Hot off the press: July issue out now

Our July issue comes to you packed with stories to take your mind off tenacious new strains of that pesky global pandemic, lockdowns, vaccination roll outs and any other malady you are currently wrestling with. We have features on ready meals, functional foods, Industry 4.0, the latest equipment and so much more. The digital version is here.  

It seems hard to think beyond the immediate COVID-19 crisis, but our cover story this issue lays out some brutal facts about why adapting to climate variability is essential for business survival. Andrew Miley from Hydroflux walks us through what companies can do when it comes to water management. From page 12.

Editor’s Picks

Founds of Nourish Ingredients, Drs Ben Letia and James Petrie
Founds of Nourish Ingredients, Drs Ben Letia and James Petrie

Our Rising Star this month is Nourish Ingredients, founded by two former CSIRO scientists Drs James Petrie and Ben Leita. They have pioneered a yeast fermentation process that allows it to mimic the molecular structure of animal fats. In the last year it has raised $14.4 million in seed funding and grown from a team of two to 20. They are working in a fascinating space, read about it on page 8.

One of the stories in our Ready Meals feature is a profile on My Muscle Chef on page 20. When brothers Tushar and Nish Menon couldn’t find prepared meals that suited their post-gym workout needs, they rented a kitchen, hired staff off Gumtree and made their own. That was eight years ago. In 2020, it achieved $150 million in sales.

Putting seaweed into chocolate is one way of getting more Australians to increase their iodine consumption.

Dietician Sarah Leung is determined to do something about Australia’s silent epidemic of thyroid disease. Her company Alg Seaweed makes a range of seaweed products including sprinkles, flakes, snack bars and, coming soon, chocolate bars to encourage Australians to eat more of the most iodine rich food on the planet. It’s part of the Health & Functional Foods Feature on page 28.

In June, Food & Drink Business reported on funding grants from the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre’s (AMGC) commercialisation fund. In this issue AMGC chair Dr Jens Goennemann pens the By Association column on the importance of championing the manufacturing sector and how a company like Harvest B has taken an idea, embraced advanced technology and is chasing its local and global aspirations. (Page 18).

 

Asahi Beverages CEO Robert Iervasi. Premium coffee brand Allpress Espresso has been acquired by Asahi Beverages, as the beverage giant looks to fill gaps in its multi-beverage portfolio.
Asahi Beverages CEO Robert Iervasi answers our Fast Five.

On page 50, this month’s Rear View Fast Five is with Asahi Beverages CEO Robert Iervasi.  

The July issue’s Industry 4.0 Feature section has a series of practical stories for food and beverage business about what it is, how it can help your business, and where to start. That’s from page 30.

Microbiologist Dr Philip Button looks at the issue of foodborne diseases and how applying nanotechnology to food packaging could be one solution to minimise the risks. See page 38.

There’s all our regular features as well - Supplier Spotlight, New Products, New In Store and so much more.

Read it all here.

 

  

Packaging News

Sicut Enterprises and Close the Loop have received $5m and $2.4m in government grants respectively to develop projects that will see 12,000 tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastics recycled into materials for local manufacturing.

In a collaborative effort, Kimberly-Clark Australia and Woolworths have successfully completed a packaging trial aimed at eliminating the use of secondary plastic packaging for Viva paper towels. The initiative, now set to become standard practice, is projected to save 15 tonnes of plastic annually.

John Cerini has stepped down as CEO of Pro-Pac, with Ian Shannon, who was chief operating officer of the company, taking over the role, and becoming managing director.