ZESPRI releases industry recovery discussion paper
Date: 23 Feb 2012ZESPRI has announced today a possible recovery pathway from the devastating vine disease, Psa, which would see a broad-scale release of a new gold variety, known as Gold3 over the next three years. While no variety is fully tolerant to Psa, Gold3 (pictured) is showing a good level of tolerance, compared to Hort16A and 45 other varieties from the same kiwifruit species. This has been supported by bioassay results, and also more importantly by observations and experience in the ... more
Fonterra Milk For Schools packs make production line debut
Date: 22 Feb 2012All hands are on deck this week at Fonterra Brands New Zealand's (FBNZ) Takanini site as the first Fonterra Milk for Schools packs make their way down the production line and into the coolstore to wait for their ride to school. FBNZ Business Manager Beverages, Craig Irwin, says the production run has been much anticipated by the team who are eager to get the programme up and running. "We often have new products on the line, but they never create as much excitement as the Anchor ... more
Gourmet food service to revolutionise movie experience
Date: 22 Feb 2012The gourmet food experience is moving out of the nation’s top restaurants and into the movie theatre. Hoyts Te Awa at The Base in Hamilton opened this month with a dining experience to rival any great blockbuster movie. Punters can now stop worrying about rushing through a meal in order to get to a movie on time – the state of the art cinema complex offers in-theatre dining, complete with waiters, a tapas style menu and luxury reclining chairs. And for those ... more
Wine-testing lab first of its kind in NZ
Date: 21 Feb 2012A Christchurch testing laboratory has partnered with an American firm to provide hi-tech wine testing services in a bid to snare the Kiwi wine industry. Hill Laboratories started as a two-person operation in Hamilton in 1984 and now employs 300 people nationwide with four labs in the North Island city and another in Christchurch. The laboratories service the agriculture and food industries and also provide results testing for environmental monitoring. Managing director and co-founder ... more
Kiwi cooking comes of age: 25 years of Cuisine magazine
Date: 20 Feb 2012New Zealand’s top-selling food magazine Cuisine celebrates its 25th birthday with a silver anniversary edition, on sale today, Monday, 20 February 2012. Editor Sarah Nicholson says since the first issue of the magazine was published in February 1987, Cuisine has charted New Zealand food’s coming of age as well as played a hand in defining the trends. “The magazine has had a huge influence on the food industry, from spearheading campaigns around how food and ... more
Mum's the word, as Tip Top Bakery introduces The One, the “ultimate” 700g white sliced bread loaf
Date: 20 Feb 2012The mums of New Zealand have spoken, and their word is that the new sliced white 700g loaf from Tip Top Bakery is The One. Mums were key in the development of the new bread, and focus groups were asked for their ideas about the “ultimate” white sliced loaf for their family. Their answers included: plenty of fibre, vitamins and minerals, no artificial preservatives, colours or flavours, and low GI. The One, launched today by Tip Top Bakery in two variants of Sandwich and ... more
Oliver's army set to roll into NZ
Date: 20 Feb 2012Celebrity Jamie Oliver is bringing his Jamie's Italian restaurants to New Zealand, with a scout looking for sites large enough to seat 200 diners in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown. Rustic food, seasonal ingredients, freshly made pasta and a selection of antipasto are promised in a style of dining described as high-volume and affordable. "The Jamie's Italian menu is driven by what you'd find ordinary people eating over in Italy. "Rustic, simple dishes, the best ... more
Training to keep the Goodtimes rolling
Date: 17 Feb 2012Napier-based food manufacturer Goodtime Foods Ltd has a proud history of producing quality baked goods, supplying pies and more to retail outlets all over New Zealand. Now with a large new contract under their belt, the company is gearing-up to deliver by engaging their staff in industry-based training. Last year it was announced that Goodtime Foods had won the exclusive contract to supply pies and other specially baked goods to Z service station outlets nationwide. “The Z ... more
Goodman Fielder to slash New Zealand jobs
Date: 17 Feb 2012Embattled food giant Goodman Fielder is to axe jobs in New Zealand. The dual-listed company, which cut 300 jobs mostly in its baking division in Australia in the first half of the financial year, has already begun discussions at least one of its New Zealand sites. Goodman Fielder told investors in September it was cutting costs through its programme Project Renaissance and had identified annual savings of $15 million in New Zealand, which it expected to achieve within two years. ... more
FSANZ calls for submissions on draft nutrition, health and related claims standard
Date: 17 Feb 2012Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today called for submissions on a draft nutrition, health and related claims Standard. FSANZ Chief Executive Officer Steve McCutcheon said the proposed new standard would regulate voluntary statements made by manufacturers on labels about the nutrition content of a food, or a relationship between a food and health. “There are two principal types of claims; nutrition content claims such as ‘low in fat’ or ‘source of ... more
