Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) has released its second Consumer Insights Tracker (CIT) report, showing consumers would prefer food labels to contain more and clearer information, and confidence in cell-cultured food is on the rise.

With food and beverage manufacturing the third largest energy user of manufacturing industries in Australia, the Australian Food and Grocery Council says funding from the Victorian government to help companies transition to renewable energy is a positive move.

As the 2024/25 dairy season draws to a close, Australian production is down in key regions and geopolitical uncertainty leaves the global market remaining volatile, according to Maxum Foods’ June Dairy Commodity Update and Rabobank’s 2025/26 Australian Dairy Market Outlook.

Welcome to the June/July issue of Food & Drink Business magazine. We catch-up on the latest for the RTD market with Lion's director of RTD and Spirits, Albertus Lombard, and furthering our Beverage Business feature T Garage provides its insights on natural beverages and opportunities for brands. And while winter is upon us, it is certainly not dampening the joy and success of this year's Hive Awards as our wrap-up and gallery attest. These stories and so much more are ready for your reading. Enjoy. 

FoodTech Qld made a welcome return last week on Queensland’s Gold Coast last week, its first time being held since 2022. The event drew food and beverage manufacturers, suppliers, and innovators together from across the country for two days of connection.

PepsiCo has appointed Alexia Horley to the role of chief executive officer for Australia and New Zealand Foods, taking over from Kyle Faulconer, who is returning to the US to take up the position of senior vice president at PepsiCo North America Commercial.

Four Australian wines – from Wirra Wirra Vineyards, Xanadu Wines, Barossa Old Vine Company, and Trentham Estate – have received Best in Show medals at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

The Supreme Court of Victoria has approved Treasury Wine Estates’ shareholder class action settlement, which had been announced in October last year. The proceeding was a consolidation of two class actions instigated in April and May 2020.

Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) is working with industry partner, All G, to scale up its production of precision fermentation milk supplement.

Suntory Oceania has appointed Johnny Morgan as senior marketing director for Suntory Global Spirits, effective from 1 July.

From 1 July, Treasury Wine Estates’ global premium brands division will be rebranded as Treasury Collective, as the business looks to bring all premium labels from around the world into one cohesive unit. It will be led by Angus Lilley, currently MD of Treasury Premium Brands.

Australian biomanufacturer, Cauldron, has been named a World Economic Forum 2025 Technology Pioneer, the only Australian company in the 100 start-ups selected from 28 countries, and one of only three working on the future of food. Cauldron founder and CEO, Michele Stansfield, says it sends a strong signal of support for the work being done by Cauldron and the broader role tech-enabled biomanufacturing can play in solving complex global challenges.

When expanding into new Asia Pacific (APAC) export markets, food and beverage brands face a critical strategic decision: What is the best way to enter and grow in the market? Food and beverage export development agency, Incite, has released its 2025 guide to appointing Asia Pacific distributors, to support producers.

Bega has informed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) of its intention to lodge an informal merger clearance for the potential acquisition of Fonterra Oceania. Bega says it is the “natural acquirer”, and the acquisition would benefit the company, dairy industry, and consumers.

Australian coconut water brand, Raw C, has launched in the US market just in time for summer, a major step in the company’s global growth ambitions.

Chobani Australia has appointed Ishani Samarasekera as its new finance & IT director, and Sami Cannone as sales general manager, the latest management shift as the company looks towards the future.