Ecofibre Limited, owner of hemp food and animal products business Ananda Food, has advised it will sell the business to Elixinol Wellness, which halted trading today (12 February), announcing a capital raise of $3.16 million to fund the acquisition.

Independent hard seltzer brand Hard FIZZ has signed a ranging deal with BWS which will initially see its Raspberry Extra Strength RTD and variety packs stocked in 1400 outlets nationwide.

It has been more than 10 years since the Polly Waffle was part of the confectionery aisle, but from April, it will be back. The format has slightly changed – bite sized pieces rather than a bar – but the crunchy marshmallow favourite lives once more.

Suppliers and consumers are being squeezed to breaking point and a signifiant part of the cost-of-living crisis has been caused by companies taking advantage of their market power and gaps in government policy, Allan Fels said on the release of the report into his five-month inquiry into price gouging and unfair pricing.

In its latest outlook, IWSR assesses the Australian wine landscape and the impact of China’s import tariffs. While many producers are hoping to soon re-enter China, they are also targeting a more diverse range of countries – and have international plans to combat widespread declines in wine consumption.

Bridge Road Brewers has harnessed the power of connected experiences, partnering with consumer engagement platform Cellr to achieve a Top 5 ranking in the GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beer Poll.

FSANZ has released a new food recall reporting form. It has simplified the process and made it more efficient for businesses to recall unsafe food products with easy to use, standardised data fields.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the first jar of Nutella created in Italy. To mark the occasion, Italy’s ambassador to Australia and the Italian consul general visited Ferrero’s Lithgow factory, which has been producing Nutella for more than 45 years.

PepsiCo ANZ CEO, Kyle Faulconer, will also be responsible for the company’s IndoChina Foods business, the company announced today. Two new general manager roles have been created to support the change.

The Foodservice Suppliers Association Australia has engaged in a strategic partnership with the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation in order to “transform” the industry's approach to packaging and waste management.

A 100ML mega dam and an 80kw solar roof system are among 100 projects supported by Coles’ new Dairy Farm Sustainability Accelerator Fund, which will share $1.45 million in grants towards sustainable farming projects.

The LittleOak Company, which produces certified palm oil free baby formulas and toddler drinks, has commenced operations in the US with its New Zealand-made milks now being packaged in California.

Innovative food company, Nutri V, has launched a range of 100 per cent vegetable powders made from repurposed imperfect broccoli, cauliflower, and pumpkin. The shelf-stable products can be added into meals, are an effective way of increasing vegetable intake, and divert perfectly good food from going to waste.

Halo Food Co has gone into liquidation five months after it entered voluntary administration. It was the owner of The Healthy Mummy, Tonik functional beverages and bars, milk powder manufacturer Key Dairy, and confectionery brand Gran’s.

Federal industry minister Ed Husic says a new grants program for not-for-profit industry bodies will enable them to provide expert, sector-specific advice to participating start-ups and scale-ups.

Elixinol Wellness says the latest lab tests on its hemp extract, published in the Journal of Toxicology, showed “positive safety results”, with further tests needed to confirm its safety for humans.