The Hive Awards is pleased to announce The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CommBank) as its Platinum sponsor. The awards program is an initiative of Food & Drink Business, Australia’s leading trade media platform for the food and beverage manufacturing industry.

When you are launching an industry awards program for the first time, it can be a leap for a potential sponsor to visualise what you can see so clearly in your head. Say hello to the inaugural sponsors of The Hive Awards.

Synlait Milk expects its first half of FY24 to deliver a loss in the range of $17-$21 million due to increased costs and margin changes. Its HY23 net profit after tax (NPAT) was $4.8 million.

It took 70 different formulations before Ben & Jerry’s ice cream team agreed on the new oat base for its non-dairy range. With the 20 flavours in the range accounting for 25 per cent of Ben & Jerry’s global product portfolio, the decision was not made lightly.

A $2 million project delivered by Hort Innovation will use computer vision and machine learning technologies to create a commercially available robotic solution for banana ‘de-handing’, a core process in all banana packing sheds.

Finalists for the 2024 Australian Organic Industry Awards have been revealed, celebrating Australia’s finest certified organic producers, processors and operators across seven categories.

Saputo Inc recorded a $141.3 million (C$124 million) loss in the third quarter of FY24, as the dairy giant logged a $196.8 million (C$265 million) non-cash goodwill impairment against its Australia dairy division.

In its latest Australian Dairy Sector Outlook, Rabobank reports that the industry is facing its third consecutive year of production decline, while the import and export mix is “slowly trading places” – with export volumes falling sharply, and imports spiking.

The end is in sight for a $25 million capital replacement program at Wilmar Sugar and Renewables’ Kalamia Mill, with the last of four new evaporators currently being installed at the factory ahead of the upcoming production season.

The Australian food tech start-up, Eighth Day Foods, is looking for a buyer for its alternative protein proprietary technology. CEO Tony Cartwright is managing the sale process and says he has already fielded a significant number of inquiries from potential purchasers.

After the flush of Christmas and New Year, cashflow can become a critical issue as people take holidays, invoices accumulate, and sales slow. Jessica Olivier from RSM Australia looks at ways to ease economic pressures including tax incentives and grant funding. 

As another craft brewery – Hawkers Beer – enters voluntary administration, the Independent Brewers Association (IBA) has ramped up pressure on the government to freeze excise indexation and adopt other strategies to support the sector.

TOMRA Food has unveiled a new organisational structure, and three AI-powered sorting and grading solutions, both announced at the fresh produce industry event, Fruit Logistica, in Berlin, Germany.

Ecofibre Limited, owner of hemp food and animal products business Ananda Food, has advised it will sell the business to Elixinol Wellness, which halted trading today (12 February), announcing a capital raise of $3.16 million to fund the acquisition.

Independent hard seltzer brand Hard FIZZ has signed a ranging deal with BWS which will initially see its Raspberry Extra Strength RTD and variety packs stocked in 1400 outlets nationwide.

It has been more than 10 years since the Polly Waffle was part of the confectionery aisle, but from April, it will be back. The format has slightly changed – bite sized pieces rather than a bar – but the crunchy marshmallow favourite lives once more.