New Zealand’s largest independent spirits company, Scapegrace Distilling Co., is taking over its Australian distribution from 1 August – employing a direct to market approach that aims to accelerate its growth in the country.

Despite established links between R&D, productivity, and economic growth, Australia’s investment in large business R&D has fallen 24 per cent to $2.9 billion – half that of peer countries, a report commissioned by the Business Council of Australia (BCA), Atlassian and Cochlear has found.

Reg Weine has resigned as CEO and managing director of infant formula company, Bubs Australia. He had been in the role since August 2023, having joined the board as a non-executive director in April that year. His replacement, Joe Coote, starts immediately.

Israeli biotech start-up, Novella Innovative Technology, has announced a long-term strategic partnership with Metaphor Foods, the innovation arm of ingredients and processing company, Hela APAC.

Asahi Beverages has partnered with OzHarvest and Rural Aid to help deliver support to the community, providing more than $1 million in funding over the next three years as part of its new Asahi Beverages Community Partners Program.

The global food industry is at a reckoning point – caught between the promise of high-tech solutions and a growing hunger for something far more fundamental: real food. The more advanced the science gets, the more consumers are left wondering: where did the food go? Fascin8Foods founder and CEO, Jenny Joseph, writes.

Global software company, Ideagen, has acquired two leading specialist software platforms, Authenticate and Safefood 360°, aiming to create an end-to-end ecosystem for compliance and transparency across the global food industry.

Two industry leaders have been celebrated at the 2025 Australian Wine Industry Awards, which presented the Maurice O’Shea Award to Andrew Caillard, and the McWilliam’s Wines Excellence in Action Award to Dylan Grigg.

With the excise on spirits due to rise at the beginning of August, in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the industry is calling for a freeze on the tax in line with the two-year freeze for beer, announced by the federal government in March.

Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has appointed Breakthru Beverage Group (BBG) as its exclusive distributor in California for the Treasury Americas and Treasury Collective US portfolios.

Hort Innovation's Factors Driving Horticulture Productivity report has revealed that high adoption of productivity enhancing innovation would benefit the Australian industry by about $1 billion annually in additional value added, reaching $22 billion in 2040.

Small business accelerator, Seedlab Australia, has released its 2025 Impact Report, revealing a collective $10 million in forecasted benefits for participating FMCG brands across Australia and New Zealand.

Irish functional beverage brand, VITHIT, arrived in Australia in 2018, with its all-natural, low sugar vitamin range of flavours. Now with new flavours and a local production team, Food & Drink Business spoke with VITHIT Australia director, Renwick Watts, about the functional beverage market and plans for the future.

The South Australian government has announced the Global Wine Growth Program, which will invest $3.9 million over the next two years to increase support for the state’s wine export industry.

From September 2025, New South Wales will transition to an in-arrears invoicing model for its Return & Earn container deposit scheme, aligning with practices in most other Australian states.

The Australian National University Agrifood Innovation Institute and Cellular Agriculture Australia have released the full program and line-up of speakers for the upcoming Made & Grown: The Future of Food event, taking place in Canberra on 21 August.