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Sixteen months after receivers were appointed over its holding company, the structural obstacle to selling Western Australia’s largest milk processor has been removed. McGrathNicol has launched the formal sale process for Brownes Dairy, with China Mengniu Dairy Company consolidating its holding position so the entire enterprise can be put to market rather than a shareholding above it. Read more
Welcome to the July edition of PLAY, your monthly wrap-up of the biggest stories shaping Australia's food and beverage manufacturing industry. This month we're looking at court action, a major take-private deal, alleged tomato provenance fraud, new leadership and investment in manufacturing capability. Let's get into it.
With foodpro just weeks away and the Hive Awards winners recently crowned, the latest issue of Food & Drink Business is a reminder that an industry grows stronger when it gets in a room together. Our foodpro preview, Hive Awards review, and wrap of ConTech’s 30th conference are testimony to that. There are profiles of foodpro exhibitors, a spirited Rising Star, industry news and so much more.
Our Top 100 2025 edition of Food & Drink Business magazine is more than the annual flagship Top 100 Report. Industry leaders reflect on the year past and the one ahead, we provide our annual news review, M&A wrap-up, and all the executive moves, and a Roman-inspired sports drink, Posca, is our final Rising Star for 2025.
Food & Drink Business and IBISWorld present this year’s Top 100 companies, a ranking of Australia’s largest food and drink companies by revenue. This year reflects a sector positioning itself for immediate term viability and long-term competitiveness.
Woolworths Group reported Australian Food sales of $53.85 billion for F26, up 4.6 per cent, with segment EBIT of $2,953 million up 8.5 per cent on the prior year. Group sales reached $71.5 billion, up 3.6 per cent, with group EBIT before significant items of $3,105 million, up 12.7 per cent. Net profit after significant items was $1,138 million, up 18.1 per cent.
Dr Mark Krstic, MD of the Australian Wine Research Institute, will be stepping down from his position at the end of 2026, following seven years of leadership and a total of 15 years of service to the Institute.
Asahi Beverages has switched to recycled material for all of its plastic soft drink bottles in a major sustainability milestone for the company.
Australia’s ‘cheese-centric’ dairy industry is looking to higher-value uses of milk protein – such as nutritional supplements – as national milk production remains low, according to Rabobank.
Tucking into a hamburger without harming animals is closer to reality after University of Queensland (UQ) researchers found a way to cut costs in cultivated meat production.
Coles Group has reported FY26 group sales revenue of $45.58 billion, up 2.8 per cent, with EBIT excluding significant items up 9.9 per cent to $2.32 billion and NPAT excluding significant items up 13.7per cent to $1.26 billion.
Inghams has returned to volume growth with reduced dependence on Woolworths but net profit fell 61.5 per cent to $34.6 million as input cost inflation, first half production inefficiencies and a tax provision weighed on FY26 earnings.
Endeavour Group’s decision to reset shelf prices at Dan Murphy’s has restored sales momentum but taken a heavy toll on earnings, with annual profit down 87.8 per cent to $52 million for FY26 after $372 million in pre-tax significant items covering restructuring, asset writedowns and the exit from its winery portfolio.
IVE is continuing to shift its business towards higher-value services and applications, with packaging among the areas offering opportunities as traditional print face ongoing structural pressure.
Zipform Packaging CEO John Bigley will retire in October, bringing to a close a long career spanning metal and fibre packaging, industry leadership and manufacturing innovation.
Close the Loop’s packaging division has delivered double-digit revenue growth and a 48% increase in EBITDA, emerging as the strongest performer in a year marked by extensive restructuring.
