Projects to improve food supply chain traceability can apply for Department of Agriculture grants, the federal government has announced. It has allocated $4 million to the Traceability Grants Program.

Food & Drink Business has gathered the industry news you might've missed over the summer break into bitesize form, including the latest from a2 Milk, Coca-Cola Amatil, Fonterra & more.

At the end of 2019, the inaugural six food-based start-ups chosen to be a part of Mars Food Australia's Seeds of Change Accelerator program "graduated".

Woolworths Group will expand its Endeavour Drinks ventures in the lead up to its slated demerger, acquiring a “majority interest” in B2B drink specialist Shorty’s Liquor.

Monash University researchers have received a $100,000 Federal Government grant to explore the legal basis for protecting geographical indications (GI) for wines in trade agreements, as Australia’s Prosecco production is put under the spotlight.

Newly Weds Foods has acquired Top Taste from George Weston Foods for an undisclosed sum. The Top Taste factory in Kedron, Qld will be closed in the first half of 2020, with the operation moving to Newly Weds facility in Sydney.

A mandatory code of conduct for the Australian dairy industry will be introduced in 2020 to address systemic problems in the industry, the ACCC has announced.

By 2025, Lion will use 100 per cent renewable energy to brew all its beers. The statement comes after the company announced last month it would become the country’s first major carbon neutral brewer in 2020.

Coca-Cola Amatil's corporate venture arm, Amatil X, has launched a multi-million dollar fund targeting early stage start-ups with Artesian Venture Partners (13 December). Its first investment is an AI start-up from New Zealand.

More than 1000 pubs and hotels in Victoria could save up to $40,000 on electricity bills as a result of a deal by the Australian Hotels Association (Victoria) and Carlton & United Breweries with energy retailer Flow Power.

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has expressed concerns about Asahi Group Holding’s proposed $16 billion acquisition of Carlton & United Breweries from AB InBev.

Services company Sodexo has pledged to purchase 50 tonnes of food from B2B marketplace Yume over the next six months to help prevent food waste.

Goat milk formula manufacturer Nuchev has listed on the ASX as a publicly traded company. Shares were issued at $2.60, which jumped to $3.40 but ultimately closed at $3.20, 23 per cent above the issue price.

Nestlé's “more inclusive and enhanced” parental leave policy will give primary caregivers fully paid leave for 18 weeks and for secondary caregivers, an established new minimum of four weeks.

Animal-free ingredient company Motif FoodWorks is partnering with the University of Queensland (UQ) to test, modify and develop formulations which can improve the texture of plant-based meat products.

Current definitions on foods derived from new breeding techniques (NBTs) lack clarity and are no longer fit for purpose, a Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) report said.