www.foodtechnology.co.nz 7 NEWS SNIPS Engagement with the New Zealand public clearly shows the desire to have mandatory Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL), Horticulture New Zealand has told the Primary Production Select Committee at Parliament Marlboroughbased brewer Moa Group has reported a $2.4 million full-year net loss, with a 26% revenue lift improving gross margin and a prediction that the company will reach profitability next year New Zealand communications expert and independent consultant Jordan Small will share knowledge of managing crises in Asia at the Food Integrity 2017 conference in Auckland later this month BurgerFuel Worldwide has announced the opening of its first USA-based restaurant in Indianapolis, hot off the back of the Indy 500 N E W S CHINA TO BENEFIT FROM INVESTMENT CALF CRUELTY Another slaughterhouse worker has been convicted following the 2015 dairy investigation by Farmwatch and SAFE that engendered concern amongst the New Zealand public. The worker from Down Cow Ltd who was filmed dragging newborn calves across a concrete floor by their legs was fined and ordered to pay court costs, SAFE’S Mandy Carter says. This follows an initial conviction for another worker caught kicking, punching and throwing calves, and a farmer found guilty of cruelty last month. Carter says it should not be up to volunteers and non-profits to expose issues of animal cruelty as, without Farmwatch filming, these kinds of incidents go completely unnoticed and unpunished. PIZZA PLEASURE The heathiest pizza in New Zealand has been launched by HELL… consisting of a specially-designed sprouted-seed gluten-free base topped with free-range chicken breast, spinach, avocado, Portobello mushrooms, almonds and fresh slaw. Each base of ‘The Saviour’ is rich in fibre and packed with minerals, including potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese and vitamins B1 and B6; the spinach teems with vitamins A, C, and K, as well as folate, potassium, magnesium, and iron; and the Portobello mushrooms also pack a healthy punch, being high in fibre and low in saturated fats, cholesterol and calories. HELL general manager Ben Cumming says if ‘The Saviour’ takes off in popularity, it will encourage a whole new range of super healthy food options for the company. A shift in food preferences in China and across wider Asia has been a catalyst for a $20 million investment in Fonterra’s Te Rapa site to meet growing demand for cream cheese and minidish butter. Fonterra’s Robert Spurway says much of the demand in China these days is centred on value-added products, and the company has recently seen demand exceed supply. “Where in the past, many of these markets have trended towards non-dairy creams and spreads, we’re seeing a real desire for natural dairy in both food preparation and at the table,” Spurway says. “And while the foodservice aspects are important, it is the latter that is really exciting – consumers actively choosing to incorporate more dairy into their daily diets.” China is the greatest growth driver for Fonterra’s consumer and foodservice business, with a 40% increase in volumes in the past 12 months. A taste trend towards butter is evidenced by the increase of the country’s imports from 17,000 tonnes in 2009 to 63,000 tonnes in 2016, representing an annual growth of around 20%. “This expansion is all about responding to the market, investing in building capacity and delivering on our value-add strategy by converting more milk into higherreturning products. It will also give us more choices in the products we’re able to make so we can be more responsive to our customers.” Te Rapa will go from six cream product lines to eight, incorporating state-ofthe art technology to achieve highest possible output. Butter production will more than double, from 250 million to 650 million mini-dishes per year, and the additional cream cheese line will increase plant capacity from 30,000 tonnes to 33,500 tonnes per year. The Te Rapa Site, which employs 500 staff, was established in 1967 as a powder drying facility, with the cream plant added in 1997. away to Kiwis – the largest free sample giveaway in the company’s history – through the website: www.coke.co.nz.
FT-Jun17
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