Every week, Food & Drink Business editor Kim Berry brings you the latest news in the food and beverage manufacturing industry. In the news this week: All G Foods, Hawkins Watts, Beston Global Foods, Foodbank Australia, Nestlé, and The Hive Awards.

In this episode, Food & Drink Business editor, Kim Berry, talks to Jed Simpfendorfer and Dr Ro Mueller from market research firm, Tgarage, about what Australian consumers are thinking and how that impacts food and beverage businesses.

In this episode, Food & Drink Business editor, Kim Berry, talks to Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) CEO, Fiona Fleming, about the critical role of food science and  Australia’s food and beverage industry.

In this episode, Food & Drink Business editor, Kim Berry, talks to the managing director of ANZ for General Mills, Karen Jenkins. We start off taking a look at Karen’s career with the multinational food company, and her experience moving up through the ranks.

Welcome to The Food & Drink Business Top 100 Food & Drink Companies 2023 report. Compiled in collaboration with IBISWorld, this flagship report ranks by revenue Australia’s biggest players in the food and drink sector. Who made it into the Top 10, which companies rose in the ranks with impressive revenue growth, and which ones fell – it’s a fascinating informative glimpse into Australia’s largest manufacturing sector.

Yaffa Media acquires Spanton Media, expands into drinks/hospitality

Yaffa Media, one of Australia’s largest independent media companies, has acquired Spanton Media Group and all its assets, including industry-leading title Australian Bartender, the Australian Bar Awards and Sydney Bar Week.

Merger reform bill passes Parliament

The Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Bill 2024 has officially passed Parliament, leaving the ACCC focused on successful implementation of the new merger regime, ready for once it commences in 2026.

Australia's R&D review underway

Industry minister, Ed Husic, has announced Tesla chair and former Telstra CFO, Robyn Denholm, will lead the government's Strategic Examination of Research & Development (R&D) that it announced in the May budget. The terms of reference were also released. 

China reinstates meat processor export approvals

The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) has welcomed the reinstatement of export approvals for the remaining two Australian processors that had been suspended from trade with China.

Casella Family to distribute Better Beer portfolio

Casella Family Brands (CFB) will be taking over distribution of the Better Beer Company’s brand portfolio in Australia, effective immediately. Better Beer's products have been produced at a CFB-owned brewery since launching in 2021.

Top Shelf International scouts for buyer

Australian alcohol company, ASX-listed Top Shelf International (TSI), has enlisted the M&A team from EY to sell some or all of the business. Its brands include Ned Whiskey, Grainshaker Vodka, and Act of Treason Australian Agave.

Packaging News

Sicut Enterprises and Close the Loop have received $5m and $2.4m in government grants respectively, to develop projects that will see 12,000 tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastics recycled into materials for local manufacturing.

Rosanne Jessop, MD of Pilz ANZ, is the new vice-chair of APPMA. With a career spanning 25-plus years in manufacturing, automation, and digitalisation, she brings a wealth of expertise to the role.

In a collaborative effort, Kimberly-Clark Australia and Woolworths have successfully completed a packaging trial aimed at eliminating the use of secondary plastic packaging for Viva paper towels. The initiative, now set to become standard practice, is projected to save 15 tonnes of plastic annually.