Villa Maria parent company, Indevin Group, has appointed Simon Limmer as CEO. Limmer, currently Silver Fern Farms CEO, will replace Indevin founder and CEO Duncan McFarlane who is retiring.

Wine Australia has detailed the steps that need to be taken by the wine and grape sector to reduce carbon missions by more than 40 per cent before 2030. Its Emissions Reduction Roadmap was developed with sustainability advisory group, Edge Impact.

After a stint in the US in 2021, Blume Prebiotic Tonic founder Rachel Castelino headed to Australia, and quickly found herself missing the beverage options available overseas. Pippa Haupt spoke to Castelino about filling a fun and healthy beverage gap in the market.

The New South Wales government says nearly $190 million of “secret” program cuts by the previous Coalition government before the March election have caused more than a dozen grant programs to have funding cut or cancelled altogether.

MEQ has partnered with Siemens to incorporate its technologies into Siemen’s automation and industrial computing platforms to create solutions for transparency, productivity and waste reduction in the red meat industry.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on a proposal to clarify and define added sugars for the purposes of making claims about food.

Nutritional Psychiatrist and senior teaching fellow at Bond University, Dr Megan Lee, looks at the rising cost of living, the price disparity between healthy foods and low-cost ultra-processed foods, and the importance of nutrition for mental health. She calls for government intervention through taxing ultra-processed foods while providing financial incentives to make healthy options more affordable.

The Tasmanian government’s Advanced Manufacturing Action Plan 2024 is now due for renewal, with an industry consultation survey opened for input to ensure it continues to meet the needs of Tasmanian industry for the next four years.

At the recent 2023 Refrigerated Warehouse and Transport Association of Australia (RWTA) Conference, Swisslog’s Sean Ledbury and Charles John presented on how to overcome challenges in the frozen food industry, and how to achieve energy savings and better ROI.

Melbourne contract packing operation, Alepat Taylor, has invested $25m in an expansion to its beverage packaging plant in Preston, with the installation of a new canning line, including a KHS Innofill Compact C filling system blocked with a Ferrum seamer.

Yaala Sparkling, a Queensland-based Indigenous-owned business received a $125,000 investment offer during its appearance on Shark Tank. Founded in 2023, it creates alcohol-free drinks made with native ingredients.

In its APAC Food and Drink Landscape 2023 report, Mintel's regional experts highlighted key consumer needs and opportunities for brands across three distinct areas post-Covid: Silver Economy, Staying Sharp and Unguilty Pleasures.

The Victorian government says 10 scholarships for First Nations women will help develop new skills for the native foods and botanical sector.

As Frucor Suntory and Beam Suntory head towards the realisation of its multi-beverage partnership, Suntory Oceania, Frucor Suntory has appointed Ian Roberts as its chief Supply Chain officer.

Ngeringa Vineyard has taken out top honours at the Australian Organic Wine Awards for the second time in three years. The awards, hosted by Australian Organic Limited (AOL), saw 45 certified organic and biodynamic wine producers from 32 regions submit wines.

After last year’s inaugural and sold out AltProteins conference, this year’s program features some of the foremost plant-based meat and cellular agriculture category leaders.