ConTech2025 – the Ai Group confectionery sector’s premier annual event for the Australasian confectionery industry – will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 6 May. ConTech is curated for a broad range of confectionery and wider food industry professionals.

The Australian Food Pact has received the Business Services and Solutions Award at the 36th Banksia Foundation National Sustainability Awards for its achievements in reducing food waste across the supply chain. Food and beverage manufacturers were well represented this year including Hive finalist Gina’s Table, JBS, and Too Good To Go.

The Australian wine industry has continued to grow and perform highly in both domestic and international markets, with the latest report from Wine Australia noting the 34 per cent surge in value and 7 per cent surge in volume for Australian wine exports. Food & Drink Business magazine spoke with Château Tanunda managing director, Michelle Geber, about current industry trends and opportunities.

The global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF), has teamed up with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, launching a three-year, $800,000 project to revive the Great Barrier Reef’s seagrass meadows.

Australian tech startup, Fair Supply, has developed a world-first supply chain tariff calculator, which the company says is set to transform how businesses understand and respond to the economic fallout of global tariffs.

Australia’s supermarket and grocery sector generated over $139 billion in revenue in 2023, dominated by Woolworths Group and Coles Group. But industry expert, Chelsea Ford, says emerging brands are being forced to shut up shop due to a lack of funding, making it nearly impossible to compete with the growing dominance of private-label products.

With only 6.5 per cent of Australians eating their recommended daily serve of veggies, it’s fair to say that many consumers see fresh produce more as a chore – a bland, healthy box to tick – than something to enjoy. But Perfection Fresh says it is on a mission to change the game, turning vegetables into vibrant flavour sensations and making fresh food the most exciting thing on people’s plate.

The University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) is undertaking testing of an Australian-developed plant monitoring system in space, demonstrating a key technology capability for sustainable plant-based food production on Earth and amongst the stars.

The iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) has launched a $2 million second round of funding through its Impact Extension Program (IEP) to accelerate transport innovation in Australia.

Despite decades of efforts ranging from diets and exercise to more comprehensive lifestyle changes, obesity remains a pressing public health issue. Mintel food science senior analyst, Yunn Lim, discusses how food and beverage companies can rethink their approach to nutrition in the “Ozempic era”.

The ACCC will not oppose Woolworths’ acquisition of ready meal company, Beak & Johnston (B&J). The commission found the deal would not disadvantage rival ready meal producers as there were other retailers and channels they could access.

Northern Beaches-based brewery, Freshwater Brewing Co., says it’s using its equity crowdfunding campaign on Birchal to sound the alarm on hardship in the industry.

The Melbourne Royal Australian Distilled Spirits Awards (ASDA), which celebrated its 10th year in 2024, has rebranded as the International Spirits Awards, and opened up entries to international distilleries for the first time in 2025. Entries are now open, and close on 16 May.

Junee’s Licorice and Chocolate Factory, located in the Riverina region of New South Wales, has undergone a $560,000 renovation of its historic facility to extend its chocolate production facility and make accessibility improvements, funded by the New South Wales government.

Australian FoodTech company, Nourish Ingredients, and its partner, Chinese company Cabio Biotech, have successfully completed a commercial production run of the plant-based fat, Tastilux, saying they are the first fat company to achieve commercial-scale validation with a low cost of production.

In an exclusive with our stablemate, PKN Packaging News, Australian-based Zipform Packaging revealed its groundbreaking development – a paper bottle made from over 95 per cent wood-based fibre, containing no plastic liner, and incorporating more than 50 per cent post-consumer recycled content.