6 OCTOBER 2016 NEWS SNIPS Minister of Trade Todd McClay says prospects for New Zealand’s beef and horticultural exports to Indonesia look good, following Jakarta talks Compass Group, the world’s largest foodservice company in the world with an arm in New Zealand, has announced it will only use cage-free eggs worldwide by 2025 The Fonterra Ying Hub newly opened in China’s Shanxi Province will eventually farm up to 30,000 cows (16,000 milking cows), provide 400 jobs for locals and source 85% of farm Z has launched a unique solution to the nation’s 180 million a year coffee cup conundrum… the country’s first large-scale compostable cup collection feed locally Fonterra says legislation will mean drastic changes in the Chinese infant formula market, with the imminent removal of between 1800 and 2000 brands N E W S FAT DOGS? Are dogs consuming too many carbs and not enough energy-giving protein and fat? If, like veterinary researcher Mark Roberts, that issue has been bugging you for a while, don’t despair. Roberts’ Three Minute Thesis on the topic of canine obesity has clinched the New Zealand 3MT competition, sending him to Australia for the 2016 Asia-Pacific 3MT Competition at the University of Queensland. Roberts, who trains and races Siberian huskies, became interested in the topic of dog food and nutrition through his involvement with racing sled teams, and now studies with Massey University’s Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences. “My research is inspired by stories my father told me of his work as a geologist in Antarctica in the 1960s while looking after sled dogs,” Roberts – who wins $5000 - says. Other food-related topics at the competition include how bees use nectar to make Manuka honey, whether feathers can be turned into food for athletes as a form of keratin supplement and using mammals’ sensitivity to moonlight in the war against predators. The competition format is a strict three-minute presentation with one slide, no props and with the aim of making audiences want to know more, not to trivialise or generalise on the topic, and to be enthusiastic and engaging. The judges were Palmerston North City Councillor Tangi Utikere; Massey University Council member Ben Vanderkolk; Assistant Vice-Chancellor Research, Academic and Enterprise Professor Giselle Byrnes; and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Massey Business School Professor Ted Zorn. FOOD SAFETY ON TOPIC A scholarship programme that is deepening engagement between New Zealand and China and boosting mutual understanding of each other’s food safety systems has been extended by two years by food safety minister Jo Goodhew. Developed between New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), it is the first initiative under the Food Safety Cooperation Agreement signed between New Zealand and China in November 2013, and covers best practice regulation, risk management, food processing and design, and the development and implementation of food standards. Goodhew says 13 officials from CFDA have participated in the programme. “This scholarship not only increases the understanding of our respective food safety systems, it also helps to strengthen the relationships between the two countries and help to align food safety practices,” she says. “China is a very important trading partner for New Zealand and we’ve established a relationship based on trust, respect and New Zealand’s well-earned reputation as a producer of high quality and safe food. The two-year extension of this scholarship programme will further enhance the close cooperation between our countries, resulting in a stronger bilateral relationship in the areas of food safety and consumer confidence.” CHINA ON THE MOVE Top international scholars, Chinese officials and New Zealand exporters will gather at Victoria University of Wellington later this month to examine how China’s push to modernise its agricultural sector will affect exporters in New Zealand. Victoria’s New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre is organising the two-day event on October 27 and 28 to analyse China’s changing policies, market trends, investments, food safety regulations and the potential flow-on effects to New Zealand’s agricultural business. Research Centre chair Tony Browne says the conference is a unique opportunity to hear directly from experts, practitioners, policymakers and industry players. “New Zealand exports are dominated by agriculture products and our industry has attracted a lot of investment interest from China. It’s important that we have these discussions now, so our industry is prepared for the changes and challenges ahead.” For more information, visit the conference website: www.tinyurl.com/z7pdmfn or contact Tony Browne on 04 463-5924 or tony.browne@vuw.ac.nz
FT-Oct16
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