Developments

Kiwi academics develop new food design technique

Two leading academics have developed a new food design technique to help inspire the next generation of culinary designers and make artistic food presentation more accessible to New Zealand restaurants. The new technique developed in consultation with EPIC Otago Polytechnic R & D centre and The Food Design Institute at Otago Polytechnic allows chefs to produce large quantities of artistically designed food products by hand on a commercial scale with a small team, and at reduced cost. Otago Polytechnic’s Timothy Lynch, who and lectures on sustainability in the food industry, says they wanted to present ingredients in a way that was consistent with multisensory food design concepts. “The process involves working with natural products to design handcrafted foods that look identical to fruit and vegetables but are filled with contrasting flavours.” “Initially we couldn’t find a way to make these products on a small scale, but a collaboration with the EPIC helped us overcome several barriers, and we were able to develop a method of crafting the lifelike products using food-grade silicon moulds, which we made ourselves,” he says. Lynch says a project of this scale and complexity would require international assistance and a large team of scientists and food specialists. This would have made the project cost prohibitive by New Zealand industry standards, he says. “Thanks to the ingenuity of some of our colleagues and the dedication of our staff and students we have managed to find a way to bring these food creations to life,”- says Lynch. Senior lecturer Tony Heptinstall who has catered for Prince Charles and other royal family members says one of the objectives was to increase current industry capital through being part of an innovative collaboration between the food industry and education. “We were conscious that to inspire the students we needed to take […]

NZ well positioned to be global player in alternative protein market

Eco conscious millennial consumers are reshaping demand for alternative sources of protein according to the country’s largest manufacturer of vegetarian foods. Mark Roper spokesperson for Life Health Foods – which makes plant based Bean Supreme and recently launched Alternative Meat Co. products, says growing concern for the environment is leading this demographic to seek out other options to integrate into their diet. A nationwide survey commissioned by the company has found that millennials aged 18-34 are the most likely demographic to adopt a mostly meat-free lifestyle in the next decade. “Among this age group, factors such as concern for animal welfare and the environment were some of the most important drivers of purchase choice; whereas if you look at older consumers, health considerations and cost of meat were the primary reasons for choosing vegetarian foods,” he says. Roper says New Zealand is well positioned to take advantage of this emerging trend – which has seen accelerated growth in the global meat substitute market. “Our research is showing that many consumers are not completely replacing meat in their diet – instead, they are integrating more meat-free options throughout the week. This makes development of a plant protein market complementary to our existing agricultural exports,” says Roper. He says the new consumer driven trend is something that farmers should not fear, but rather capitalise on. “As a producer we are looking at this growth as a promising future market. As well as a growth industry locally, there is increasing demand for these products in the more well-established markets of the US and Europe where there are potentially large export opportunities for us,” he says. Roper says at the same time, New Zealand is well positioned as a producer nation to capitalise on millennial’s demand for plant based products. “As a country, we […]

Lincoln part of Australian horticultural innovation

Lincoln University is extending its expertise offshore as part of a unique Australian programme cultivating its next horticultural industry leaders. Its Faculty of Agribusiness and Commerce is involved in teaching the Masterclass in Horticultural Business course at the University of Tasmania. Lincoln’s role is led by Professor Alison Bailey and includes collaborating with the world’s top agricultural university, despite mostly staying put in New Zealand. Professor Bailey made the trip to Australia to be part of the course’s first year in 2017 and envisages more Lincoln staff making the journey this year. “It’s an exciting development to be part of,” she said. The course is the first of its kind in Australia for the horticulture industry and is specifically designed for upcoming leaders in the industry. It is being developed in Tasmania in partnership with international leaders in horticulture – Horticulture Innovation Australia, Wageningen Academy (part of Wageningen University, ranked number one globally in Agriculture) and Lincoln University. Professor Alison Bailey said Modules which Lincoln experts contribute to include horticultural management, financial management, horticultural marketing, global trends and international business, innovation and entrepreneurship, and business development and strategy. The course is offered through flexible online delivery, with three face to face intensives, or workshops, and students are tasked with developing a strategic plan for their own company. Students go online to listen to pre-recorded mini lectures of between 8-15 minutes duration. The lectures are supported by guided reading material, online mini-quizzes, and assignments to be completed by the student usually offline and then sent in electronically The course reflects Lincoln University’s focus on collaborating with other institutions.

Environment and agriculture can both benefit from trade agreement

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTTP) trade agreement has the potential to transform the agricultural sector and at the same time benefit the environment, agribusiness expert Dr. Nic Lees of Lincoln University says. However, he added, the public needed to be convinced of that. The CPTTP is the re-negotiated Trans Pacific Partnership after the USA withdrew, and is a free trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Negotiations have concluded between the countries but it is yet to be ratified by New Zealand. The TTP had met some public and political opposition. The CPTTP could change the sector from relying on low cost commodities to a focus on high value exports intimately connected to a pristine environment, Dr. Lees said. “Where New Zealand producers are exporting high value branded products we see an associated increase in concern for the environment. These producers know that they need to meet consumers demand for products to be produced ethically and sustainably.” He said tariffs on New Zealand beef exports to Japan will drop from 38.5% to 9%, saving the industry $25 million. “This reduction in tariffs will give New Zealand and Australia a competitive advantage over the USA beef in the high value Japanese market. “It will encourage New Zealand beef farmers to target high value beef cuts in the Japanese market rather than export commodity hamburger beef to the USA,” Dr. Lees added. Tariffs on kiwifruit exports to Japan, the largest importer of New Zealand kiwifruit, will be eliminated. Tariffs on wine exports to New Zealand’s fourth largest market Canada will also be removed. Overall the CPTPP could provide approximately $222m of tariff savings each year. However, he said, the public need to be convinced of these benefits. “There is […]

New $13m infant formula can facility in Christchurch

International packaging manufacturer Jamestrong has opened a state-of-art infant formula can manufacturing facility in Christchurch as part of its NZ manufacturing investment strategy. Jamestrong ANZ Managing Director Alex Commins said the Christchurch facility in Hornby will supply New Zealand milk powder to the burgeoning Chinese infant formula market. “In excess of 20 million babies are born each year in China. Producing 16,000,000 infant formula cans per year, the new Hornby facility will contribute to New Zealand’s reputation as a global leader in dairy exports and provide jobs for local workers. “It is imperative the canning facilities are in close proximity to the raw product and associated services. Christchurch is ideally located, close to NZ dairy producers and processors,” Alex said. The Hornby facility is the second of three high-care infant formula facilities Jamestrong is developing as part of its commitment to manufacturing in Australia and New Zealand. “Kyabram in regional Australia was the site of the first high-care infant formula can manufacture. A third facility in Auckland is in the planning phase and expected to be rolling cans off the line by February 2019,” Alex said.

Fonterra ventures partners PIC on Food website

Fonterra ventures partners with high growth active nutrition start-uo

Fonterra Ventures has entered into its first strategic partnership, teaming up with German active nutrition start-up foodspring® through an investment in its parent company, Goodminton AG. The new partnership will enable Fonterra to tap into the rapidly growing active nutrition consumer segment, which is valued at $200 billion globally, and forecast to expand significantly in the years to come. Judith Swales, Fonterra’s Chief Operating Officer, Velocity and Innovation says the deal creates a range of exciting new business and market development opportunities for the Co-operative. “Fonterra is a global leader in protein and high value, advanced ingredients, so it’s only right we should strive to be at the forefront of the active nutrition market. The strategic partnership with foodspring® will accelerate our progress in the category by giving us direct access to a new consumer segment. This investment is a first for Fonterra and supports our strategy to grow in high value categories. “foodspring’s impressive growth trajectory is supported by its strong direct to consumer channel and digital nutrition and wellbeing coach. By leveraging this technology and innovative business model, we’ll be able to share the goodness of dairy with more consumers around the world,” Judith added. Founded by Philipp Schrempp and Tobias Schüle, foodspring® is a high growth, active nutrition Berlin based start-up. From whey protein shakes to organic superfoods, foodspring® has a strong brand and product portfolio across the healthy eating, weight management and muscle-building categories targeting the consumer’s mind, body and soul. Their products are sold online across Europe and Asia. “We are pleased to have gained the support of one of the largest and most innovative dairy companies, which is very aligned to our business. We look forward to welcoming Fonterra Ventures on board and the synergies we can capture from our partnership,” says Tobias […]

Farm animal welfare moves up the corporate agenda

Leading global measure of how companies perform on farm animal welfare shows that ‘big business’ is getting the message: animal cruelty is bad for business. Launched in February The Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) Report, now in its sixth year, demonstrates again that farm animal welfare is moving up the corporate agenda; with more companies responding to growing consumer and investor demand for better treatment of animals in their supply chains. The message is clear: cruel treatment of farm animals is not just ethically unacceptable it is also bad for business. The BBFAW report, in collaboration with World Animal Protection, Compassion in Farming and investment firm Coller Capital, is the globally recognised investor framework for assessing the quality of companies’ practices, processes and performance on farm animal welfare. In 2017, a record 110 companies sought a BBFAW ranking; up from 99 in 2016. The companies include global food brands such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and New Zealand multinational – Fonterra Cooperative Group Limited. This latest Report shows that many of the 110 global food companies are increasingly integrating farm animal welfare into their management and reporting processes: 47% of these companies now have explicit board or senior management oversight of farm animal welfare, a clear indication of how seriously they regard it; 72% have published formal improvement objectives for farm animal welfare; 87 companies (79%) have made commitments on the crucial issue of avoiding close confinement in one or more of the major markets in which they operate. The most common corporate commitments relate to the elimination of cages for laying hens and the elimination of sow stalls for mother pigs. “Smart businesses know that consumers and investors will no longer tolerate cruelty to farm animals” says Ben Pearson, Senior Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection New […]

TB-free progress means fewer tests for some farmers

New Zealand’s TBfree programme is demonstrating progress with the reduction of testing requirements for cattle and deer herds in a few areas of the North Island from 1 March 2018. The TBfree programme manages cattle and deer TB testing through Disease Control Areas (DCAs) throughout New Zealand that focus on areas of varying risk of livestock TB infection from the main wildlife vector of disease, possums. TBfree’s strategy combines targeted possum control, TB testing and stock movement controls to helps control the spread of bovine TB beyond these boundaries. DCA changes show the progress of TB control towards the ultimate eradication of bovine tuberculosis from New Zealand’s cattle and deer herds. So far OSPRI’s TBfree programme has eradicated TB from 1.83 million hectares – with 7.9m hectares of Vector Risk Area left to be eradicated. Each year, DCA boundaries and the TB testing regime within them are assessed and adjusted according to progress in the TBfree programme. From 1 March, reductions to DCAs affect 317,000 hectares and 1029 herds, resulting in more than 31,000 fewer TB tests for cattle and deer herds. The changes are relatively small after the large reductions in 2017, when 2.3 million hectares and 7400 herds were affected. Michelle Edge, Chief Executive of OSPRI, which manages the TBfree programme, says that as TB management in each area proves successful, disease control areas are reviewed based on detailed scientific analysis and data modelling. Accordingly, where TB eradication targets have been met, testing requirements are reduced. “The progress of the TBfree programme is a credit to farmers, the industry and Government organisations that invest in the TBfree programme and in the ultimate goal of making New Zealand TB-free.”

Synlait opens research and development centre in Palmerston North

In the picture:Palmerston North Mayor, Grant Smith, cutting the ribbon to open Synlait Palmerston North. Massey University Vice Chancellor, Prof Jan Thomas, stands to his right and Roger Schwarzenbach, Synlait’s GM of Technical and Innovation, is opposite. Synlait Palmerston North has been officially opened by Massey University’s Vice Chancellor and the Mayor of Palmerston North. “We’re very excited to be opening Synlait Palmerston North today, which is home to our new Research and Development Centre,” says John Penno, Managing Director and CEO. “We have some major opportunities in front of us. With the strong team and partnerships we’ve got in place to lead liquid innovation within our business, we won’t miss a beat,” he says. The Vice Chancellor of Massey University, Professor Jan Thomas, opened the facility and highlighted the important new relationship between Synlait and the university. “The establishment of Synlait’s new Research and Development Centre at Massey’s Manawatū campus is an excellent example of industry and the university collaborating closely to achieve real, tangible outcomes,” says Professor Thomas. “Strategic partnerships like these are vital if we are to start and grow new industries, create new jobs, and to remain competitive in the global marketplace. Massey University is New Zealand’s premier provider of food research and education, and at the forefront of pioneering such partnerships with the food industry.” she says. The Mayor for Palmerston North and Accelerate 25 Lead Team member, Grant Smith, thanked Synlait for choosing Food HQ and Palmerston North City for their investment. “It’s fantastic to now see commercial companies such as Synlait organically using the value of Food HQ and Massey University. Assisting companies with R+D and commercialising their products is one of Food HQ’s key roles,” says Mr Smith. “The City of Palmerston North is part of Accelerate 25, a regional economic development […]

Farm machinery sales back to 2014 levels

Sales of tractors in 2017 increased markedly, just topping the previous highest recorded levels of 2014, says NZ Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) General Manager, Ron Gall. Mr Gall said the association recognised that some farmers in both islands were currently experiencing hardship with the very hot and dry conditions. The challenging drought conditions may affect sales in the coming months but it was hoped changing weather would provide some relief. Mr Gall said in 2017, a total of 4079 tractors were sold. This is up 13% on 2016, up 14% on 2015 and even slightly up on the boom dairy year of 2014, which had 4062 sales. Sales were particularly strong in the dairy areas of Waikato, Taranaki, Manawatu, Canterbury and Southland and in the horticulture, viticulture and arable areas of Northland, Hawkes Bay, Nelson and Marlborough. Otago, home to dairy and horticulture and viticulture, experienced particularly impressive growth, with a 28% increase on 2016. The biggest increase on last year’s sales was Taranaki with 214 sales in 2017 compared to 158 in 2016, representing a 35% boost. Combined, the areas of North, Mid and South Canterbury had a 22% increase on 2016. Mr Gall said the increased sales reflected the improved dairy forecast payout along with steady growth in horticulture and viticulture. According to TAMA’s biennual industry value and employment survey, the total number of people employed in the tractor and farm machinery sales and servicing sector had also increased. There has been a 14% increase since 2015 – from 2492 to 2846 roles. Nearly 40% of those employed earned salaries of more than $75,000. Of respondents to the survey, 57% said they had difficulties hiring staff and 19% had hired migrants. “The machinery/technology sector offers innovative and well-paid jobs with a strong career pathway, including senior roles in […]

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