NEWS
SNIPS
It is time to
re-evaluate the
evidence and
how Glyphosate
Based
Herbicides
(GBHs) are
used in light
of a ground-
breaking court
case finding
harm from the
glyphosate
based herbicide
Roundup
products, GEFree
NZ says
Fonterra
Cooperative
Group won’t
be changing
its ownership
structure, but is
keen on bringing
on partners
to fund future
projects, director
Scott St John
says
Zespri Group
has lodged
several key
documents
to support its
strategically
important
industry
realignment
initiative, with
Minter Ellison
Rudd Watts
advising on the
targeted share
issue and buyback
Husband-andwife
to be Emma
Chisholm and
Lee Saunders
have launched
Alpine Wine
Tours, a new
wine experience
offering unique,
personalised
and ‘adult-only’
experiences for
every wine-lover
in Queenstown.
A WOOLLY
MOUTH
Cats – and humans – could soon be eating proteins from sheep
wool to improve their health, AgResearch scientists suggest.
Exciting possibilities for new uses of sheep wool to improve
digestive health for a broader range of animals - and potentially
human beings - are being studied by AgResearch’s science
group leader for food and bio-based products Dr Jolon Dyer,
who says a lot of new uses of wool are being investigated to
support the sheep industry. “The research is telling us that
sheep wool has many useful attributes, and one of those now
appears to be proteins derived from the wool that could be
used as a dietary supplement to improve digestion and nutrition,
and therefore overall health.” Scientists used controlled
hydrolysis to extract the wool proteins, which were then added
as an ingredient in a pet food formulation targeted at cats and
compared against standard cat food formulations. The findings
indicate that the wool protein hydrolysates offer promise as a
functional ingredient in pet foods, and also as a new nutritional
ingredient in foods generally. AgResearch senior scientist Dr
Santanu Deb-Choudhury, who led the study with fellow scientist
Dr Emma Bermingham, says the hydrolysates offer real potential
as a supplement for pet diets.The next steps for the research will
be to study the effect of the wool hydrolysate on animals other
than cats. “There’s a lot of potential in terms of how it can add
to the wellbeing of pets and other animals, and even people,
but we do need to see how it stacks up in the further research,”
Deb-Choudhury says.
MEAT WORKER
BURNED
NEWS
AUSSIE-BOUND
Hellers has announced it has acquired Moira Mac’s, a
leading Australian manufacturer of chilled, ready-to-eat
poultry. Hellers, a Kiwi smallgoods manufacturer owned
largely by Rangatira Investments, says the purchase
of Moira Mac’s will be a key part of Hellers’ Australian
growth strategy, providing a platform to build on “that
can be scaled up to establish an expanded presence
in the Australian market.” Moira Mac’s was established
in 1983 and boasts more than $40m in sales each year,
supplying major retailers, foodservice and convenience
food manufacturers across Australia.
WIN FOR CEDENCO
Fruit and vegetable manufacturer Cedenco Foods New
Zealand is ExportNZ ASB Hawkes Bay exporter of the
year. The Gisborne-based business – which also won
the inaugural T&G Global best medium to large exporter
award – impressed the judges with its investment in
market research, customer relationships and research
and development. “We liked the level of engagement
across the wider team in developing the company vision,
and the continuous improvement and commitment
to innovation was genuinely impressive,” say the judges.
E tū has written to WorkSafe asking it to urgently respond to a
second incident involving the boiler at AFFCO’s Moerewa meat
works, which seriously injured a boilerman in an incident in
July. The man, who has been treated for serious burns in Middlemore
Hospital, was using a boiler when an issue arose with
the feeders supplying coal. E tū organiser Annie Tothill says
the latest incident is serious and alarming. “This system is not
alarmed so problems are undetectable until pressure reaches
a dangerous level.” The union has also written to WorkSafe to
conduct an urgent assessment by an inspector, as well as an
assessment of the boiler by a qualified external engineer.
AVOCADO CASE
Arrests have been made following a avocado theft spree
that has left Western Bay of Plenty growers light in the
pocket over the past two months. Tauranga Police have
confirmed that three local people have been arrested on
burglary and receiving charges relating to the incidents,
which have occurred on orchards in Te Puke, Welcome
Bay, Bethlehem, Te Puna and Katikati. The avocados are
believed to have been on-sold by a receiver, and police are
asking those who purchase the fruit to know where they
have come from.