Bubs Australia chair, Katrina Rathie, has resigned after four years on the board and two years as chair. She joined the company during a period of significant change, including the ousting of founder, Kristy Carr, and executive chair, Dennis Linn.

Synlait Milk has sold its North Island assets to its customer and global healthcare company, Abbott, for $270 million (NZD$307 million). CEO Richard Wyeth said the deal will allow Synlait to focus on core business at its Dunsandel facility in Canterbury.

Drinks and hospitality business, Endeavour Group, has celebrated its supplier community at the 2025 Supplier of the Year Awards, spotlighting partners who helped steer the drinks and hospitality sector through a fast-changing year.

Turbine Sunshine Coast has partnered with McNab to undertake construction and delivery of Australia’s first purpose-built collaborative food and beverage manufacturing precinct, located in the Sunshine Coast Industrial Park.

The producer of Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod, Murray Cod Australia, says it has received firm commitments from domestic and offshore investors to raise $17 million, with proceeds used to expand production capacity and develop in-house sales and marketing capabilities.

Steets ice cream brand manufacturer, The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC), says its $30 million investment in the Minto facility in southwest Sydney brings more automation and advanced manufacturing technology to the business. The Minto factory makes nearly three million ice cream servings a day.

Australia and India have signed a mutual recognition arrangement on organics equivalence, opening up opportunities for Australian organic producers to market their products in one of the largest economies in the world.

The Queensland University of Technology has completed an $18 million upgrade of its Mackay-based QUT Pioneer BioPilot, formerly known as the Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant, transforming it into a leading fermentation facility.

The latest research from national industry body for vegetable producers, AUSVEG, has unveiled the scope of the $213 million annual compliance, regulatory and red tape burden affecting Australian vegetable growers, as forty per cent actively consider leaving the industry within the next year.

Close to 3500 medals were awarded across established and emerging categories at this year’s International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC). Four Pillars was the only Australian producer to be awarded a trophy, with gin still leading the spirits market.

Fonterra Co-operative Group has reported strong FY25 results, underpinned by higher revenue, record farmer payments and progress on its strategy to focus on Ingredients and Foodservice.

Mintel Most Innovative, created to celebrate the best in consumer packaged goods (CPG) innovation, is back for its second year. The global recognition project aims to spotlight brands that are redefining categories, setting new standards, and inspiring the industry to think bigger and bolder.

Australian biotech company, Nourish Ingredients, is bringing its specialty fats and precision fermentation technology into the European food manufacturing ecosystem, with the establishment of a global commercial hub in Leiden, the Netherlands.

Australia’s first-to-market, Indigenous-owned, non-alcoholic craft beer company, Sobah Beverages, has entered voluntary administration. Worrells has been appointed administrator. Founded in 2017 by Dr Clinton Schultz and Lozen McDiarmid, Sobah opened its own brewery on Queensland’s Gold Coast in 2023.

Australian Distilling Ltd has appointed RSM Australia as voluntary administrators. The company’s brands are Old Young’s, Juniper Society, and Gingin Gin and is based in the Swan Valley region of Perth, Western Australia. It was established in 2014.

Welcome to the latest issue of Food & Drink Business. As the end of the year approaches at a rate of knots, this edition reveals the sector is showing no signs of slowing down. From large-scale builds to rethinking rum and non-alc beverages, this edition scales all aspects of the sector. Our processing and packaging tech feature looks at the latest equipment and its application, while our cover story with Neogen offers a rethink on how businesses approach food safety (hint: it's not a cost centre).