The news you need to know: April 2026

Welcome to PLAY Food & Drink Business news review for April. It was a big month – a global deal that reshapes the flavour industry, a significant structural shift at Australia’s national science body, and some frustrating news for the food relief sector. Let’s get into it.

Packaging News

Pact Group and Aldi are scaling up recycled packaging in Australia, with more than 19 million laundry and cleaning bottles annually to contain up to 50% Australian recycled plastic.

Allied Pinnacle has invested $10m across its Sydney manufacturing operations to increase capacity, improve production speed, and deploy automation – creating a more efficient manufacturing base.

Visy has invested $30 million in a new 2.8-metre-wide corrugator at its Smithfield board factory in Western Sydney, increasing board output by 33 per cent.