Welcome to our penultimate print edition of 2024. The next edition is our flagship Australia’s Top 100 Food & Drink Companies report in December. The bottle of Lion's latest ultra low carb beer on the cover is a slight deviation from our normal cover models of processing equipment, packaging materials, and ingredients, but it provides the launch pad into how breweries are combatting a declining consumption rate.

Beverage company, Lion, has commissioned its $7.2 million Reverse Osmosis Water Recycling Plant at its Tooheys brewery in Lidcombe, estimated to save 270 million litres of water each year.

Dolmio, Sodexo, and Foodbank once again joined forces on World Food Day to cook over 7000 meals for people experiencing food insecurity on the New South Wales Central Coast.

Australia’s largest and oldest dairy co-operative, Norco Co-operative, has been recognised as Business of the Year in the 2024 Northern Rivers Business Awards. The co-op also took home the Excellence in Sustainability Award, and CEO, Michael Hampson, received the Outstanding Business Leader Award.

Agri-food tech accelerator, SparkLabs Cultiv8, has held its 2024 Showcase in Orange, enticing 200 agtech investors, innovators and researchers to its pitch event.

RMIT University has conducted a study for End Food Waste Australia on cutting down food waste in hospitality, with potential for small businesses to save thousands of dollars.

Safework Australia’s Key Work Health and Safety Statistics 2024 reveals there were 200 people fatally injured at work last year, and while Australia’s work-related injury rate is about one-third the global rate, its impact is significant. This year’s Workplace Health & Safety Show starts today at Sydney Showground, with a program designed to strengthen safety culture in Australian businesses.

Coles announced the winners of its annual Supplier Partner Awards on 17 October, recognising its suppliers for providing quality food, drinks and groceries around the country.

Wine Australia’s latest Export Report has shown a continued rise in Australian wine exports across the period from 1 October 2023-30 September 2024.

Treasury Wines Estates is embracing generative artificial intelligence, announcing that GPTStrategic has provided a genAI solution for streamlining workflows, increasing productivity, and paving the way for growth and innovation.

The mandatory sustainability reporting requirements that start rolling out from 1 January 2025, put ESG’s ‘E’ and ‘G’ – environmental impact and governance – front and centre for Australian manufacturers. With what is potentially a complex and lengthy process, RSM Australia’s national manufacturing lead, Louis Quintal, outlines steps companies can follow to minimise climate, financial and reputational risks.

Australia’s largest private luxury vineyard holder, The Randall Wine Group, has been recognised internationally, receiving an Elsie award from Canada’s Liquor Control Board of Ontario for best new product launch.

The program for Future Food Systems’ annual summit, For Food’s Sake, reveals a line-up of industry experts and speakers. Explore the future of food, the role of ecosystems, and how collaborations can unlock new economic opportunities to transform the food landscape.

Nescafé has renewed its partnership with food relief organisation, Foodbank, to supply more than 700,000 tins of Nescafé Blend 43 over the next three years.

Synlait Milk CEO, Grant Watson, has resigned. The CEO of Synlait business, Dairyworks, Tim Carter has been appointed acting CEO from today (21 October). Grant was CEO from January 2022 and has overseen the dairy company’s financial reset.

Keeping food safe and extending its shelf life is a huge priority for food producers because it’s not just about taste – it’s about our health, trust in the products we buy and food waste reduction. That’s where the science of predictive modelling steps in, transforming the way food businesses ensure the longevity of our beloved foods.