Podcasts about grocery council

It could be too little too late when it comes to encouraging a third supermarket to New Zealand. The Government's repeated the call that we need more competition - to pressure prices. It's laying out plans to challenge the incumbents, Foodstuffs and Woolworths - and remove regulations discouraging competition. Former pre cursor to the Food and Grocery Council chief executive Ernie Newman told Francesca Rudkin the time has past and the focus should be on breaking up the existing sector. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Food & Drink Business editor Kim Berry is joined by Australian Food & Grocery Council (AFGC) CEO, Tanya Barden, to discuss the current state of play for Australia's food and grocery sector.Tanya gives us an overview of the challenges faced by the industry with increased cost pressures, ageing assets, and a lack of investment. We discuss the role of government grants and tax incentives to invest in Australia's production capabilities, and the lack of representation of the sector in the Future Made in Australia strategy.We explore the many inquiries underway in Australia, focussing on the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct Review. Tanya explains the potential to improve relationships between retailers and suppliers, implications if the code becomes mandatory, and her concerns about unintended consequences of some suggestions being considered. We also look at the global market, touch on novel foods and consider the current review of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act.We wrap up by discussing the Council's continued efforts to improve advocacy, industry insights, and reporting trends to its members.LINKS:Sponsored by CommBankcommbank.com.au/manufacturingAustralian Food & Grocery Council:www.afgc.org.au------------------------------The Food & Drink Business Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Food & Drink Business, owned and published by Yaffa Media (www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au).The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Food & Drink Business, Yaffa Media, or the guest's employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.If you wish to use any of this podcast's audio, please contact Food & Drink Business via their website www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au or send an email to editor@foodanddrinkbusiness.com.auHost: Kim BerryMC: Grant McHerronProducer: Steve VisscherEditor: Chris VisscherFood & Drink Business - © 2024

As inflation finally eases, Nationals Leader David Littleproud calls for an inquiry into supermarket prices and the CEO of Australian Food and Grocery Council responds to accusations of price gouging. Plus, an insight into the newest A.I. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's not easy to take an enterprise and reconfigure its mission and values. But doing so can open new opportunities at the nexus of purpose and profit. Nicole Sparshott is the CEO of Unilever Australia & New Zealand, one of the world's leading suppliers of beauty, personal care, home care, and food and refreshment products, with the goal of making sustainable living commonplace and accessible for everyone. In this "Best Of" episode, she shares how a complex enterprise with a wide portfolio of brands creates balance to drive growth and impact, and how all stakeholders can collaborate to make a positive impact through what we buy and how we live to better our shared future. Lead With We is Produced by Goal 17 Media - https://goal17media.com Nicole Sparshott: Nicky is the CEO of Unilever Australia & New Zealand and former Global CEO of luxury retailer, T2 Tea. She has over 25 years of experience in developing and building brands, growing businesses, and transforming infrastructure and culture. She has worked across a broad range of organizations including Unilever, The Coca-Cola Company, P&G and George Patterson Y&R. Recognized for her depth and breadth of expertise across FMCG, Retail, Luxury, and Ecommerce, Nicky also brings broader based category experience spanning food, beverages, health care and personal care. Nicky holds a master's degree in international business, which has been supported by significant global management experience across Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe, USA and the highly diverse markets of Asia. She recently completed an Executive MBA in Change, through INSEAD, graduating with Distinction and is also an HBDI certified practitioner. Nicky is a Non-Executive Director on the boards of World Wildlife Fund Australia and The Australian Food & Grocery Council and is Chair of NFP, Global Sisters. She also sits on the Australasian Advisory Board of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute and UTS Vice Chancellors Industry Advisory Board. She is a National Member of the Champions of Change Coalition; a Founding Member of the B-Team Australasia and Climate Leaders Coalition and is a member of Chief Executive Women. She is a passionate advocate that businesses today must drive regenerative agendas that positively impact people, planet and profit and in doing so be a true force for good. The best advice she has ever been given was "when you are dancing on thin ice you may as well tap dance" and that is how she lives her life with her husband Graeme and their two children, Keira & Lachlan. Resources: Learn more about Unilever ANZ at: https://www.unilever.com.au/ Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicky-sparshott-7997a54/   Visit leadwithwe.com to learn more about Simon's new book or search for "Lead With We" on Amazon, Google Books, or Barnes & Noble.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, talks with Tanya Barden, CEO of the Australian Food & Grocery Council, about the National Plastics Recycling Scheme (NPRS) which aims to recycle household post-consumer soft plastics. We get an insight into how the scheme was designed and launched to supply consumers with specialised bags to recycle their soft plastics through their existing kerbside bin collections. Tanya gives us an update on the progress of the scheme, outcomes from their household trials, and the next steps towards securing circularity in soft plastics.The discussion also explores how the NPRS will support infrastructure development, the stakeholders involved in the delivery of the scheme, and how members of the packaging industry can get involved. LINKS:Kerbside collection sees soft plastic uptakehttps://www.packagingnews.com.au/sustainability/kerbside-collection-sees-soft-plastic-uptakeAFGC supports Govt steps to boost recyclinghttps://www.packagingnews.com.au/latest/afgc-supports-govt-steps-to-boost-recyclingAny manufacturers looking to highlight their environmental credentials and drive this project early are encouraged to get in touch with the team (nprs@afgc.org.au) to sign on. https://www.afgc.org.au/ ------------------------------The PKN Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of PKN Packaging News, owned and published by Yaffa Media.The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of PKN Packaging News, Yaffa Media, or the guest's employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.If you wish to use any of this podcast's audio, please contact PKN Packaging News via their website www.packagingnews.com.au or send an email to editor@packagingnews.com.au.MC: Grant McHerronHost: Lindy HughsonProducer: Steve VisscherPKN Packaging News - © 2023

When soft plastics recycler REDcycle collapsed this year, stockpiles containing tonnes of plastic bags and packaging were discovered dotted around the country. It's left Australia in a recycling crisis - what to do with all this waste? And what's the replacement for the REDcycle program?A new initiative is being developed with the backing of major food and beverage brands like Mondelez, Nestle, PepsiCo, Kellogg's and Arnott's. Tanya Barden, CEO of the Australian Food and Grocery Council, talks to Sean Aylmer about the National Plastics Recycling Scheme.Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's not easy to take an enterprise and reconfigure its mission and values. But doing so can open new opportunities at the nexus of purpose and profit. Nicole Sparshott is the CEO of Unilever Australia & New Zealand, one of the world's leading suppliers of beauty, personal care, home care, and food and refreshment products, with the goal of making sustainable living commonplace and accessible for everyone. In this episode, she shares how a complex enterprise with a wide portfolio of brands creates balance to drive growth and impact, and how all stakeholders can collaborate to make a positive impact through what we buy and how we live to better our shared future.  Lead With We is Produced by Goal 17 Media - https://goal17media.com Nicole Sparshott: Nicky is the CEO of Unilever Australia & New Zealand and former Global CEO of luxury retailer, T2 Tea. She has over 25 years of experience in developing and building brands, growing businesses, and transforming infrastructure and culture. She has worked across a broad range of organizations including Unilever, The Coca-Cola Company, P&G and George Patterson Y&R. Recognized for her depth and breadth of expertise across FMCG, Retail, Luxury, and Ecommerce, Nicky also brings broader based category experience spanning food, beverages, health care and personal care. Nicky holds a master's degree in international business, which has been supported by significant global management experience across Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe, USA and the highly diverse markets of Asia. She recently completed an Executive MBA in Change, through INSEAD, graduating with Distinction and is also an HBDI certified practitioner. Nicky is a Non-Executive Director on the boards of World Wildlife Fund Australia and The Australian Food & Grocery Council and is Chair of NFP, Global Sisters. She also sits on the Australasian Advisory Board of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute and UTS Vice Chancellors Industry Advisory Board. She is a National Member of the Champions of Change Coalition; a Founding Member of the B-Team Australasia and Climate Leaders Coalition and is a member of Chief Executive Women. She is a passionate advocate that businesses today must drive regenerative agendas that positively impact people, planet and profit and in doing so be a true force for good. The best advice she has ever been given was "when you are dancing on thin ice you may as well tap dance" and that is how she lives her life with her husband Graeme and their two children, Keira & Lachlan. Resources: Learn more about Unilever ANZ at: https://www.unilever.com.au/ Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicky-sparshott-7997a54/ Visit leadwithwe.com to learn more about Simon's new book or search for "Lead With We" on Amazon, Google Books, or Barnes & Noble.   

Now to look at food supplies - amid widespread farm and crop devastation - and the impact on what we'll be able to buy in food stores. Raewyn Bleakley is the CEO of the NZ Food and Grocery Council. 

The Warehouse is stepping up its battle against supermarkets, introducing fresh fruit and vegetables to some stores from today. The produce sections are being rolled out in Whangarei, Auckland's Westgate, Wellington's Lyall Bay, Christchurch's Riccarton, Timaru and Invercargill. Former Food and Grocery Council Chief Executive Ernie Newman told Kate Hawkesby it's a great move. He says current supermarket prices are untenable, and The Warehouse will provide supermarkets with more competition, which could lower prices for consumers. The Warehouse unsuccessfully trialled fresh food once before, in 2006. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warehouse is stepping up its battle against supermarkets, introducing fresh fruit and vegetables to some stores from today. The produce sections are being rolled out in Whangarei, Auckland's Westgate, Wellington's Lyall Bay, Christchurch's Riccarton, Timaru and Invercargill. Former Food and Grocery Council Chief Executive Ernie Newman told Kate Hawkesby it's a great move. He says current supermarket prices are untenable, and The Warehouse will provide supermarkets with more competition, which could lower prices for consumers. The Warehouse unsuccessfully trialled fresh food once before, in 2006. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Food and Grocery Council is backing a move to force this country's supermarket giants to allow competitors to enter the market. The Government told Foodstuffs and Countdown yesterday they must loosen their grip on the grocery sector and let other retailers into the wholesale market that they currently dominate. It also warned that if this doesn't happen, they'll be forced to sell goods at fairer prices, set by the incoming Grocery Commissioner. Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich says it's an important step. She spoke to Susie Ferguson.

The government's war on the supermarket duopoly has ramped up a notch today - in another attempt to bring down the cost of our shopping baskets.  Under the changes, the two major players - Countdown and Foodstuffs - will have to sell products wholesale to competitors at a fair price - or be forced to.   Countdown says it's already working on providing wholesale supply - but warns that unnecessary and overly complex legislation could make the cost of living crisis worse.  And Foodstuffs, who own Pak'n'Save and New World among others - say it's not as simple as swinging open the doors of its distribution centres to non-members, but it's setting up a new service to do so.  It also raised concerns about costs - saying it's keeping prices down while supplier costs increase. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Food & Drink Business editor Kim Berry talks to Mondelez International president ANZ/Japan and chair of the Australian Food & Grocery Council about the local - and global - food and beverage sector.------------------------------The Food & Drink Business Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Food & Drink Business, owned and published by Yaffa Media (www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au).The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Food & Drink Business, Yaffa Media, or the guest's employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.If you wish to use any of this podcast's audio, please contact Food & Drink Business via their website www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au or send an email to editor@foodanddrinkbusiness.com.auHost: Kim BerryMC: Grant McHerronEditor: Chris VisscherProducer: Steve VisscherFood & Drink Business - © 2022

Chief executive of the Australian Food and Grocery Council, Tanya Barden, says the data shows Australia is yet to see the peak of the inflation figures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CEO of the Australian Food and Grocery Council, Tanya Barden, says the entire supply chain is under "enormous strain". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The law to ban supermarket covenants is going through Parliament at the moments.Over the course of the week, we learned some interesting things about the inner workings of supermarket leases from the Food and Grocery Council.One of these aspects is their ability to block other businesses going into malls if they're in them.Business commentator Rod Oram joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.LISTEN ABOVE

The law to ban supermarket covenants is going through Parliament at the moments.Over the course of the week, we learned some interesting things about the inner workings of supermarket leases from the Food and Grocery Council.One of these aspects is their ability to block other businesses going into malls if they're in them.Business commentator Rod Oram joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What will it take to foster competition in the supermarket sector and bring down prices at the checkout? The government announced a suite of changes yesterday, including a new industry watchdog which will conduct annual reviews, compulsory unit pricing and a mandatory code of conduct. This is in addition to new laws which will prohibit land-banking by supermarket chains, and ban exclusivity clauses in leases - meaning competitors can more easily find sites. The Food and Grocery Council is warning it could be years before consumers see the benefits of increased supermarket competition. Kathryn speaks with Tex Edwards, founder of the telecommunications company 2 Degrees, who's part of the consortium Northelia, looking at setting up a new supermarket chain. He's also part of the lobby group Monopoly Watch.

The Food and Grocery Council has welcomed the government's plan to shake up the supermarket sector. Under the changes a grocery sector watchdog will be set up and a mandatory code of conduct will be introduced. Supermarkets will also be forced to open up their wholesale arms to would-be competitors if they haven't already done so by the end of the year. Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich spoke to Corin Dann.

The Food and Grocery Council says new supermarket regulations will start to make real change for the sector.The Government will put in a regulator, a code of conduct and mandatory unit pricing.The council says getting rid of exclusivity in leases should free up spots for non-duopoly competitors in malls and shopping centres.Chief Executive Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking measures like the code of conduct have worked in the UK and Australia.She says it got rid of some particularly bad behaviour overnight.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Food and Grocery Council says new supermarket regulations will start to make real change for the sector.The Government will put in a regulator, a code of conduct and mandatory unit pricing.The council says getting rid of exclusivity in leases should free up spots for non-duopoly competitors in malls and shopping centres.Chief Executive Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking measures like the code of conduct have worked in the UK and Australia.She says it got rid of some particularly bad behaviour overnight.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A consumer advocate says he'd like to see The Warehouse enter the grocery game.The retailer says it is considering getting into groceries, amid price concerns with our two biggest supermarkets.The Warehouse already stocks some grocery items.Former Head of the Food and Grocery Council Ernie Newman told Heather du Plessis-Allan they have tried before but got into trouble.He says Woolworths and Foodstuffs took measures to try and stop them from getting involved.LISTEN ABOVE

A consumer advocate says he'd like to see The Warehouse enter the grocery game.The retailer says it is considering getting into groceries, amid price concerns with our two biggest supermarkets.The Warehouse already stocks some grocery items.Former Head of the Food and Grocery Council Ernie Newman told Heather du Plessis-Allan they have tried before but got into trouble.He says Woolworths and Foodstuffs took measures to try and stop them from getting involved.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian Bureau of Statistics today reported soaring petrol prices and heightened food prices.  John Stanley speaks to Tanya Barden, CEO of, the Australian Food and Grocery Council. John asks Tanya why there have been these increases in the price of food and groceries.  Tanya highlight how cost pressures are due to the product availability, global shipping costs, staff shortages and disruptions due to the war in Ukraine. John asks Tanya if consumers will see any relief in prices in the supermarket in the near future.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tanya Barden, CEO of the Australian Food and Grocery Council, said there had been a perfect storm of factors and it's not just the pandemic to blame. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some businesses are still struggling to access Rapid Antigen Tests.In Wellington there's only one pick up point for the tests for healthcare and critical workers.Food and Grocery Council CEO Katherine Rich told Heather du Plessis Allan it's only open for two hours and the system is counterintuitive.“It actually makes more sense for many to buy your own kit because accessing the free one costs the company more. Now that is next level bureaucracy.”LISTEN ABOVE

Some businesses are still struggling to access Rapid Antigen Tests.In Wellington there's only one pick up point for the tests for healthcare and critical workers.Food and Grocery Council CEO Katherine Rich told Heather du Plessis Allan it's only open for two hours and the system is counterintuitive.“It actually makes more sense for many to buy your own kit because accessing the free one costs the company more. Now that is next level bureaucracy.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From tomorrow, the weekly supermarket shop is going to look a little bit different as new country of origin food labelling comes into play.Retailers will be required to clearly label where the product has come from or face a heavy fine.The changes will apply to single-ingredient food such as vegetables and meat.Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.LISTEN ABOVE

Businesses say the government's order of rapid antigen tests has tripped up their pandemic planning. The Food and Grocery Council says it's members are profoundly disappointed the government has jumped to the front of the queue and is getting tests that would otherwise have come to them. The Government has 14 million tests arriving in a month and private businesses who pre-ordered tests now face delays in getting their own tests. Chen Liu reports.

On Wednesday the federal government announced doctor or nurse graduates working in country areas from 2022 will have their university HELP debt wiped out - Flow asked the Minister, what about those already working in country areas? Wayne and Rikki also discuss the Food and Grocery Council's disappointment at the federal government's lack of funding into their manufacturing sector, and preview the media diversity inquiry report due on Thursday

You may have noticed empty shelves at some supermarkets, particularly in Auckland. Bare supermarket shelves, swathes of missing products, your favourite must-have ingredients missing. Countdown is playing catch-up after a strike last week across its two Auckland Distribution centres. Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich talks to Lisa Owen.  

Consumer New Zealand and the Food and Grocery Council have written to MPs urging them to back an overhaul of the supermarket industry. The organisations say consumers and suppliers are being held to ransom by the two major supermarket groups, Foodstuffs and Woolworths. The head of the Food and Grocery Council, Katherine Rich, says with the lack of any real competition between the two chains, the companies have been able to maintain staggering profits not seen anywhere else in the world. Rich, and Consumer New Zealand chief executive John Duffy spoke to Corin Dann.

Consumer New Zealand and the Food and Grocery Council have written to MPs urging them to back an overhaul of the supermarket industry. The organisations say consumers and suppliers are being held to ransom by the two major supermarket groups, Foodstuffs and Woolworths. The head of the Food and Grocery Council, Katherine Rich, says with the lack of any real competition between the two chains, the companies have been able to maintain staggering profits not seen anywhere else in the world. Rich, and Consumer New Zealand chief executive John Duffy spoke to Corin Dann.

Foodstuffs North Island is denying claims it's destroying big parts of Sealord's operation by taking their product off the shelves.Katherine Rich from the Food and Grocery Council said Sealord had been told that their product is being deleted because it doesn't give the product margin Foodstuffs North Island want.Foodstuffs North Island CEO Chris Quin told Heather du Plessis-Allan the amount of Sealord as a brand will change in their freezers by 30 per cent.“We have not made way for imported products like Alaskan pollock, and we are sticking with New Zealand fish that is fished in New Zealand, that is marketed in New Zealand and going into our freezers.”Quin said that customers can still get frozen Sealord products, but there is a change to their range to make it easier for customers to shop and keep prices under control or get better prices.LISTEN ABOVE

There's plenty of fish in the sea for Foodstuffs.New World and Pak'nSave are removing most of Kiwi fishing company Sealord's range from freezers to make way for imported product.The Food and Grocery Council says it will shrink Sealord's 80 per cent local market share to less than 20 percent.Chief executive Katherine Rich told Heather du Plessis-Allan it has decimated their range.“I just don't think Foodstuffs understand the impact of their decision on consumers or the company. It's just really symptomatic of the current duopoly we have.”LISTEN ABOVE

The Commerce Commission's draft report on grocery store competition has found New Zealanders are getting a raw deal at the checkout.Chair Anna Rawlings says New Zealand groceries are the sixth most expensive in the OECD, but would be cheaper if supermarkets competed more.She says there needs to be an increase in the number of retailers who can compete effectively.Food & Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich told Kerre McIvor prices will come down if there is healthy competition in the market, but they also want to make sure suppliers are better protected"We do believe that prices for consumers should come down, if there was growing competition, but equally we've been focusing on better treatment for suppliers."LISTEN ABOVE  

New Zealand will get the clearest look at the inner workings of the supermarket giants on Thursday when the Commerce Commission releases its draft report into the level of competition across a $22 billion sector.Shortly after the election, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark announced the competition watchdog would undertake a market study into supermarkets to determine "whether the sector is as competitive as it could be".The market study is the second of its type under new powers to compel companies to provide detailed financial information, following an examination into petrol companies ordered by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in 2018.For months, the Wellington-based competition watchdog has been receiving evidence and interviewing witnesses, sometimes under oath.The study will be released at 8:30am, followed by a press conference. You can watch it live here.Like many industries in New Zealand, it is a sector dominated by two companies. Foodstuffs, which counts New World, Pak n Save and Four Square among its subsidiaries, and Australian-owned Woolworths, the owner of Countdown.The market study is set to take around 12 months but even the draft report is likely to run to hundreds of pages and make recommendations to improve competition levels.Multiple parties are speculating that among its recommendations would be a binding code of conduct for supermarkets to adhere to, the regulator could urge the government to consider requiring a break-up of some parts of the sector.The study has been a long time coming. In 2014, Shane Jones, then a Labour MP, used Parliamentary privilege to assert that Countdown was treating many of its suppliers poorly.Katherine Rich, the former National MP and long time chief executive of the Food and Grocery Council has been providing materials to the commission including research that suggests most suppliers believe the supermarket groups engage in anti-competitive behaviour.This week, Rich launched a stinging attack targeting Foodstuffs' North Island business, claiming that even on the eve of the draft report, its members were facing the threat of having their products removed from shelves as part of negotiating tactics, demands for a "display fee" which did not promise any actual prominence or contribution to staff wages.Foodstuffs were "either not reading the political environment or dismissing government concerns which led [Clark] to call for the Study," Rich wrote on her LinkedIn page.Foodstuffs did not respond to a request for comment on the claims.

The Chief Executive of the Food and Grocery Council has accused one of our major supermarket chains of trying to "break people"Katherine Rich says Foodstuffs New Zealand has been making extreme demands of their suppliers, purely to boost their own profits.The Commerce Commission is publishing a draft market study on the groceries industry tomorrow; and there are hopes the watchdog will attempt to reduce the current power imbalance between the supermarkets and their suppliers.Retail consultant Nick Hodendijk has been following the process closely, and shares his insights on what he believe will happen tomorrow.LISTEN ABOVE

Guest Bios:Dr. Simon LockreyDr Simon Lockrey is a leading sustainability and design innovation researcher, having been based at RMIT since 2009. The domains in which Dr Lockrey has managed research include life cycle assessment (LCA), co-design, design innovation, green marketing, resource efficiency, sustainability strategy, tool development, and food waste. As a result, he has generated millions of dollars of ‘industry-facing' research, creating global impact through policy change, commercial innovation outcomes, media coverage, and quality academic publications. Dr Lockrey has worked with global and nationally significant companies, including CHEP, Visy, Nestlé, Lendlease, Costa, Grocon, and Breville. Relevant government and NGO projects have also ensued, with Sustainability Victoria, various Environmental Protection Agencies, Australian Fresh Produce Alliance, Australian Food and Grocery Council, Australia Post, Australian Antarctic Division, Uniting AgeWell, and Meat and Livestock Australia. He also sits currently as Vice President of Automotive Historians Australia and on the boards of Glowpear and the International Sustainable Development Research Society. Dr Lockrey is now a key leader in the Fight Food Waste CRC, serving as the REDUCE Program Leader in an interim capacity. Dr. Steven Lapidge Dr Steven Lapidge is the inaugural CEO of the Fight Food Waste Ltd, which incorporates the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) and Stop Food Waste Australia. He has spent most of his 20-year career working for or with agricultural and environmental CRC's, with a strong focus on new product development, commercialisation, extension and adoption. Steven led the development of the Fight Food Waste CRC bid when working for the South Australian Research & Development Institute, a division of Primary Industries & Regions South Australia. In recent years he has represented Australia at G20, OECD, FAO, APEC and other international food waste forums. He is a member of the G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) Food Loss/Waste Working Group, the National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study Project Advisory Group and a Professional Member and former Non-Executive Director of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology. Steven's qualifications include a PhD (Sydney Uni) and an MBA (Uni SA). He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, European Summer School for Advanced Management (Aarhus Uni, Denmark), Golden Key International Honour Society, and a Fulbright Professional Business/Industry Fellow.

Pure fruit juice is having its health rating slashed putting it on the same or an even lower level than diet coke.Most New Zealand juices, without any added sugar, receive an automatic rating of five stars, but new trans-Tasman rules mean they will be judged on their natural sugar content.While the food industry is furious, nutritionists say the real message is that people should be drinking water.Health Star Ratings debuted in 2014 as a way of giving consumers an idea about the overall nutritional value of packaged foods.It's a voluntary system with most pure fruit juices getting between four and the maximum five stars.But a meeting last Friday the Australian and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation opted for a new system rating pure fruit and vegetable juices on their individual sugar content.Professor of Population Nutrition at Auckland University Cliona Ni Mhurchu said fruit juices that have a naturally lower sugar content like lemon juice, will still get four stars."Orange juice, which is probably the most commonly consumed juice, will still rate between three and three-and-a-half stars. It's really those juices that are particularly high in sugar and very sweet like apple and pear juices that will rank the lowest in terms of stars. They would probably get between one and one and a half stars," she said.Professor Ni Mhurchu said the idea was to encourage shoppers to choose the healthier option.But Katherine Rich from the Food and Grocery Council was questioning the decision.She said water would get a poor rating under the system because while it doesn't have any sugar, salt or fat in it neither does it have any nutrients - yet it was given the top score of five."And that was just a policy decision because water, if you put it through the health star rating would actually get a much lower rating. And so ministers determined in that instance, that if it got a lower rating that would send the wrong message to consumers. So that's why they've given it an automatic rating of five," she said.She said the ministers should apply the same discretion to pure fruit juice.The decision has also drawn strong opposition across the Tasman with the growers' industry group Citrus Australia saying it's shocked and disappointed.It objects to a system where diet coke ends with a higher health rating than fresh juice.In a statement, its chief executive Nathan Hancock said state governments have lost their way."Despite evidence that fresh juice contains nutrients vital to physical and mental wellbeing, these governments have deferred to the anti-sugar lobby, which has had fresh juice in its sights since the health star rating system was formed. Governments have missed a chance to encourage consumption of fruit and vegetables in the form of juice. Choosing to cave to the anti-sugar brigade against all logic," the statement said.Professor Ni Mhurchu said drinking water is still the healthiest option and it's better to eat fruit whole, rather than juice it.She said she understood people could find the comparison with diet soft drinks confusing.Because diet drinks don't actually contain sugar, then they can rank higher than some fruit juices. But at the moment it was decided that it was better to give consumers some low sugar options including diet drinks and also to give manufacturers an opportunity to reformulate their products if they want to reduce the sugar content.But Rich said the producers can't reformulate fruit juice because it's a natural product.She said consumers would find the ratings confusing, potentially bringing the scheme into disrepute."It's up to ministers to make the decision based on the science and I would hope that science and common sense trumps ideology, but the issue is that they're the ones who have to explain to consumers why there's a discrepancy between diet drinks or soft drinks and a natural fruit juice," she said.The minister responsible for food safety, Dr Ayesha Verrall...

Lyn Mayes joins us in this episode to talk about the New Zealand soft plastics stewardship scheme and touch on the Australian equivalent, REDcycle - so this chat will be applicable to both our Aussie and NZ listeners!Lyn is director and founder of the sustainability consultancy Mad World, the sustainability advisor to the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council, a member of the Institute of Directors and Chair of the Auckland Conservation Board.  Lyn also manages the NZ soft plastics stewardship scheme. A very busy and passionate human!Over the period from 1950-2015, cumulative production of plastics reached 7.8 billion tonnes worldwide – more than one tonne of plastic for every person alive today! As our listeners would know, soft plastics cannot be recycled via regular curbside collection, so this is an important issue to address.In this episode we discuss:• Lyn's background, her business Mad World and why she ventured into the realm of sustainability• The NZ soft plastic recycling scheme and mention of REDcycle in Australia.• The Packaging Forum and partnership with Future Post and Second Life Plastics to create a circular economy• The number of soft plastics saved and the future direction of the scheme• Some quick-fire FAQs on what can and cannot be recycled through the schemeWe hope you enjoy this episode and would love to hear your feedback! And don't forget to tag The Lentil Intervention on your social media posts.