Food & Beverage

•    Morning Glory Farms, a spaghetti squash grower in Australia, will work with DiMuto to digitalize its squash and conduct marketing campaigns to end consumers •    The Morning Glory Farms brand of spaghetti squash is sold at major local retailers in Western Australia, including Coles and IGA •    The SMART marketing services powered by unique DiMuto QR codes is a cost-effective solution to reach out to end consumers and communicate brand stories of farmers and growers •    The deal underscores the 360 approach to solving global agri-food supply chain challenges that DiMuto trade platform brings beyond just supply chain traceability Singapore, 24 February 2020 – DiMuto, a tech-based trade solutions platform that provides end-to-end supply chain visibility for global businesses, has secured a deal with Western Australia produce grower Morning Glory Farms. DiMuto will be digitalizing Morning Glory Farms’ spaghetti squash to track and trace them throughout the supply chain, as well ...

Citrus Australia says major retailers must lift prices to juice growers, who are facing a decline in production due to seasonal conditions. Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock says prices paid for fresh juice by supermarkets to juice companies does not reflect the seasonal environmental impacts of frost and drought on the 2019/20 Valencia crop. “This limits the amount of money that juice processors can pay growers, which will exacerbate the long-term decline in juice variety production,” Mr Hancock said. “The juice growing industry is under immense pressure and Australian consumers may not have access to fresh Australian orange juice in as little as five years. “Such a situation would be devastating for Australian consumers. “We implore our major retailers to recognise the impact seasonal conditions are having on our growers and to lift their prices accordingly. ” Mr Hancock said estimates forecast a shortage of juicing oranges in the coming months. Crop production is estimated ...

It’s estimated that each year, about 4.1 million people in Australia get sick from food they’ve eaten (‘foodborne illness’), 32,000 people are hospitalised and 120 people die. Australia is known to have a strong reputation for producing high quality and safe food, therefore it is critically important to uphold this reputation by maintaining and implementing food safety standards. Recently the Ministers responsible for food regulation agreed that their top priority is to reduce foodborne illness, particularly illnesses related to the bacteria Salmonella and Campylobacter. In addition to foodborne illness, food recalls are another major concern when it comes to food safety. The most common causes of food recalls are undeclared allergens and biological contamination. In the last 10 years there have been a total of 707 food recalls coordinated by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Avoiding food recalls is in the best interest of all food manufacturers, given Australia is rec...

Alto-Shaam, a global leader and innovator in the foodservice equipment industry, has appointed Tracy Bennett as regional sales manager for Australia and New Zealand. In this new role, Tracy is tasked with leading and executing Alto-Shaam’s sales growth strategies across Australia and New Zealand including strategic account management and developing new sales opportunities. She will also be responsible for establishing and building long-term working relationships with key target segments including channel partners, chains, key accounts and end users. Tracy will report directly to Paul Harper, Alto-Shaam Vice President of Asia-Pacific. “Tracy joins us with extensive experience in the foodservice industry”, Paul said. “I look forward to working closely with her to grow our business and achieve our objectives across the region. ” Prior to joining Alto-Shaam, Tracy worked in Australia as national sales manager for a global food equipment manufacturer, where she demonstrated her ability ...

Pioneering beverage brand, MOJO Kombucha, has announced the launch of its new ‘Activated’ range, which includes a new and exciting raspberry flavour. The launch, which coincides with the brand’s tenth year, will also see a packaging refresh that highlights the product’s authenticity and brand philosophy. The new labels emphasise MOJO kombucha’s traditional brewing process, which uses live cultures and probiotics and real fruit such as blueberries, strawberries and passionfruit. The brand is seeking to challenge consumer perceptions and clear up confusion around kombucha products while also reinforcing key messaging around MOJO’s ‘always chilled, always living’ proposition. Anthony Crabb, CEO and founder of Organic & Raw Trading Co, the producers of MOJO Kombucha, said: “MOJO has always been about helping Australians understand gut health and our new packaging is an extension of the education work we’ve been doing since we first launched a decade ago. MOJO has always followed a...

New Zealand’s leading freeze-dried company, Fresh As, has launched in Australia and aims to revolutionise how consumers cook at home. Founded in 2003 by Tommy Roff, Fresh As first began with developing freeze-dried herbs. The driving force was due to being unable to provide French Tarragon to Chefs, all-year-round. With the specific herb being available only three months of the year, Tommy decided to invest in the freeze-drying method and technology, which now allows the herb to be readily available. Since its inception, the freeze-dried empire has expanded its range to include over 100 different products, including crunchy fruits, essential herbs, flavourful fruit powders and dessert solutions such as panna cotta in three different flavours. The gap in the Australian market for freeze-dried products was the catalyst for launching Fresh As locally, along with the help from New Zealand-born Chef Ben Shewry – who is the owner of award-winning restaurant, Attica in Melbourne. With B...

Culture House has launched its ‘Raspberry Berliner Weisse,’ brewed by Tribe Breweries, one of Australia’s largest independent craft brewers, at The Mornington Peninsula Brewery in Victoria. “We have harnessed the much-loved characteristics of Berliner Weisse and used our carefully curated house culture to bring the yeast to the fore, giving it a deliciously moorish taste that puts a modern Australian twist on a German classic,” said Kristian Martin, head brewer. Culture House is a new Australian label putting a fresh spin on some of the old world’s most intriguing beer styles. “While many celebrated beers owe their predominate flavours to malt or hops, Culture House beers feature a distinctive fermentation-driven style that is approachable and refreshing and set to appeal to beer lovers old and new,” said Kristian. Culture House Raspberry Berliner Weisse is made with a combination of premium malts and Australian raspberries to produce a deliciously delicate beer that is bursti...