way – as a complex set of proteins that can work for us, or against us.

This breakthrough not only shows us the list of proteins in grain. When paired with wheat genome data (information about the complete set of genes in wheat) it tells us for the first time which of the 100,000 different wheat genes are responsible for making each of the proteins.

Armed with this new information, things really can change. We will ultimately be able to determine which proteins in wheat are causing people to feel unwell. We will then be able to breed wheat varieties that contain less or none of the proteins responsible.

These kinds of selective changes in wheat protein content don’t need to stop at aiding those intolerant to today’s wheat. They can enable wheat varieties to be tailored to make wheats that are better for baking or brewing or thickening.

They can even help us to breed wheat that is better able to survive in harsh environments, to adapt to changes in climates and is better suited to more intensive farming.

This is important because wheat is not just an integral part of the western diet. It is also part of an international plan to raise crop yields to ensure we have food for the estimated 8.5 billion people across the world by 2030.

Safe, benign, abundant, cheap, high quality wheats with protein contents ready for many different applications are a key part of food security and a fairer future.

 

From The Coversation

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Did milk processor overstate its accounts?

A forensic accountant has alleged that dairy processor Murray Goulburn may have overstated its earnings and even lost money in the last financial year.

It was claimed in early November that its treatment of the milk supplier support program in its accounts was wrong.

This in turn has led to dairy farmers doubting whether they’ll get repaid, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Not helping the situation is the company’s decision to write off part of the advance.

Forensic accounting company, Morris Forensic, says Murray Goulburn’s pretax profit of more than $57 million should have been a loss of just over $92 million.

Morris Forensic believes that Murray Goulburn treating the advance as an ‘asset’ is not correct because there is no right to recover the advance from farmers. “In my opinion, Murray Goulburn’s financial statements should have been prepared on the basis that the amounts paid or payable to suppliers for milk purchased during the year were inventory purchases,” Morris Forensic argues in its report.

Murray Goulburn has confirmed to the SMH that farmers do not have to repay the advance and that the company has already written off part of the advance.

“In my opinion, the manner in which Murray Goulburn recognised the MSSP assets of $183.334 million in its 2016 financial report resulted in Murray Goulburn increasing its reported profit before income tax by approximately $150 million,” Morris Forensic said in its report.

Murray Goulburn is the subject of a class action and of ASIC inquiries due to allegations that it misrepresented certain aspects in its prospectus when it raised capital from investors last year.

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Rosella flies off with new branding

Rosella is set to unveil a new logo this November, which the company claims will be the most dramatic change in the company’s visual identity for 20 years.

According to Senior Brand Manager, Kristine Dalton, “The most immediate change is the rosella bird itself. We have revisited the grassroots of our original logo whilst preserving the distinctive, native Eastern rosella and have given it flight to represent the company continuing to keep pace with modern Australian eating.”

“We believe the change will be welcomed. The new design will appeal to a new generation of Australian families by capturing the essence of our Australian Spirit, our vibrancy, energy and our free spirit.”

Designed by Melbourne Design House Disegno, the logo represents the company’s colourful history in a modern and evolving style.

“As an organisation so engrained in Australian culture, we are excited for this change to continue our longstanding relationship between the Rosella brand and customers,” concluded Dalton.

The new logo will first appear on the 600ml sauce bottle, on shelves nationally in all Coles, Woolworths and Independents late November.

 On The Shelf

New packaging for Coopers Lagers

Coopers Brewery is repackaging and relaunching Coopers Premium Lager and Coopers Premium Light.

The two lagers, along with Coopers Original Pale Ale, will be the main beers sold at the Australian Open following Coopers’ success in winning the pourage rights for the tennis earlier this year.

Coopers Sales and Marketing Director, Mr Cam Pearce, said Coopers Premium Lager and Premium Light would be repackaged in 355 ml green glass bottles with clean, contemporary labels, cartons and cluster packs.

The new packaging is expected to be on shelves through most Australian liquor outlets this month.

“The green bottles and clean packaging underline the premium quality of Coopers Premium Lager and Coopers Premium Light and give the beers a distinctive contemporary look that stands out in the market,” Mr Pearce said.

“The new packaging will also differentiate the Coopers’ family of lagers from Coopers’ traditional ales, which retain the current brown glass bottles with roundel labels.”

It follows the revamp of Coopers Clear low carb dry beer last year which was relaunched in new blue and silver packaging, emphasising the beer’s freshness, sessionability and low carb credentials.

Mr Pearce said Coopers had been considering changing the packaging for its Premium Lager and Light beers before it won the pourage rights for the Australian Open.

“Winning the rights for the Australian Open helped accelerate this process,” he said.

“The Australian Open and its related tournaments provide us with a great opportunity to showcase our lagers which we believe will find strong acceptance among spectators and visitors from Australia and overseas.”

Coopers Premium Lager and Coopers Premium Light are both all malt beers. Premium Lager has an alcohol level of 4.8% while Premium Light is at 2.9%.

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AFGC warns of tough times ahead for food makers

The latest Australian Food and Grocery Council’s (AFGC) annual industry snapshot State of the Industry 2016 shows a 14 per cent increase in Australia’s food and grocery exports in 2015-16 to some extent moderated by the challenging economic conditions confronting Australia’s $125.9 billion food and grocery processing sector.

AFGC CEO Gary Dawson said while the State of the Industry 2016 highlighted export growth and a lift in overall industry turnover, falling capital investment and stalling job growth are clear warning signs for the future of Australia’s largest manufacturing sector.

“This year’s State of the Industry highlights the importance of the food and grocery sector to Australia’s economy, as well as its resilience in the face of the significant challenges it faces to stay competitive,” said Dawson.

“The good news is that industry turnover continues to increase with food and grocery processing now making up 33 per cent of total Australian manufacturing. This growth is largely on the back of strong growth in exports. In 2015-16 food and beverage exports grew by 11 per cent to $26bn, fresh produce exports up 49 per cent to $1.5bn and grocery (non-food) exports up 32 per cent to $4bn.

“Yet low domestic growth, rising costs for energy and other inputs, and six years of retail price deflation in the ongoing supermarket price war has created relentless pressure back through the supply chain to become more efficient in order to stay competitive.”

“In 2015-16 job growth stalled across the food and grocery sector reflecting the ongoing financial pressure the sector is under which is forcing food and grocery producers and processors to cut costs across every part of their business.”

“A key concern is the continuing decline in capital Investment at a time when a step change upwards in investment is required to fully capitalise on improved market access and growing demand from middle class consumers in the emerging economies of Asia and the Middle East,” said Dawson.

 

 

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SPC workers fear getting canned

According to a story this morning in The Age, jobs at food producer SPC Ardmona hang in the balance after Woolworths said it would be ending its canned tomatoes deal with SPC and wouldn’t say whether it will retain a five-year agreement struck in 2014 for other private-label tinned fruit.

At the same time, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) has raised fears the company is considering sending fruit-sourcing offshore.

Tom Hale, the AMWU national food division secretary, was quoted as saying that the federal government should “pull together all political parties and start drafting legislation to help keep the Australian food industry alive”.

He also noted that the voluntary Food and Grocery Code of Conduct should be “enshrined into law, which would force big retailers to comply with minimum standards when dealing with suppliers….”

“The current system of self-regulation is not working,” Hale was quoted by The Age report.

While Woolworths did rescue SPC’s struggling Shepparton cannery two years ago with a five-year deal to buy its private-label tinned fruit, the agreement was apparently made only on a ‘handshake’.

At the same time, according to a number of sources, the private label tomatoes are an “immaterial” part of Woolworths $70 million supply agreement with SPC.

“It plays havoc with the lives of farmers and factory families who have made important decisions based on Woolworths’ word,” said Federal Regional Development Minister Fiona Nash.

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General Mills announces major restructure & closure of Victorian facility

General Mills has today announced that it will be restructuring its Australian operations.

Part of this restructure will mean the closure of General Mills’ manufacturing facility in Mount Waverley, Victoria along with the consolidation of its Australian manufacturing activity into an expanded production facility in Rooty Hill, New South Wales.

The closure of the Mount Waverley facility will occur between April and June 2018.

All staff in both locations have been informed of the closure. General Mills will be working to re-deploy and relocate employees to Rooty Hill as appropriate, but it is likely that most roles from Mount Waverley will become redundant.

The difficult decision to close the Mount Waverley facility, which makes pasta, sauce and ready-to-eat meals, was taken to simplify General Mills’ supply chain and secure the future growth of the business, according to a company press release.

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Food conveyor cleaning nozzles

According to Techpro, food conveyor cleaning can now be done quicker and also more cost effectively.

While manual conveyor cleaning is regularly undertaken to ensure Australia’s first-class food hygiene protocols are maintained, a number of manufacturers have found effective conveyor cleaning is achievable simply by installing the correct spray nozzles for the job.

A properly automated conveyor cleaning system should provide uniformed cleaning across the entire conveyor as well as efficient water usage.

Optimal results can only be achieved when the positioning of spray nozzles is carefully planned.

Other factors to consider include available water pressure and flow rate, nozzle size, droplet size and spray pattern.