A compounding set of supply chain disruptions is expected to materially impact The a2 Milk Company’s China label infant formula availability through April and May, with the company warning its FY26 earnings guidance will fall short.

Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has renewed its consultancy agreements with Frank Family Vineyards founders, Leslie and Rich Frank, for a further 12 months, on identical terms to the agreements that expired in December 2025.

Entries are now open for the 2026 Melbourne Royal Australian International Spirits Awards (AISA), formally open to international spirits producers for the first time.

Last month, co-founders of Freshwater Bev Tech and beverage brands, Mrs Toddy’s Tonic, and SUMMi sodas, Sophie and Paul Todd, recently returned from Future Food-Tech 2026 in San Francisco. They wrote this report on the experience for Food & Drink Business.  

Queensland-based non-alcoholic spirits producer, Barnes and Brown Distilling Co., has launched into the Southeast Asian market through an exclusive partnership with Zero Proof Collective, a new alcohol-free distribution and brand building company in Singapore.

Monash Food Innovation (MFI) has partnered with global product intelligence platform Vypr to give students, researchers and industry partners access to real-time consumer insights as part of the product development process.

From regional manufacturers to global powerhouses, the finalists in The Hive Awards 2026 have it covered. Congratulations to the 45 people and companies that made the cut, in a highly competitive field of entries. Winners will be announced at the annual Hive Awards Long Lunch, in Sydney, on 21 May.

Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic) has recycled more than 3 billion cans and bottles since it launched, returning over $300 million directly to Victorians.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has installed a new Return and Earn reverse vending machine (RVM) at its Northmead production facility in Western Sydney, expanding access to container recycling and reinforcing its extended producer responsibility (EPR) commitments.

Fonterra Co-operative Group has appointed Richard Allen as its next CEO, succeeding Miles Hurrell, as the dairy major moves into the next phase of its strategic reset.

Better-for-you soft drink brand, bobby, has completed a crowd-sourced funding (CSF) campaign of more than $546,000 through OnMarket, supported by over 350 investors.

Welcome to the latest issue of Food & Drink Business, the first quarterly issue for 2026. We have an extensive look at the trends in driving consumer behaviour and the opportunities they create for manufacturers. Our cover story is on the partnership between Process Partners and Bulla to deliver a world-class ice cream plant. And there is so much more.

Almond processor Select Harvests has announced the resignation of CEO and managing director, David Surveyor, marking the end of a three-year tenure that saw the business return to profitability.

Australia has long been a major exporter of fresh produce, with its agricultural sector playing an important role in supplying global food markets. Lineage director business development, Christian Rossow, looks at why the infrastructure connecting producers to ports and global supply chains is just as vital as product quality.

Automated intralogistics solutions company, Swisslog, is strengthening the resources available to its Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) customers through a new structure for the Asia Pacific excluding China (APeC) region.

The University of Queensland (UQ) has opened a purpose-built food innovation facility aimed at accelerating product development and strengthening collaboration between industry and researchers.