NEWS
SNIPS
The New
Zealand
Superannuation
Fund has taken
a 27% stake
in international
fresh fruit and
vegetable grower
and marketer NZ
Gourmet for an
undisclosed price
Synlait has
awarded its top
industry award
to Michael and
Susie Woodward
from Theland
Purata Farm
Group Ltd –
Tapatoru Dairies,
who took out
the Supreme
Lead with Pride
Award as well as
the Excellence
in Social
Responsibility
Award for
2017/18
Associate dean
of research at
the University
of Auckland
and biochemist
Professor Juliet
Gerrard is the
new Prime
Minister’s chief
science advisor,
replacing Sir
Peter Gluckman
The New
Zealand Plastics
Industry Design
Awards are
now open for
innovative and
successful
plastics
designers to
showcase the
best the industry
has to offer…
entries close on
October 15 www.
plastics.org.nz
www.foodtechnology.co.nz 7
NEW HEAD
Synlait Milk has appointed former
Fonterra managing director Leon
Clement as the new chief executive
to replace inaugural head John
Penno, who announced his departure
last year. Clement has been
head of Fonterra Brands New
Zealand, and managing director of
Sri Lanka and Indian Subcontinent
for the giant co-operative, and
says he is excited to join Synlait.
Chairman Graeme Milne says a
global search for a replacement
led the company to Clement, who
has led major businesses internationally
and has a deep-seated
experience in the branded dairy
industry. “He brings a broad range
of skills and experience that is
relevant to Synlait’s future strategic
initiatives.” Clement will begin his
job this month.
SUGAR
LABELLING
A trans-Tasman consultation on sugar labelling
has begun, following the latest Australia and New
Zealand ministerial forum on food regulation.
Food safety minister Damien O’Connor says food
companies need to understand that consumers
want to know how much sugar is in food and how
they can consume less. “We want food labels to
provide clear, contextual information about sugars,”
he says. Improved sugar labelling including
education on how to read labels and pictures that
convey the amount of sugar in food and advisory
labels will be discussed. “New Zealand benefits
from the joint food regulatory system with Australia,”
O’Connor says. “We export around $3.6 billion
of food to Australia, and import around $1.8b.
It makes sense to have the same rules for food
labelling across both countries.” The consultation
runs until September 19.
INDUSTRY
STALWART
RETIRES
SMC Pneumatics New Zealand
sales director Nick O’Connor
has retired after nearly quarter
of a century with the company.
O’Connor – the first employee
of SMC in the South Island – is
a wellknown personality in the
pneumatics and automation
industry, after setting up the
Christchurch branch. In 2004
he was appointed national sales
manager, and a member of the
Board of Directors in 2008. “My
journey at SMC has been an
enjoyable one with a lot of highs
achieved by a hard-working
team,” he says. “I look forward
to watching as SMC continues
to be a dominant brand in the
market and continues its steady
growth, not only in New Zealand
but across the world.” Current
sales and marketing director
for SMC Australia/New Zealand
James McKew will take on the
sales directorship in the interim,
saying he will be making regular
visits to this country. “We wish
Nick all the best with his new
chapter and retirement plans. We
thank him for his years of loyal
service to the company and the
enthusiasm he showed for SMC
and its values,” McKew says.
her organisation applauds the move to
vegan diets on Air New Zealand flights,
“the question needs to be asked as to
why Air NZ would put itself in the position
of ignoring other delicious innovative
plant-based non-GE burgers, fitting
the New Zealand Brand?” The unique
collaboration between Air New Zealand
and Silicon Valley food tech start-up Impossible
Foods is aimed at offering the
award-winning, plant-based Impossible
Burger, which contains an iron-based
molecule called heme that comes
from the roots of soy plants and is the
same as that found in animal meat, to
passengers. The burger cooks, smells
and tastes like beef, but contains no animal
products at all. Air New Zealand’s
inflight customer experience manager
Niki Chave says the airline has been
watching Impossible Foods for some
time and has been impressed with the
work it is doing. The Impossible Burger
is available in nearly 2500 restaurants
throughout the United States. Air NZ will
serve the burger on flights NZ1 and NZ5
from Los Angeles to Auckland through
until late October.
food at the next World Expo in Dubai.
Organisers are starting to call for
interest in the hospitality category, and
commissioner-general to Expo 2020
Clayton Kimpton says the theme of
‘Care for people and place’ shows the
style of input needed. “The restaurant
and hospitality offering should feature
the very best of New Zealand food and
beverage, a country that is good for the
world.” Information can be obtained
from the New Zealand Government
Electronic Tender Services platform
GETS. Expo 2020 Dubai is the first to
be held in the Middle East. Around 180
nations will participate in the six-month
event expected to attract 25 million
international visitors.
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