American berry giant Driscoll’s has taken a small stake in Australia’s fresh food company Costa Group. The two have joint ventures in Australia and China, with Driscoll now acquiring around five per cent of the company.

Treasury Wine Estates has pinned the underperformance in its US sector as a contributing reason to revise its profit forecasts for FY20, despite reporting growth in its Asia, ANZ and EMEA regions.

Kate Whitney has joined meal kit subscription company Marley Spoon as its new chief marketing and growth officer for Australia.

Research from the US has found a composite film could help reduce the amount of foodborne illness outbreaks. The film combines an antimicrobial layer to a clear, polyethylene plastic, commonly used to vacuum-package meat and fish.

The Australian food and beverage manufacturing industry is strong, but 2020 will offer challenges including ever-growing scrutiny from consumers. Australian Food and Grocery Council CEO Tanya Barden writes.

Karen Lebsanft started manufacturing lavosh flatbread more than 25 years ago. There have been highs and lows, but at the end of 2019 she was awarded a Gold Stevie Award to recognise her longevity in the industry. Kim Berry writes.

What better way to whet your appetite for the year ahead that an informative, interesting and insightful read of the latest - and first for 2020 - edition of Food & Drink Business.

In a surprise announcement, German supermarket giant Kaufland is exiting the Australian market. The decision leaves 200 people unemployed and myriad shocked contractors and third parties.

Corporate Knights’ Global 100 ranking of the most sustainable corporations has been released this week, with only three food and beverage producers making the list.

Keytone Dairy will launch its first range of frozen purees under its recently acquired Super Cubes brand, with minimum sales expected to be around $2.5 million in the first 12 months.

CUB’s Cascade Brewery has produced 360,000 cans of free drinking water to date, for distribution to communities around Australia whose water supplies are affected by natural disasters.

An algae bioreactor could make brewing a more carbon neutral process, with Sydney-based brewery Young Henrys teaming up with the University of Technology Sydney Climate Change Cluster (C3) to install a tank at its site.

Nestlé will invest around AU$3 billion to shift from virgin plastic to food-grade recycled plastics and establish a $377 million sustainable packaging venture fund to invest in start-up companies that focus on packaging innovation.

The introduction of a $1.30 minimum unit price per standard drink across Australia could reduce alcohol consumption by 1.5 standard drinks per week, according to a La Trobe University study.

Sorting and resource optimisation company TOMRA has announced its new executive vice president and head of TOMRA Food, Michel Picandet. He will be responsible for TOMRA Food, Copmac and BBC Technologies.

Microsoft’s accelerator program for start-ups - The AI Factory - has launched a class for agrifood start-ups in collaboration with Danone. Applicants need to have developed and marketed an AI-based solution for the food industry.