News on Food Trends from Oceania

More details have come out in the sale of Mr Chips by Simplot to New Zealand's Balle Bros, first reported by PotatoPro on August 18.

Supermarket chain Woolworths has released a report focused on the changes in the spending pattern of their Australian Shoppers over the past 25 years. The report also highlights the dramatic change in the position of the potato in that shopping cart.

Simplot Australia has announced that it entered into a conditional agreement to sell its shareholding in its New Zealand-based potato manufacturing and distribution business, Simplot Mr Chips Limited, to the Auckland based Balle Bros Group Limited.

A recent study by Roy Morgan Research shows that potato chips are still Australia’s most popular snack food, with a third of Australians aged 14+ in the year to March 2013 buying the product in an average four-week period.

AUSVEG, the National Peak Industry Body for Australian vegetable and potato growers, has welcomed the Prime Minister's acknowledgement of the importance of investment in agribusiness as part of his announcement of an election to be held on 7 September.

Food processor Simplot Australia has rejected the Star system for labelling healthy and unhealthy food.

The State Government of South Australia has awarded AU$43,500 to the Potato Industry for initiatives to make sure workers have skills to meet increasing production demands.

Simplot brand Birds Eye has channeled sports commentating in its latest television campaign for its Hot Chips range.

A simple mesh cover could be the answer to halting New Zealand's most devastating tomato and potato pests, the tomato potato psyllid.

Restructuring and corporate advisory firm McGrathNicol was yesterday appointed as receivers following Heard Phillips being appointed administrators of the company.

Research conducted by the Bio-Protection Research Centre at Lincoln University, using the southern ladybird as a biological control agent, has shown the predator to be voracious and effective at reducing tomato-potato psyllid (TPP) numbers.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) Board has elected a new chair. Terry O’Brien, Managing Director of Simplot Australia, has been elected by the Board following the resignation of John Doumani.

Cutting edge DNA testing technology, novel approaches to pest and disease management, and exciting new plant nutrition applications – these are amongst the latest Research and Development (R&D) activities that will be presented at the Field Day on ...

McCain Foods today announced it has completed the acquisition of Kitchens of Sara Lee (KOSL) Australia from Hillshire Brands, boosting its consumer offering. The transaction, initiated on December 18, is valued at A$82M.

Leading industry researchers will team-up with local Victorian agronomists at a Field Day event next month, to help raise awareness amongst potato growers and processors about key research and development (R&D) activities currently being undertaken...

Potato growers across the Warren Blackwood have revealed their struggle to meet standards set by retail giants Coles and Woolworths.

A drop in fresh potato consumption across the country has prompted the state industry body to call for a national promotional campaign to help boost sales.

Equipment manufacturer Heat and Control presents the savory snack industry with a new version of the vacuum fryer. They call it the Unitized Vacuum Fryer (UVF)