Mars Wrigley Australia has appointed Chris Georgiou as its supply chain director. The company said Georgiou will drive the company’s supply chain transformation.

Mushrooms, alternative alcohol, digital health and merchandise are four of the fastest-growing sectors for start-ups and small businesses in 2021, according to global creative platform 99designs by Vistaprint.

The federal government’s $1.5 billion investment in the Modern Manufacturing Strategy will see a significant increase in locally made components and machinery, SAI Global forecasts.

Mixer beverage brand Fever-Tree has recorded an 88 per cent growth in the Australian market in 2020 as the trend for premium spirits and mixed drinks increased. Fever-Tree general manager ANZ Andy Gaunt said the growth experienced during COVID-19 lockdowns has continued.

SPC has launched its ready meal business The Good Meal Company in Tasmania. SPC bought the company when it acquired its parent outfit Kuisine Co in October 2020.

Greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, 100 per cent renewable energy and zero GHG emissions by 2050 headline Coles Group’s latest sustainability strategy ‘Together to Zero’. Its ultimate goal is zero emissions, waste and hunger.

Global leader in food technology investment Big Idea Ventures is accepting applications from start-ups for its fourth accelerator cohort.

Construction of a new production facility to supply carbon dioxide (CO2) to industry will begin this year, industrial gas company Air Liquide announced.

Food and beverage supply chains have had to rapidly adapt to the ongoing effects of COVID-19. How food and beverage businesses respond to these changes will be the critical indicator of success during times of uncertainty.

Australia’s first prototype of a soft plastic food wrapper made with recycled materials has been created for Nestlé KitKat bars by a coalition of companies.

Accolade wines has acquired Rolf Binder Wines as it shores up its Barossa and South Australian wine region portfolio. It follows the purchase of Katnook Estate in May 2020.

Fonterra Co-operative Group’s 1H FY21 results show a positive first half, with CEO Miles Hurrell saying the company was pleased with its Reported Profit After Tax of NZ$391 million.

Asahi Beverages will buy malting barley direct from Australian barley growers in a major change to its supply chain operations, it says. The company buys more than 70,000 tonnes of barley a year.

The Fight Food Waste CRC has appointed Francesca Goodman-Smith to Transform program leader to drive growth in transforming food waste into higher value products.

With the sale of plant-based proteins increasing by 46 per cent in FY20, the economic opportunities of the plant-based market remain largely untapped, the latest report from alternative protein think tank Food Frontier says.

The federal government will extend the International Freight Assistance Mechanism and the SME Loan Guarantee Scheme as part of a new $1.2 billion support package.