NEWS

Victorian Government looks to rail to move more freight

Port Melbourne is seen as an important hub for Victoria’s rail future.

APort Rail Shuttle Network will be key to the Victorian Government’s plans to deliver importers and exporters new efficiencies in their supply chains by moving more freight onto rail.

Rail has been underutilised in Melbourne for short-haul freight operations, with the entire metropolitan freight task currently undertaken by road transport.

Rail is also seen as critical to the Port of Melbourne’s future success as container throughput triples by 2050.

Eighty-seven per cent of import containers handled by the port travel to a destination less than 50 kilometres from the port.

The proposed Port Rail Shuttle

Network would establish terminals in the city’s west, north and potentially the south east, where import containers could be railed prior to delivery by road to their final destinations.

The proposed network promises an efficient and cost-effective alternative to road transport, as well as catering for export and empty containers and – potentially – interstate freight.

The Victorian Government has partnered with the private sector to develop the network. Operators of terminals located at Altona and Somerton have been selected to build the new rail sidings and connections needed for the efficient operation of the network.

Non-alcoholic wine market set to expand

Surpassing a valuation of more than $15 billion, the non-alcoholic wine market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 7 per cent during the forecast period. The beverage industry is undergoing a transformation with the rise of ‘healthier’ categories of non-alcoholic beverage variants such as non-alcoholic wine. Compared to traditional wine, low and nonalcoholic wine is soaring on popularity owing to the development of non-alcoholic wine, which caters to a large segment of the population. Consumption of nonalcoholic wine and other beverages is increasingly becoming one of the mainstream trends that is believed to be shaping the scale of the global beverage industry. The convergence of these patterns is underpinning the exponential growth for the non-alcoholic wine market over the forecast period.

Key features of the study include the following: • Europe leads the non-alcoholic wine market, holding shares more than 40 per cent in 2018. The wine markets in Europe are well established with Italy and France having the highest per capita consumption of over 35 litres per person per year. • Although volume and value growth are modest in Europe, North America is anticipated to be the most important non-alcoholic wine market in the world with a growth rate of over 8 per cent. • In 2018, the alcohol-free segment comprised more than 50 per cent of the total share of the industry. Increasing adoption of these products as a form of sports drink has enhanced industry growth, especially among athletes. • Supermarkets represented more than 20 per cent of the total beer market. With several innovative ways to boost consumer spending on non-alcoholic wines, supermarket chains are thriving on increasing sales. • The online stores segment is projected to grow at the highest growth rate of over 9 per cent between 2019 and 2027. Inclination under the category of non-alcoholic wine to e-commerce and e-tailing is bringing about shifts in customer buying experience.

How will the coronavirus affect agriculture in Australia

Rabobank’s Tim Hunt.

The coronavirus outbreak is already having a severe impact on China’s foodservice and ontrade channels and this could become “more serious and longer-lasting” if the virus is not contained over the next month, leading agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank has warned.

But the extent of the impact on Australia’s agricultural sector will be limited in the short-term and will depend on how quickly the virus is contained, the company explained.

In a just-released report by the bank’s China-based research team, Recent Coronavirus Impacts on Chinese F&A, Rabobank said “disruptions are being experienced across the entire F&A (food and agri) supply chain” with the virus – which has infected more than 75,000 plus people (as of Feb 21) – disrupting trade, production and supply chains. It will also have an impact on out-ofhome food consumption with the closure of many foodservice outlets in the country.

With the virus outbreak arriving at the peak of 2020 Chinese New Year activities, it has had a large impact on out-of-home dining in the country, the report indicated.

“Given what we have seen on the ground, along with news received from major chains – for example, the closure of stores by Starbucks, Haidilao, McDonald’s, and Yum China – potential revenue losses for both retail and foodservice for the Chinese New Year week could range from 20 per cent to 80 per cent”. A loss of between $46 billion to $185 billion across retail and foodservice is expected, it said.

While the report said a quick and effective containment of the virus could lead to a rapid bounce-back, the longer the virus is uncontained beyond March, the more extensive, sustained and structural the impact will be on the F&A chain.

For Australia Regardless of when coronavirus is contained, Australian-based head of Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research, Tim Hunt said it will “almost certainly” have a larger impact on food and beverage industries than the global SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic in 2003 – including in Australia.

Discussing the current and potential impacts of the virus on Australia and New Zealand’s food and agribusiness industries in a podcast, Coronavirus: How Worried Should We Be?, Hunt said coronavirus has already spread more widely than SARS but it is Australia’s “much larger exposure to China” that is the biggest difference between current events and SARS.

“If we go back to 2002 just before the SARS crisis, Australia sent eight per cent of its ag exports to China”, Hunt said. And this was largely in the form of fibre to be processed for export.

Fast forward to 2020, he said, and Australia sends around 28 per cent of its food and agricultural exports to China, much of which is consumed within China.

“Add to that, the stronger links that have been developed between Australia and China in terms of exports, tourism, education and investment, we have a very different environment in which we might see the potential impacts of coronavirus this time compared to SARS in 2003.”

There are likely to be both first- and second-round impacts of coronavirus on the Australian agricultural sector, Hunt said, with the first round already being felt by any food and agriculture business relying heavily on the food service channel in China, particularly perishable goods.

“For example, rock lobster shipments to China have all but ceased in the last couple of weeks,” he said, “while chilled meat shipments for foodservice are also a risk category given a lot of hot pot restaurants are closed at the moment.”

And while wine isn’t perishable, Hunt said sales are also likely to be low for those focused on the Chinese food service industry.

While Chinese consumption of meat, dairy and grains is unlikely to fall in the short-term, Hunt said if the virus continued for many months to come, second-round impacts –“likely to hit our F&A industries” – would come into play.

“Hopefully we won’t get to ‘round two’,” he said, “but if we do, incomes may fall in China and we may eventually see less growth in sales of premium food and beverages as that wealth effect starts to kick in.

“And this may start to go beyond just food service sales and logistical disruptions to potentially impacting consumption in general of meat, dairy, grains and seafood.”

Hunt said in the event coronavirus has second-round effects, the currency exchange rate would act as an “important stabiliser” for Australian agricultural exporters, with the Australian dollar likely to depreciate as the market responded to slowing economic growth and rising risk concerns.

And this, he said, would “somewhat offset” any fall in global commodity prices when expressed in local currency terms. Going forward, it will be important to monitor developments, including the return to work in China after the extended New Year holiday and how the Chinese government continues to manage the outbreak including restrictions on the food service sector.

“But the most important development will be when we see a slowdown in the rate of infection,” he said. “SARS took around three and a half months for the infection to start slowing but after that, it didn’t take long for infections to cap a few weeks later.

Hunt said it will also be critical to monitor the spread of the virus to other countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and other parts of South-east Asia, because if it spreads “we will start to see the same set of impacts in a second very large set of export markets for Australia”.

By commodity Rock lobster – likely to be the most exposed sector, with 95 per cent of sales going to China. While rock lobster sales from WA have ceased for now, fishermen can leave the lobsters in the ocean and catch their quota later if quota windows allow.

Read meat – short-term disruption is likely given logistical disruption and reduced eating out by Chinese consumers.

Grains – limited impacts are foreseen both initially and in the event of a second round phase.

Dairy – at this stage, limited first round impacts as most of what is shipped (i.e. powders and infant milk formulas) have a good shelf life and are consumed at home.

Sugar – little disruption is expected to impact sugar trade flows, processing and consumption.

Wine – on-premise consumption of wine in China in 2019 accounted for around one third of total wine sales. Sales into this channel are expected to fall in the short-term while restrictions on group dining remain in place. That said, volumes of wine sold via e-commerce are likely to rise.

Horticulture – fortunately the cherry industry had air freighted most of its crop to China before the virus hit, something that would have been highly problematic a month later. In the next two to three months the main threat to export fruit and vegetable crops will be logistical, with demand from Chinese consumers for quality imported fresh produce not expected to fall from current levels.

Danone launches data-driven service for consumers & retailers

Danone has announced the launch of its baby formula Track & Connect service – a digitally-enabled service giving consumers and retailers greater transparency on the product’s farmto-fork journey.

Furthermore, through Danone’s Track & Connect service, consumers and retailers will eventually be able to access new data-driven, personalised after-sales support and services for its baby formula brands like Aptamil, Karicare, Laboratoire Gallia and Nutrilon. Shoppers will be able to access this new service through their smart phones by scanning two QR codes on baby formula packs.

This dual-QR code packaging innovation will see one QR code laser printed on the outer pack as well as a second, inner QR code laser printed behind a tamper-resistant seal, which can only be scanned after purchase. The dual QR code system will let shoppers verify the quality and authenticity of the formula, while providing a new way for consumers to connect with the brand for after-sales support and services.

Once the service has been rolled out, shoppers will scan a QR code on a baby formula pack to access a brand page containing verified information such as where and when the formula was manufactured and the product’s journey through the supply chain. After purchasing and opening the sealed pack, shoppers will then be able to scan a second, inner QR code – triggering a one-time, initial message, verifying the product is authentic.

Danone aims to leverage this dual-QR code packaging innovation to introduce customised after-sales support and services that consumers value – such as health and nutrition apps and information, useful ‘how to’ parenting videos, and access to customer helplines or online e-commerce services. Shoppers would access such support and services after opening their baby formula pack and scanning the inner QR code.

The Track & Connect service will also allow Danone and its distributors and retailers to forecast consumer demands and preferences. This new service is powered by blockchain, serialisation and aggregation technology, which offer a secure method of storing data and information on the movement of the baby formula products through its supply chain. Danone has combined these technologies with its dual-QR code packaging innovation to offer its unique baby formula Track & Connect service. “We’re pleased to be rolling out our baby formula Track & Connect service to consumers and retailers in 2020,” said David Boulanger, senior vice president, operations, Danone Specialised Nutrition. “Thanks to

this innovation in packaging and data management, we’ll be able to offer one of the most comprehensive traceability services in the baby formula industry and connect more closely to our consumers and retailers to offer them after sales services they value.”

Danone is initially launching its baby formula Track & Connect service in China for its Aptamil and Nutrilon brands.

The company plans to roll out the service starting in 2020 in France for its Laboratoire Gallia brand, and in Germany, Australia and New Zealand for its Aptamil and Karicare brands.

Wholefoods online store packages its commitment to environment

An Australian online wholefood store is upping the ante on reducing its carbon footprint by moving to compostable packaging made from 100 per cent vegetable material.

Lismore-based Affordable Wholefoods sells bulk organic, non-organic and gluten-free wholefoods in resealable, reusable packaging but wanted to offer a more environmentally friendly option.

Mark Evans, owner of Affordable Wholefoods, said customers are happy with the current option. “But we wanted to give them a choice. More people are looking for ways to reduce waste. That is why we are seeing people move towards reusable and compostable packaging,” he said.

“Since we opened in 2008, we have been searching for a more eco-friendly packaging option but nothing we tested made the grade. Our packaging needs to keep the products fresh from the time of packaging to delivery. With many of our customers in rural and remote areas, that’s important.”

Evans and his team’s search led them to NatureFlex, which is based on cellulose. It is a naturally abundant organic material that is derived from renewable resources, such as wood pulp from managed plantations.

“We heard great things about its ability to keep items fresh, which was exactly what we were looking for. Being 100 per cent home compostable, now that was speaking our language,” Evans said.

Affordable Wholefoods did not rush the packaging to market. “We tested it over and over, sending parcels to ourselves and back again to see how well the food travelled,” Evans said. “The results were spectacular. Every single time, the wholefoods arrived fresh.

“This is another way we commit to sustainability. Whether our customers use our soft zip lock bags that can be reused repeatedly for food storage, or the new NatureFlex bags, which can be disposed of in worm farms, green recycling bins or home composting systems. It’s another step towards reducing plastic, which is important for the environment.”

Coles partners with kitchen garden foundation A new three-year partnership between Coles and the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation will give thousands of children across Australia access to a food education program that helps them develop a healthy relationship with food, selfconfidence and life skills.

More than 2,000 schools and early learning centres around Australia currently participate in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program, reaching around 250,000 children and their families each year.

The education-based food program founded by renowned Australian chef Stephanie Alexander, aims to make healthy eating second nature for children by making it fun for them to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh, seasonal and delicious food.

In addition to the ongoing financial support Coles is providing to the Foundation to help spread the word about healthy eating, Coles is celebrating the new partnership by donating 10 cents from the sale of a selection of Coles salads until 24 March.

Customers can help support the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program by purchasing selected Coles Australian Large Bagged Salads, priced at $5 each for 280-300g, including spinach, baby leaf blend, and spinach and kale.

With the support of Coles, the Foundation hopes to reach thousands more Australian families while allowing schools and centres already running the program to continue their work.

Coles chief marketing officer Lisa Ronson said the partnership was mainly founded on a mutual desire to help Australian families lead healthier and therefore much happier lives. “The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program teaches children to prepare, enjoy and love fresh healthy food, which is something we too are passionate about at Coles. We want to inspire our customers and bring them on the fabulous food journey by helping expand the program and ensure it reaches more families across Australia,” she said. Alexander said she is delighted that the partnership will help spread

Coles is providing financial support for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation.

the word to more families that choosing and eating good fresh food is both a healthy decision and a fun decision for the whole family.

“We are delighted that this partnership allows us to bring our fresh food philosophy beyond the school gate and further reach and engage families and communities; together with Coles we want to encourage Australians to enjoy food in the most healthy and sustainable way,” she said.

The announcement of the partnership comes as Coles

launches the Coles Fresh 5 Challenge, a brand-new national healthy eating program aimed at Australian children.

Endorsed by the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, the challenge helps parents motivate their kids to eat a nutritious, balanced diet by helping them track the amount of vegetables, grains, calcium, fruit and protein they consume each day on a specially designed placemat chart that makes a mealtime game of healthy eating.

BioPak develops packaging using sugarcane pulp

New South Wales-based packaging specialist BioPak has developed a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic packaging, which delivers a positive environmental impact.

When consumers buy a product, they also buy any waste associated with it. In 2016, Australians sent 2.2 million tonnes of plastic and another 1.6 million tonnes of paper to landfill. The environmental impact of packaging waste, plastics, in particular, has become a global issue.

Public demand for improved sustainability and climate change action has resulted in the regulation and banning of single-use plastics in many countr ies and regions worldwide. This is placing pressure on the food packaging industry to switch to more sustainable options and is driving innovation in packaging.

An example of a high-volume single-use plastic is a disposable food container. It is convenient, safe, hygienic and commonly used for takeaway food.

However, when made from conventional plastics, these containers are unsustainable and pollute the environment at every stage in their life cycle. Alternative single-use, foodservice packaging options with reduced environmental impacts are required. These options need to be easily collected and recycled.

BioCane packaging is made from sugarcane pulp, also known as bagasse. It is the stalk residue remaining after the sugar has been extracted from the cane.

Instead of burning this material, BioPak converts the bagasse into an moulded packaging raw material. This material is suitable for creating packaging for a range of hot, cold, solid, and liquid products and it is ovenable up to 200°C.

The sugarcane packaging is certified home and commercially compostable, free from contamination and recyclable in the paper co-mingled recycling stream – making it a sustainable, effective replacement for the plastic takeaway container.

BioPak has developed a range of sizes and has displayed its solutions at many consumer events and industry trade shows.

Accidental discovery leads to dietary supplement export bonanza

In what is believed to be a first for New Zealand, exports of an organic soil nutrient discovered by accident in a Southland farm have launched into the US.

A deposit of fulvic acid covering one square kilometre, and believed to be worth millions of dollars in processed form, was discovered following oil and gas exploration surveys that happened in the 1950s.

Deposits of this size are rare by international standards, with only a few countries around the world able to extract fulvic acid for nutritional products.

Fulvic acid is a water-soluble material found in a part of soil called the humus. It is the result of a combination of several acids that are created when organic matter decomposes.

The refined humus is processed into a liquid and marketed as a dietary supplement designed to support immunity, nutrient absorption and natural energy levels.

An initial export orde r of more than 1.5 tonnes of the supplement has left New Zealand destined for the US market and will be sold through Amazon – believed to be the first time this nutrient has been sold into the North American market.

The nutritional business will be a boost for the Bay of Plenty economy with a planned factory upgrade to process the mineral in Kawerau for export markets.

NZ Fulvic director, Rhys Brooking, said the factory will eventually employ 30 locals as they seek to grow international and local distribution volumes.

He said the product has been

well received in the domestic market having launched here just 14 months ago.

“Internationally, there is a well-established market for fulvic acid among consumers seeking to support their dietary needs – we believe the purity of the New Zealand product is well positioned to help capture a share of this wellness market.

“Farming techniques can remove the nutrient from the soil so even people who have a diet rich in vegetables may benefit from supplementation with nutrients such as fulvic acid,” he said.

Brooking said the soil extraction process used to extract the nutrient involves filtering the soil to separate the fulvic acid from the humus with the land later carefully reinstated – in line with their organic approach to production.

Brooking says they are currently producing a nutrientrich fertiliser product, which is organically certified and are working on certification for their fulvic acid supplement as well.

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Grounded breaks into international markets via Seeds of Change Accelerator

The Seeds of Change Accelerator will hopefully take Grounded to the next level.

From a restaurant in Victoria to operating in the big smoke of New York, Grounded simply cannot believe how fast its business has grown worldwide. In 2019, the company was chosen as one of six Australian-based start-ups in the Seeds of Change Accelerator, a partnership with Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL) and MARS Food Australia, to fast-track the growth of innovative foodfocused businesses.

Veronica Fil and partner Shaun Quade, are the duo behind Grounded who produce plant-based cheeses that look, taste and feel just like the real thing. The product is made from cauliflower and hemp seeds.

They have found already that supply and demand is unbalanced, and consumers are frustrated because Grounded isn’t able to supply them immediately. A challenge most manufacturers dream of, especially in the start-up stage.

The duo first owned a fine dining restaurant in Melbourne and looked to take the concept overseas. While they were in this process, they discovered that their house-made vegan cheese was always the star of the show. After creating the product, they were quickly approached by companies in the hospitality and supermarket industries looking for supply, as well as investors. Knowing they were on the right track, Fil and Quade decided to grow the business themselves. “I’ve had no shortage of investment offers however, it was the skills and understanding of what we needed to get the business going that we were really looking for,” said Fil.

“After receiving interest from investors, we decided we didn’t want to make a terrible mistake of losing equity. As a result, it was suggested we apply for the Seeds of Change Accelerator. We weren’t looking for investors but rather the specialist knowledge and mentors in manufacturing, scale-up and IP management. Going into the Accelerator was an absolute gamechanger for us. If we hadn’t been in that we would have been left with barely anything. It’s changed our entire lives and we’ve had a fantastic time from it.

“Five weeks into the Accelerator program, I met a venture capitalist from New York who runs a plant-based food fund. He said ‘call me tomorrow, I think we can help’. Two weeks later, we were in New York with a $300,000 investment behind us, preparing to commercialise our products,” said Fil.

FIAL’s Dr. Barry McGookin said, “Grounded were selected to undertake a tailored four-month program to help tackle their challenges and were supported with a grant. The Accelerator program included face-toface workshops and access to a panel of expert mentors.

“At FIAL, one of our main objectives is to help firms build their capabilities so they can grow the share of Australian food in the global marketplace. This expanded capacity is evident with Grounded, who are looking to manufacture in California and Victoria.”

Grounded is still reeling from the speed of the success of the program.

“It struck me partway through the program we had landed the biggest opportunity of our lives. For us, money had nothing to do with it. It was the brain’s trust and having that knowledge and backing,” said Fil.

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Conga Foods celebrates 70 years with Food Appeal partnership

Conga Foods, an Australian, family-owned business, has revealed an updated company image and a long-term, philanthropic partnership with Feed Appeal Rural Grants Series in celebration of 70 years since the Valmorbida family arrived in Australia and launched into Australia’s food landscape.

This family history is a rich story; one of authenticity and passion, which began with an Italian, Fulvio Valmorbida, whose love for Australia began in his years as a hard-working tobacco farmer in Ovens Valley, Victoria in the 1920s. Caught by World War II, while he was back in the Veneto region of Northern Italy, Fulvio’s constant entrepreneurial spirit and understanding of good product led to the building of two small grocery shops in Australia, setting the scene for an enduring family business when the family resettled in Melbourne in 1950. It all started with the family taking over a small continental goods store at 508 Swanston Street, Carlton named Frank Agostino, selling continental goods to Melbourne’s growing Italian population. Like so many other migrant stories of Australia, the Valmorbida family brought with them a strong connection to culture and heritage; in particular a passion for authentic and crafted foods that remains the core of the Conga Foods business to this day.

Throughout the last 70 years, the family has pushed the boundaries of Australian food culture through its various companies and branches; launching Australia’s first major bottled mineral water from Hepburn Springs, originating Australia’s love affair with canned tuna (fished from Port Lincoln) and bringing “liquid gold” olive oil from Europe at a time when it was only sold in pharmacies as a health tonic. Italian canned tomatoes, pasta, authentic cheeses and cured hams, legumes, pasta sauces, sardines and coffee are just a few examples of once rare continental specialties that through the passage of time and in part due to this family, are now commonplace ingredients in Australian pantries.

Seventy years on, the children of Fulvio’s youngest son Saverio continue to bring new products to the plates of Australians with their focus on quality and good value and an understanding of the importance of creating and maintaining strong relationships. These relationships, with family businesses across Australia and around the world, include partnerships which started over 50 years ago. In large part, these form strong foundations and a competitive advantage for Conga Foods with the vast majority based solely on handshake agreements, respect and mutual passion. Thanks to these partnerships, Conga Foods brings high-quality brands such as Moro, Val Verde, Zanetti, Latteria Soresina, Saclà, La Famiglia Rana, dc Specialty Coffee Roasters and Squeaky Gate Growers Co. to the market, which have become regulars in many Australian households.

“Family business is not just any business. It is the culmination of collective vision and shared beliefs of our family, our employees and their families, our customer families and the families that have made up our

Saverio Valmorbida behind the counter of his store.

supply partners for many decades. It’s all connected,” according to executive chairman David Valmorbida.

In truth, Conga Foods didn’t exist when the family started out in 1950. Although once believed to stand for “Continental Grocery Association”, the name has a different origin, yet another example of a story of family partnerships. A group of five businessmen, each with their own grocery stores, would regularly gather together to establish the supply needs of each store and order collectively from the larger importers and wholesalers. On colder nights they would sit around an elaborate, copperencased appliance filled with coals. According to lore, this particular heater was known, in Sicilian dialect, as a “conga”, and one cold night the businessmen decided their partnership needed a name – what better name to represent the partnership than the one thing that they gathered around. As the Valmorbida family group of businesses grew, they eventually took over Conga, incorporated as Conga Trading Co., and later changed its name to Conga Foods as it became the main business arm of the family’s food interests. 2020 represents a new decade with new horizons and new opportunities. For Conga Foods, it is also a time of reflection and revitalisation after a number of years of generational leadership transition and company modernisation; an opportunity to celebrate the 70-year family milestone with a sense of pride and renewed enthusiasm for the possibilities of the future.

To mark the occasion, Conga Foods’ company logo has received a refresh – one that retains the heritage elements of strength, trust and confidence, but that now reflects modernity, innovation and expertise. Conga leads into the new decade pushing forward its vision for “Authentic and crafted foods on every plate”. According to the three family directors David, Marc and Bianca, the new logo is a small, but important reminder that we need to continue to push the boundaries and seek new value with our partners and customers, to deliver best-in-class service that ensures the best experience and best value for consumers.

Beyond a passion for food, the new generation of the family believe that

supporting other small businesses and communities is an important part of the purpose and opportunity of being in business at all.

Launched in 2014, in consultation with and in support of a number of Australian olive farmers who needed long-term partnership, Conga Foods created the Squeaky Gate Growers Co. brand of olive oil. “We saw an opportunity to consolidate quality produce under a national brand, at the same time providing a fair price for many olive farmers who would otherwise not have market access to sell their oils. A win-win for farmers and consumers,” explained David.

More recently, after a number of Conga Foods projects with products of other Australian businesses, the family launched Pakval Business Solutions, led by David’s brother Marc. Born out of an opportunity to leverage Conga Foods’ national distribution footprint to provide warehousing and logistics services to Australian entrepreneurs, Pakval Business Solutions enables trade access that allows these other businesses to thrive.

Since 2018, Conga Foods and its parent, Corval Group, which incorporates dc Specialty Coffee Roasters and Pakval Business Solutions, have published an annual Corporate Social Responsibility review, which has highlighted the family’s investment into renewable energy generation, the pursuit of ethical business practices in their supply chain (with regards to labour, environmental impact, raw material sustainability as well as packaging sustainability), workforce diversity and philanthropic and charitable activities of the group and its employees.

Identifying and acting on business opportunities runs through the culture at Conga Foods. From a philanthropic point of view, Conga Foods understands the role and responsibility of being a good corporate citizen.

“Being a family business, we may not have the scale or impact of other, larger companies, however we have a continued focus on both environmental and social projects at the centre of our CSR agenda. Our solar energy plant in Coburg North is a good example of this, being one of the largest in the region,” explained Marc.

Yet the family and company employees desire to give back more, and in 2020, in line with their 70-year celebrations, are proud to announce a new philanthropic partnership, with Squeaky Gate Growers Co. becoming the principal partner for the Feed Appeal Rural Grants Series.

This partnership between Squeaky Gate Growers Co. and Feed Appeal will focus on generating awareness, community engagement and much needed funding for rural areas of Australia.

“ We are very excited about this partnership. Squeaky Gate was a brand born out of a community need in 2014, and now we hope to use its reach with Australian consumers to give back to the many communities and their families around Australia who are in need as a result of droughts, floods, fires and the longlasting consequences of these and other hardships, long after the initial impact,” said Bianca. “With more than four million Australians going without meals each year, Feed Appeal provides an invaluable community service we are proud to lend our support to with a long-term focus.”

As a part of its partnership with Feed Appeal, in addition to supporting the Rural Grants governance itself, Conga Foods will donate to the Rural Grants Series Fund and also feature Feed Appeal to drive awareness of this important cause through Squeaky Gate’s general marketing and media for its “The Way It Should Be” campaign. Consumers should look out for 3L tins of Squeaky Gate Growers Co Extra Virgin Olive Oil with a Feed Appeal branded tag that commits to an equivalent Rural Grants donation of a meal for someone in need in rural communities. Aptly dubbed as a “Meal for a Mate” pledge, the concept is founded on a common goal in providing food relief for fellow Australians doing it tough. Grants may be awarded by Feed Appeal to community meal programs such as funding the purchase of kitchen and storage equipment to help charities make the most of the rescued and donated food and keep up with demand.

Katherine Gokavi-Whaley is the CEO of Feed Appeal. “We are thrilled to partner with Conga Foods and Squeaky Gate Growers Co. for the Rural Grants Series,” she said. “Our congratulations to Conga Foods and the Valmorbida family on a wonderful 70-year story; we are excited about working together with your family into the future in this new partnership that hopefully will last many years.”

Feed Appeal’s Rural Grant Series raises and shares funds with local, rural communities to provide hope and nourishment for people going hungry.

“It’s a simple concept, but so perfect and so important. My family and our teams are proud and humbled to be invited to be a part of this great initiative,” said David.

Asahi to open plastic palletising facility in Albury

Pact Group Holdings, Cleanaway Waste Management and Asahi Beverages have announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop a local plastic pelletising facility, which will be beneficial to all three companies.

It is anticipated that the facility will be capable of processing up to 28,000 tonnes of plastic bottles and other recyclables into flake and food grade pellets, which will be used as a raw material for the production of packaging for products in the food and beverage sector.

One of the benefits of the crossvalue chain collaboration is that the expertise of each participant will complement the new venture.

Cleanaway will provide available feedstock through its collection and sorting network.

Pact will provide technical and packaging expertise and Asahi Beverages and Pact will buy the majority of the recycled pellets from the facility to use in their packaging products.

The proposed facility will be located in Albury/Wodonga to service markets across the coast and create approximately 30 local jobs in regional Australia.

It is anticipated that the facility will begin to operate some time in December 2021.

“I am thrilled with this arrangement and the opportunity to work with Cleanaway and Asahi in making a meaningful step in improving the plastics value chain,” said Pact’s managing director and CEO, Sanjay Dayal.

“The partnership will create valuable raw materials from the recyclables we collect and sort to help make a sustainable future possible. It is a natural extension of our value chain and expands our footprint of prized assets,” said Cleanaway’s CEO and managing director, Vik Bansal.

This project was supported by a grant to Cleanaway from the Environmental Trust as part of the NSW Government’s Waste Less, Recycle More initiative funded from the waste levy.

“This venture will allow us to utilise Australian sourced recycled plastic resins to assist in meeting our sustainability commitment to transition our portfolio to recycled plastics.”

“I am excited by the opportunity to participate in a strategic alliance that closes the loop of the circular economy and contributes to a sustainable plastics supply chain by combining our strategic capabilities,” said Asahi Beverage’s Group CEO, Robert Iervasi.

Packaging cuts fresh green bean waste

StePac has developed packaging that can eliminate excess moisture.

Modified atmosphere bulk packaging (MAP) newly developed by sustainable packaging company StePac is being used in the packaging of green beans. The company’s solution under the brand name Xtend, targets food waste in the foodservice supply chain and delivers added benefits of preserving the quality, crispiness, and glossy green colour of fresh green beans while maintaining full fresh flavour.

Green beans are grown in South Florida and Tennessee, with peak season from November to May. A large percentage of the green beans are packed and shipped to the foodservice industry.

But fresh green beans have a short shelf life of around 8 to 12 days. Dehydration, a common post-harvest problem, causes the pods to shrivel and become limp from progressive weight loss, and plastic packaging is often used to reduce this waste.

However, excess moisture generated in standard packaging aggravates decay and russeting – reddish-brown spots that result from chilling injury when beans are stored at 5-7.5°C. Foodservice outlets must discard food supplies that do not meet specifications for appearance and quality, and are rendered unfit for consumption.

StePac developed MAP films inbuilt with water vapour transmission rates (WVTR), which are said to eliminate the excess moisture from fresh green bean packaging, mitigating risk of decay and reducing sensitivity to russeting.

The company’s proprietary solution is said to also preserve the crispiness and glossy green colour of fresh green beans and prevents excessive weight loss, which can be caused by dehydration.

Food waste is an estimated $100bn problem within the US hospitality sector, reports Winnow, producers of a device that monitors food waste in commercial kitchens.

“Food waste in the foodservice sector is a major challenge, affecting the entire global food value chain,” notes Gary Ward, Ph.D., business development manager for StePac. “Our technology offers a solution for helping curb that waste and enhancing the quality of the produce reaching the kitchens.

It also isn’t limited to green beans but extends to a range of other vegetables, such as peas, carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and others that are freshly bulk packed for the foodservice sector.

StePac’s packaging solutions can help increase the shelf life of green beans and other vegetables, often by as much as 50-100 per cent, and allows foodservice providers to serve vegetables cooked from higher quality fresh produce, more sustainably and with reduced waste.

StePac offers a range of films that caters for most requirements. In addition to Xtend carton liners, its Xflow films, with their patented sealing layer, have facilitated applicability for automated packaging, such as vertical form-fill and seal (VFFS) packing.

This lets the packaging of green beans and other vegetables meet the demands of high turnover facilities and is already gaining momentum within facilities in regions of the US, especially Florida.

“The new Xflow packaging supports high-speed, high-throughput automated packaging lines for fresh vegetables; supports distributors and growers; and better meets the needs of hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and other institutions across the US,” said Ward. “Foodservice sites can receive enhanced quality produce while enjoying the benefits of reduced labour costs.”

Healthy Grain appoints distributors for non-GMO super-grain, BARLEYmax

The Healthy Grain (THG) company has announced it has signed agreements for the distribution of the all-natural, wholegrain, BARLEYmax. MAURI has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for the Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) bakery sector, with Scalzo Foods as exclusive distributor for all ANZ non-bakery categories. The Scoular Company has been appointed both exclusive growing and non-exclusive distribution rights for BARLEYmax in the North American market.

BARLEYmax was developed by Australia’s research organisation, the CSIRO, and provides 25.5 per cent Total Dietary Fibre (TDF). Additionally, the unique combination of prebiotic fibre found in BARLEYmax is known to support good gut health.

Naturally high in fibre, protein and beta-glucan, the all-natural BARLEYmax wholegrain has the potential to help reduce the risk of a variety of chronic diseases including colorectal cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. BARLEYmax is currently used in health foods such as breakfast cereals, muesli and snack bars, and loaf and flat breads.

THG specialises in commercialising non-GM wholegrains with substantiated health-claim benefits. The company has an exclusive portfolio of these grains, protected by patents and trademarks such as BARLEYmax wholegrain and Kebari hulless barley.

“We are thrilled to appoint market leading partners in MAURI and Scalzo Foods domestically, and The Scoular Company in the North American market,” said THG CEO Robert Burbury. “We know that the technical expertise, product development capabilities and advanced systems in sales, supply chain and logistics that each of these partners to The Healthy Grain provide will ensure that BARLEYmax is made widely accessible within our Australian market, and internationally. Our appointment of MAURI, Scalzo Food Industries and Scoular is not only critical to the growth of our business, but also imperative in our mission to improve the health of people globally.”

Australia in top five of biggest sellers of F&B businesses in 2019

Orkla, Pernod Ricard, Nestlé, Asahi, PepsiCo, Lactalis, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Azelis, Berlin Packaging, Kirin and Waterlogic were the most acquisitive companies of 2019, according to the bevblog. net food and drink transactions database, with each responsible for five or more takeovers. The biggest players in that group were Archer Daniels Midland, Bimbo, Diageo, Emmi, JBS and Refresco, who between them made four purchases each.

Campbell Soup was the only company to agree five or more sales, followed by Fonterra on four, then Coca-Cola, Hain Celestial and Nestlé on three.

A total of 1,290 companies were involved across 59 countries, with the US and UK most prominent overall.

Japan was the biggest net buyer (+18), followed by France (+10), then Belgium and Norway (+9 each).

The UK was the main net seller (-37), followed by the US (-23), Australia (-16) and Brazil (-11).

RANK

TOP BUYERS 1 2 3 4 5 TOP SELLERS 1 2 3 4 5

COUNTRY

United States United Kingdom France Spain Canada

United States United Kingdom Spain France Australia

PepsiCo was one of big acquirers of food and beverage businesses in 2019.

2018

312 94 39 29 26

329 116 34 24 22

2019

305 93 51 35 25

328 130 41 41 25

All-in-one solution for allergen testing

For almost four decades Romer Labs has been listening to the needs of customers in Australia, New Zealand, and the entire APAC region by delivering innovative diagnostic solutions for the food and beverage industry. Romer Labs realised that its customers were interested in three core areas – analytical services, technical support and customer training.

Romer Labs has established itself in the region for providing accredited mycotoxin analytical services, which is expanding in the form of multi-mycotoxin analysis 50+. This means a single report can give specific information on more than 50 mycotoxins that can be present in any one sample.

In response to demand from countries like Australia, the company has also integrated full-service food allergen testing facilities into its analytical offerings. It will serve the region with analytical services that cover gluten testing and the broadest range of allergenic analytes on the market including specific nut species.

To complement these new capabilities, the Romer Labs APAC Solutions Centre provides enhanced technical support, such as sample validation, troubleshooting and insight into best practices to Romer Labs’ customers.

The APAC Solutions Centre is bringing a new service to the region in the form of customised training programs, which includes workshops and webinars. It is designed to adapt to when, where and how often customers test. Romer Labs issues training certificates and other documentation that may be necessary for audits and accreditations.

Both Australia and New Zealand have stringent regulations on allergenic content in food. With its new centre, Romer Labs can provide these products to businesses who do not have access to analytical services. It can also help those customers who need training programs to help them stay efficient and compliant.

For analytical testing services, customers can expect to receive their

Romer Labs APAC Solutions Centre provides enhanced technical support.

test results in five business days for food allergen testing and six business days for mycotoxin testing. These turnaround times are based on the date of receipt of samples in the company’s laboratory. For an extra cost, customers can receive their results within a day. Customers are emailed their analytical test results in a certificate of analysis. Other communications can be directed to the APAC Solutions Centre or through a local sales representative.

Technical support is another primary service provided by Romer Labs. At times, the Centre collaborates with industry bodies for seminars or webinars to help professionals keep up with the latest trends in food safety and analysis.

R omer Lab clients include government and independent commercial consulting laboratories as well as global food manufacturers who it has helped to verify results for specific matrices that proved problematic.

One food manufacturer producing food coatings and spices used Romer Labs’ allergen test kits with positive results. A technical specialist from the centre was engaged to examine the matter; the analysis of samples from a similar batch confirmed the results. Following discussions with the customer, the technical specialist suspected that the source of the allergen was the ingredients that were supplied to them. Tests performed on several batches of the goods confirmed this original suspicion, according to Romer Labs. The company was satisfied with the result and has used the test kits on several other occasions for in-house testing.

Customers have also received technical training from Romer Labs on how to improve their capabilities for detecting ergot alkaloids using LC-MS/MS. Romer Labs APAC Solutions Centre said that it provided customers with hands-on training in the method, and staff showed them how to apply Biopure reference materials and clean-up columns for use in their own laboratories. This is one example of customised training programs that help customers keep their food supply chain safe.

Endeavour Drinks joins forces with Shorty’s Liquor

Endeavour Drinks has entered into a strategic partnership with business-to-business drinks specialist Shorty’s Liquor to help take the proposition to more customers across Australia.

Established in 2001, Shorty’s Liquor is a drinks retailer servicing corporate customers and on-premise venues in Sydney.

Shorty’s Liquor offers online ordering and delivery to corporate offices in Sydney, and its client list includes a number of prominent financial services, legal, and advertising businesses.

Endeavour Drinks has acquired a majority interest in Shorty’s Liquor alongside its founder David Short and will support its growth plans in Melbourne, Brisbane and other capital cities over the coming years.

David Short will continue to lead the business within the broader Endeavour Group.

“Developing new growth avenues is a key priority for Endeavour Drinks as we work to connect everyone with a drinks experience they’ll love,” said Endeavour Drinks managing director Steve Donohue.

“We have a track record partnering with innovative players in drinks having successfully integrated the likes of Dan Murphy’s, Cellarmasters and Jimmy Brings into our portfolio.

“Shorty’s has developed an exciting proposition over the years and we’re pleased to be partnering with them to build a presence in the business to business segment.

“We look forward to partnering with David and his team to offer even better value and more convenience to more corporate customers across Australia.”

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Endeavour Drinks to help fuel our next wave of growth,” said Shorty’s Liquor managing director David Short.

“We’ll benefit greatly from tapping into Endeavour’s national supply chain, while also retaining our agility as a distinct business within the group.”

In July 2019, Woolworths Group announced a plan to combine its drinks and hospitality businesses – Endeavour Drinks and ALH Group (‘ALH’) – into a single entity.

In December 2019, Woolworths shareholders approved a restructure scheme to combine Woolworths Group’s drinks and hospitality businesses to create Endeavour Group. Woolworths Group intends to implement the ALH Merger to combine Endeavour Group with Bruce Mathieson Group’s interests in ALH in February 2020.

Following the restructure and ALH merger, Woolworths intends to pursue a separation of Endeavour Group from Woolworths by way of demerger or other value accretive alternative.

Separation of Endeavour Group by demerger will require shareholder approval.

Crop production hit by

unfavourable seasonal conditions I n its Australia crop report – February 2020, ABARES says production prospects for summer crops in Queensland and northern New South Wales remain well below average.

Peter Gooday, acting executive director of ABARES, said that this is a trying time for many crop growers, especially those in New South Wales and Queensland.

“Summer crop prospects were adversely affected by unfavourable seasonal conditions in December that further depleted soil moisture levels to well below average in most summer cropping regions and to record lows in some others,” Gooday said.

“With the planting of summer crops in Queensland and northern New South Wales now largely complete, we expect planted area and production to be lower than our forecasts of December 2019.

“This largely reflects seasonal conditions in December that were more unfavourable than expected.

“Rainfall in late January and in February was largely too late to plant more grain sorghum in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s latest three-month rainfall outlook indicates that for most summer cropping regions in Queensland and northern New South Wales rainfall is more likely to be below average than

Rice production is set to remain low.

above average from March to May.

“We are likely to see a 66 per cent decrease in summer crop production down to 878,000 tonnes,” said Gooday.

Cotton production is forecast to fall by 72 per cent to around 135,000 tonnes of lint and 191,000 tonnes of seed. Grain sorghum production is expected to be down by 77 per cent to around 292,000 tonnes.

“Rice production will remain low at around 54,000 tonnes due to low water allocations and high water prices,” said Gooday.

“ABARES’ winter crop production estimate for 2019-20 will remain largely unchanged from our forecast of December 2019 at around 29 million tonnes.

“Higher than expected barley and canola production is estimated to have largely offset lower than expected wheat production.”

Amore Cheese wins two gongs at dairy awards

That’s Amore Cheese can add two more awards to its list of achievements this week after taking home two of the 12 awards up for grabs at the Australian Grand Dairy Award – Flavoured Cheese and Dairy Dessert.

The awards were held last night, Thursday 6th February and the Melbourne-based cheese manufacturer was named Champion in the following categories: • Flavoured Cheese – That’s Amore

Cheese Diavoletti • Dairy Dessert – That’s Amore

Gelato Tartufo

That’s Amore Cheese Diavoletti is a very unique and special product. It is a small provolina shaped smoked cheese with a chilli stuffed olive at its centre.

“The balance of the mild cheese, with salty olive and a kick of chilli makes for a wonderfully unexpected taste sensation,” said Giorgio Linguanti, managing director at That’s Amore Cheese. “The name translates to ‘little devils’ which is fun.

“The Diavoletti has won many awards and it is fantastic to add this Australian Grand Dairy Award to the recognition.”

The Dairy Dessert category was won by the That’s Amore Gelato Tartufo. This is a hazelnut and chocolate gelato, dark chocolate ganache centre, coated in cocoa powder.

“To win one Australian Dairy Award is amazing, but to win two is a dream come true,” Linguanti said.

“The That’s Amore Cheese team work so hard every day to produce the best quality product for our customers. We love making tasty and unique cheeses and desserts and to be recognised with two awards will spur us on to keep creating.”

The Australian Grand Dairy Awards are considered by most to be the industry’s most prestigious and highly-regarded accolades. Established to recognise excellence and quality in the dairy industry. To win, products have to have won a state-based gold medal and then they are judged by two panels of trained judges of various backgrounds including technical dairy experts, food experts, retailers, brewers, cheese mongers and chefs to provide a broad spectrum of skill to judge the awards.

That’s Amore ‘s managing director, Giorgio