AWARDS: New Zealand’s first commercially farmed snails, vodka jellies and a smart cookie that gets the Heart Foundation tick are among the 45 finalists in the 2008 Massey University Food Awards. The biennial awards recognise the country’s most cutting-edge new food and drink products, championing innovation and excellence. The innovative finalists include the first commercially produced New Zealand pickled snails and snails in spring water from the Hawke’s Bay, vodka... more>

BEER: Lion Nathan has been forced to scrap a series of TV commercials to launch a "green" beer after it emerged that a deer had been killed so it could be filmed on a barbecue for final scenes in the ads. After an internal investigation the brewery company found that its production company, Goodoil, had failed to "source the deer appropriately", the Sydney Morning Herald reported today. Ironically, a stag is the brand logo of Lion’s bestselling beer, Toohey’s New. The... more>

KIWIFRUIT:Kiwifruit company Zespri says many growers of the green fruit are not running sustainable businesses and need to improve their returns. At Zespri’s annual meeting in Tauranga today, acting chief executive Lain Jager said returns for green kiwifruit were down by 17 percent. "Our analysis showed that the highest earning 25 percent of green growers returned on average at least three times more per hectare than the average grower," Mr Jager said. "Alarmingly, almost 40... more>

MEAT: A suspension of New Zealand meat imports into Indonesia has been lifted following a meeting between Trade Minister Phil Goff and trade officials today. Agricultural officials in Indonesia last Monday temporarily banned beef imports from New Zealand, a $100 million trade, due to halal certification issues. Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, required imported beef products to be certified as meeting Islamic halal standards. Its rules say suppliers must print... more>

CONTAMINATION: Selective testing by food safety regulators on spray residue levels in New Zealand grown capsicum, strawberries, lettuce, mushrooms and courgettes has shown reduced levels of contamination. The Food Safety Authority’s principal advisor on chemicals, Paul Dansted, said some samples showed residues slightly over the permitted level, but an improvement on previous seasons’ results. "We’re pretty happy with these results," he said. A total of 108 produce... more>

ORGANICS: A New Zealand scientist has invented a test to discover if vegetables have been grown organically. GNS Science’s Karyne Rogers said she developed the test to stop people being "fobbed off by someone else’s half-baked organic vegetables", the Dominion Post reported today. The isotope test looks at base elements in vegetables, and shows whether they were raised with organic manure or industrial fertiliser. Organic materials contain isotopes such as carbon and... more>