Plant-based food and beverage brand, Vitasoy, has partnered with not-for-profit water advocacy group, the Mulloon Institute, to conduct one of the country’s largest ever restoration projects.

Australian-founded global investment and advisory firm, Pollination, is working with some of the world’s largest food companies to develop and finance scalable solutions that will help decarbonise supply chains and accelerate the transition to more sustainable food systems. Food & Drink Business editor, Kim Berry, speaks to Pollination managing director APAC Team, Hamish Reid.

Woolworths Group’s 1Q25 sales saw a 17 per cent boost for W Living with the Petstock acquisition making itself known. The Australian Food business was up 3.8 per cent to $13.6 billion but new CEO, Amanda Bardwell, tempered expectations, saying the group expects Australian Food earnings for 1H25 to be below its forecast.

Coles Group recorded $10.5 billion in total group sales for 1Q25, with supermarkets up 3.5 per cent to $9.5 billion while liquor stayed flat at $851 million. Coles Group CEO, Leah Weckert, said the focus was on creating value for customers and investing in the company’s future through automation.

National Reconstruction Fund Corporation’s chief investment officer, Dr Mary Manning, says the first investments from the $15 billion fund will be announced “within weeks”. Manning made the announcement at the InnovationAus Awards on Wednesday.

The latest quarterly Consumer Price Index data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has shown that although overall headline inflation eased in the latest quarter, the annual rate of food price inflation held fast at 3.3 per cent.

Researchers at UNSW Computer Science and Engineering have developed a smartphone sensor that can detect if milk is fresh or spoiled without opening the package, to help in cutting down the amount of wasted milk.

Tasmanian sparkling wine producer, House of Arras, has received the Chairman’s Trophy at the 11th annual Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships, with the first Australian sparkling to do so.

Victoria’s pulse production is getting a boost, with over $13 million invested into new plant protein research from the Victorian government and Grains Research and Development Corporation.

Better-for-you company, Soulfresh, has acquired beverage business Emma & Tom’s to expand its beverage portfolio, particularly in the juice sector. Soulfresh founder, Didi Lo, says the companies are a “natural fit”. 

Mars Inc. says the new solar thermal plant at its Mars Petcare facility in Wodonga, Victoria will be the first commercial installation of parabolic trough CST technology in Australia, making the plant a leader in green process heat manufacturing.

ASX listed health and wellness company, Jatcorp, reported a 25 per cent jump in ongoing operations revenue for Q1 FY25, but also logged a statutory revenue decline of 42 per cent as the business completed a strategic pivot.

With alternative proteins on the rise, researchers in Japan have found a way to use photosynthetic microorganisms to produce cultured meat in a more sustainable way.

The results of the 2024 Australian International Olive Awards have been announced, with Australian olive producers dominating the winners list after another challenging year for the industry.

Good Drinks Australia (GDA) says it will seek approval at its upcoming annual general meeting to delist from the ASX. The GDA board says the company is “significantly” undervalued by the market when compared to typical industry metrics including sales volume, revenue, market share, and brand positioning.

After years working as a contract manufacturer, Anastasia Karpoukhina launched her own sweet snack brand in 2023 – Crumble Charms. Since then, the brand has secured national distribution with health and wellness company, Bioliving.