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Australian avocado industry deepens Malaysia collaboration as exports reach record growth

Avocados Australia Limited, the peak body representing Australian avocado growers, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Monash University Malaysia and a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with UOW Malaysia, reinforcing collaboration in nutrition education, culinary innovation and industry engagement. These partnerships are part of Avocados Australia’s long-term Southeast Asia strategy to strengthen knowledge exchange and trade relationships – a move that fortifies the Australian avocado industry’s engagement with Malaysia. According to the latest 2025 Australian Avocado Exports and Imports Report, Australian avocado exports reached 18,487 tonnes in 2025, an 8.6 per cent increase year-on-year, with export value rising to AUD99.10 million. Over the past decade, Australian avocado exports have grown at an average rate of 26 per cent per year, reflecting sustained international demand. Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia accounted for 84 per cent of Australia’s total export volumes in 2025, with Malaysia recording particularly strong growth, rising 54 per cent year-on-year. Australia currently holds approximately 70 to 72 per cent market share in Malaysia and Singapore, maintaining market leadership in both countries since 2021. Chairman of Avocados Australia, Matthew Kleyn, said the partnerships with Monash University Malaysia and UOW Malaysia reflect a long-term commitment to Malaysia that extends beyond trade volumes. “Malaysia is an important partner for the Australian avocado industry. With exports growing strongly and Malaysia emerging as one of our top three markets globally, it is important that we invest not only in trade, but also in knowledge exchange, nutrition education and culinary capability that supports long-term market development,” said Kleyn. The MOU with Monash University Malaysia establishes a framework for collaboration centred on health and nutrition education, student engagement initiatives and industry briefings on the nutritional profile of Australian avocados. The partnership will support knowledge exchange on evidence-based health messaging, promote awareness of nutrient-dense foods […]

SWING Evo, the pasteuriser that redefines efficiency through intelligent design

Sidel’s SWING Evo is a tunnel pasteuriser that combines smart modular design with a breakthrough counterflow concept, setting a new benchmark for sustainability and performance in beverage production. Drawing on decades of industry expertise, SWING Evo introduces an innovative counterflow concept and modular design, allowing beverage manufacturers to precisely control pasteurisation, water usage and energy consumption for each module. This breakthrough sets a new benchmark for the sector, delivering substantial cost savings without compromising product quality or operational flexibility. Tailored specifically for beer producers, the system supports both glass and can packaging formats “SWING Evo pushes the boundaries of sustainability, through introducing true modular efficiency,” said Andrea Solfa, Product Manager Tunnel and Site Leader at Sidel. “By ensuring that each module is autonomous and running the top and bottom decks in opposite directions, we have been able to create a pasteuriser that optimises every drop of water and kilowatt of energy with no trade-off on quality.” Pioneering design for lower consumption Thanks to its counterflow configuration and dedicated heat and water circuits, SWING® Evo minimises heat dispersion and eliminates unnecessary circulation between tanks. Each module is independently controlled, allowing the system to adapt precisely to production needs. This solution offers significant sustainability advantages for beverage producers transitioning their operations, achieving reductions of 10% in water consumption¹, 35% in electricity usage¹ and 10% in steam utilisation¹. “Every aspect of the design was re-engineered for efficiency,” continued Solfa. “From the shorter piping path to the predictive control of cooling media, SWING® Evo proves that less is more.” Preserved pasteurisation quality, enhanced flexibility Building on Sidel’s renowned pasteurisation expertise, SWING® Evo integrates the PRINCE X predictive control system, ensuring precise product treatment and eliminating under/over-pasteurisation risks. It automatically analyses product temperature evolution and adjusts spray conditions in real time, even during production downtimes or power […]

Asian protein buyers trail global best practice

Asia’s largest food retailers, manufacturers, restaurant chains, and hospitality groups remain behind international better practice on sustainable and responsible protein sourcing, but progress is accelerating across the region. The APB100 is a benchmark based on investor-backed priorities – assessing how 100 of Asia’s largest listed protein-buying companies — headquartered or operating across Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mainland China, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam — manage environmental, social, and governance risks embedded in meat, dairy, poultry, and seafood supply chains. Collectively, the companies assessed represent more than USD500 billion in market capitalisation and sit at the choke point of Asia’s protein system, where procurement decisions shape production standards, risk management and food-system outcomes. The companies assessed include some of Asia’s most recognisable food and retail groups. These include China Mengniu Dairy, Yili Group, Yonghui and Yum China (Mainland China); AEON, Seven & I Holdings, Meiji, Nissin and NH Foods (Japan); CJ CheilJedang, Lotte and E-Mart (South Korea); Charoen Pokphand Foods and Thai Union (Thailand); Jollibee, Century Pacific Food and San Miguel Food & Beverage (Philippines); Vinamilk (Vietnam); and Hindustan Lever, Nestle India, Jubilant, Devyani, DMart, Westlife Foodworld (McDonald’s India) (India), among others. Scores are improving, but the baseline remains low Now in its second edition, the benchmark shows clear momentum since 2023 — but also highlights that most companies remain at an early stage of credible implementation. The average overall score increased from 9% in 2023 to 16% in 2025, with around 80% of companies improving year-on-year. More than half of comparable companies moved up at least one performance tier. However, no company reached the top two performance tiers, underscoring a persistent gap between sustainability commitments and on-the-ground execution. A growing group of leaders is emerging The number of companies in the leading Tier 3 group more than […]

Lotus Land Agency updates from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025

The annual global ceremony to celebrate The World’s 50 Best Restaurants was held in Turin, Italy, yesterday evening, the 19th June. Lotus clients: Ikoyi – Jeremy Chan; KOL – Santiago Lastra; Saint Peter – Josh Niland; Koan – Kristian Baumann; and Burnt Ends – Dave Pynt, all received their latest positions within the top 50 and the extended list. No. 15 and the Highest Climber Award – Ikoyi, London. Eight years later, Ikoyi, led by co-founders Chef Jeremy Chan and Managing Director Iré Hassan-Odukale, continues to evolve through curated seasonal menus. Their dishes feature the finest hyper-seasonal British produce combined with globally sourced ingredients, creating a balance of elegance and bold flavors. New dishes such as green pea hummus with Kaluga caviar, green beans seasoned with elderflower and finished with pork consommé, exemplify Ikoyi’s global modernism, representing a placeless, free, unfixed, and personal style while reflecting the energy of its international city home No. 49 – KOL, London. Chef Santiago Lastra and his one-Michelin-Star, KOL, are already celebrating five years of bringing a taste of Mexico to the fine dining world in London. This August, Santiago and KOL return to Mexico for a one-night collaboration with two-Michelin-starred Quintonil and Chef Jorge Vallejo. Together, Santiago and Jorge will explore their heritage and conceptualise a new wave of Mexican cuisine. Santiago is honoured and grateful to represent Mexico on the global gastronomic stage, believing ‘the simplest ingredients can be made extraordinary if you believe in them’. No. 66 – Saint Peter, Sydney. Saint Peter, Josh and Julie Niland’s Sydney restaurant, rose an enormous 32 places to No. 66 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards list. This year, the restaurant relocated from its original site as Josh and Julie opened their first hotel—The Grand National—just around the corner from the original Saint […]

DaVinci Gourmet transitions cocoa used to Rainforest Alliance

In a first among global food service beverage brands, DaVinci Gourmet, part of Kerry Group, has transitioned 100% of the cocoa used in its full range of sauces, syrups and powders to Rainforest Alliance Certified sources. To drive awareness and help cafés make the switch, DaVinci Gourmet is offering the first 200 food service operators to join its Conscious Chocolate Campaign sustainable chocolate kits that include ethically sourced products, café-ready point-of-sale materials, and a recipe book co-developed with leading beverage creators featuring Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa. A new consumer study by Kerry reveals that 83% of consumers would choose a drink made with Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa over one without certification. Consumers are also willing to pay 20% more for a chocolate drink made with sustainably sourced ingredients sending a signal to the food service industry of the value of ethical sourcing. While Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa is available in retail chocolate bars, many chocolate-based drinks served in cafes and restaurants do not carry sustainable cocoa certification. “DaVinci Gourmet is proud to lead the change to sustainably sourced ingredients because sustainability should be the standard. What’s more, while we use sustainable cocoa, we don’t pass on any extra cost to our customers,” says Eloise Dubuisson, General Manager, Food Service Brands, Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa. This recognition of the need for change is consistent with global trends: 78% of consumers say sustainability influences their purchase decisions. With cocoa a core ingredient in café menus, the spotlight is now on what goes into food and beverages. World Cocoa Foundation and International Labour Organization reports continue to raise concerns over supply chain practices in some top-producing countries. Currently, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana produce over 60% of the world’s cocoa. “Customers no longer just seek flavour. There is growing expectation for […]

Legado by Chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho opens August 2025

Legado, Nieves Barragán Mohacho’s second venue in partnership with JKS Restaurants, will open on Thursday, August 28th, 2025. Legado, meaning ‘Legacy’, is a profoundly personal expression of Spain and its rich regional food culture from the heart of visionary Spanish chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho. Suitably located in London’s Shoreditch, Legado is Nieves’s creative home, allowing her to share her beloved Spain through her intuitive artistic lens. With over two decades at the helm of Spanish cuisine in London, Nieves is renowned for her energetic joy in presenting some of her home country’s most iconic dishes, served at the one-Michelin-starred Sabor in Mayfair. Legado, however, is set to move beyond the familiar, allowing the wider ingredients, lesser-known dishes, regional culinary traditions and the Spanish artisans Nieves adores to take centre stage. With seating for over 60 in the dining room and space for 16 at the counter, Legado will also introduce the Taberna, a dedicated bar and outdoor terrace open all day serving tapas and pintxos. Nieves explains, “Spain’s food heritage is incredible and has rightly deserved recognition in London and globally. Its colours, tastes, and smells are rooted deeply within me. However, many dishes I love, I have never seen outside the country and want to bring them and even more to London.” The Food Ingredients – including their producers, history, and legacy – are at the fore of Nieves’s vision and the very soul of Legado. This begins with whole animal butchery, which will take place in-house, honouring farmers, animals, and the regions that rear them. Lamb, for example, is from Zamora, Lechazo de Castilla y León (IGP protected Indicación Geográfica Protegida), and will weave its way throughout the menu, celebrating dishes from the Basque Country to Mallorca. Likewise, suckling pig, a symbol of prosperity and abundance with roots […]

World first waste upcycling tech to reduce dependence on imported foods

A world-first Kiwi-developed food technology that upcycles horticultural waste into high-value products is set to reduce NZ’s dependence on imported food ingredients, cut greenhouse gas emissions, increase grower returns and boost regional employment. The waste valorisation system, developed by sustainability venture Powered by Plants (PbP) with support from Government-backed New Zealand Food Innovation Network (NZFIN), diverts thousands of tonnes of perishable horticultural produce from landfill and processes it into shelf-stable, high-value powders, concentrates and extracts for use in the food, nutraceutical and supplement sectors. The model, which can be scaled internationally, also produces bioenergy, fertiliser and even high-protein insect meal from previously unrecoverable waste. Dr Andrew Prest, director of Powered by Plants, says the concept was born out of frustration with the current food production model, where around a fifth of harvested produce is routinely discarded before it ever leaves the farm gate or is sold at unsustainable prices. He says with New Zealand’s $7 billion export horticulture sector producing over 6.2 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables each year, the opportunity to address the environmental and economic cost of waste is significant. Prest says the onion industry alone produces around 110,000 tonnes annually and has export earnings of approximately $170 million. However, up to 20% of this is sent to landfill, costing growers around $15 million each year, a loss compounded by the missed opportunity to upcycle this waste into high-value food ingredients or bio-products. He says the zero waste technology can produce powders and concentrates from almost any fruit and vegetable surplus and processed off-cut waste, including carrots, mushrooms, capsicum and blueberries, and can be adapted to other horticultural crops like kiwifruit and stone fruit. “Growers are stuck in an unsustainable commodity cycle where they’re selling most of their crop fresh and dumping the rest, either to landfill […]

Chef Spotlight: John Chantarasak

John Chantarasak of AngloThai brings a bold and deeply personal expression of Thai cuisine to London Restaurant: AngloThai Chef: John Chantarasak Cuisine: British-Thai Located on Seymour Place, just five minutes from Marble Arch, AngloThai is the Michelin-starred restaurant from British-born chef John Chantarasak. Raised between two culinary cultures – the spice-driven, resourceful home cooking of his British mother and the vibrant flavours of his father’s Thai heritage – John brings a deeply personal perspective to his cooking. Following a series of acclaimed residencies, AngloThai opened its first permanent home in November 2024 and quickly earned a loyal following. Just three months later, it was awarded its first Michelin star in the 2025 Guide for Great Britain and Ireland. At AngloThai, John and his wife Desiree explore the intersection of Thai flavours and British ingredients, pairing ferments, curry pastes and grilling traditions with the seasonal bounty of the UK. Sustainability and local sourcing are at the heart of the kitchen, with ingredients like ancient grains from the South West, heritage vegetables grown without artificial intervention, native-breed meats, and line-caught seafood from trusted British suppliers. Holy Basil is sourced from a hydroponic vertical farm in East London, sunflower seeds replace peanuts in sauces, the outer leaves of cabbage are used in place of banana leaf, and tart, citrusy sea buckthorn berries stand in for the sour notes of tamarind or lime. Even rice – the cornerstone of Asian cuisine – is reimagined through British ancient heritage grains. It’s a cuisine that doesn’t strive for authenticity by replication, but by memory, technique, and emotion. The wine list, curated by Desiree, focuses on small, thoughtful producers, with a particular interest in Central Europe. Over the years, the couple has built close relationships with winemakers – most notably Julia and Josef of Nibiru in Kamptal, […]

Australian flavours find fans at Saudi Food Show

Over 50 Australian exporters brought a taste of Australia to Saudi Food Show in May– the largest food and beverage sourcing event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Austrade was proud to join state, territory and industry partners to support Australian exhibitors across meat, dairy, convenience, health foods and beverages. Australia’s clean, green, quality food and beverages consistently stand out in the Middle East, says Bryony Hilless, Austrade General Manager for the Middle East, Africa & Pakistan. ‘As the Middle East’s population grows and consumers demand high-quality and reliable food and beverages, Australia has become a secure and trusted exporter to the region,’ she says. The Middle East is Australia’s fourth largest market for agricultural exports. In 2024, Australia exported A$4.7 billion in agricultural goods to the region –A$600 million to Saudi Arabia. ‘Saudi Food Show offered a golden opportunity for the region’s retailers, wholesalers and food service providers to connect with Australian producers and explore partnerships,’ says Hilless. ‘We are proud to report many quality connections were made between Australian businesses and these buyers.’ Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and a raft of global events are transforming the Kingdom’s food and beverage landscape. There are unparalleled opportunities for Australian exporters to provide the innovative, premium products, explains Austrade’s Trade and Investment Commissioner Todd Miller. ‘Opportunities as part of this transformation span tourism and food service industries, as well as increasing speciality products like organic and health foods and convenience products,’ he adds. Meat on the menu at the Australia Pavilion Austrade partnered with Meat & Livestock Australia to bring a taste of Australia’s premium products to the region. Australian lamb and beef exporters, including Karim and Stanbroke, brought a range of halal-certified, high-quality meats. Australian frozen and chilled meat exports to the region are increasing. Sheep meat exports doubled between 2020 and 2024 to […]

MSU-led research team receives $500K grant to combat herbicide-resistant weeds in soybeans

East Lansing, Mich. — A national research team led by Michigan State University has received a $500,000 grant from the United Soybean Board to develop new diagnostic tools for herbicide-resistant weeds in soybeans. The award currently covers one year but can be extended for up to three years. Eric Patterson, an assistant professor and weed geneticist in the MSU Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences (PSM), leads the project that will cover most of the soybean-growing region of the U.S. Additional MSU team members include Erin Hill, a weed diagnostician with MSU Plant & Pest Diagnostics; Erin Burns, an assistant professor in PSM; and Christy Sprague, a professor in PSM. The multistate project also brings together partners from Kansas State University, Mississippi State University, Penn State University, Purdue University, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, the University of Arkansas, the University of Illinois, the University of Missouri, and the University of Wisconsin. For decades, the primary method of weed eradication has been chemical control with herbicides, but growers and researchers are seeing increased levels of resistance in several weed species. Patterson said the primary culprit is an overreliance on a limited number of herbicides. According to a 2014 study supported by the United Soybean Board, herbicide-resistant weeds cost U.S. soybean growers more than $2 billion annually. Since then, populations of these weeds have proliferated across the country with almost every major crop, boosting that figure substantially when considering all of agriculture. The new project is called HERMON (Herbicide Resistance Monitoring Network) and is broadly aimed at developing rapid diagnostic tools for resistance detection, increasing screening capacity and improving chemical management recommendations. The work is rooted in extension with an overarching goal to deliver effective strategies directly to soybean growers. Patterson, whose research program is supported in part by MSU AgBioResearch, said […]

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