Top food stories from this week

Gone are the days of dollar milk, thank you dairy much. And now, our major supermarkets have deigned to bump up the prices of supermarket milk again. It’s only a small increase, but every little bit counts… As long as it actually makes its way to our farmers. Also making news this week, winners of the Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition have been announced, and Australian Mangoes is offering three lucky Aussies the chance to win a whole summer’s supply of sweet and juicy mangoes. Want to keep up to date with all the top food stories in Australia every week? Just sign up for our newsletter in the box at the bottom of this page.

Cheap milk gets a price bump

Prices of cheap supermarket milk have increased to $1.30 a litre. Woolworths was the first to raise the prices of its home brand milk and, predictably, Coles followed suit soon after. ALDI has also increased its prices. It’s the first supermarket milk price rise since July 2019. “Despite the end of one-dollar-a-litre milk two years ago, home brand milk has remained a laggard in the dairy case,” says Australian Dairy Farmers President Rick Gladigau. “So, this increase, if shared back through the value chain, will be welcomed by dairy farmers.”

Win a summer’s supply of mangoes

The first week of summer will see more than 600,000 mango trays hitting supermarket shelves. In total, 8 million trays are expected across the season. To celebrate the sweet feeling of sunshine, Australian Mangoes has a deliciously irresistible offer for the nation. Three lucky Aussies will have the chance to win the ultimate Summer Starter kit. This includes a summer’s supply of juicy Aussie Mangoes and a mango-coloured towel, cooler bag and beach umbrella. To enter, visit the competition post on the Aussie Mango’s Facebook or Instagram page and say how you’d enjoy your Aussie Mangoes prize pack.

Great Aussie pie awards

Winners of the 2021 Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition have been announced. The competition has been running since 1989 and was created to raise the quality of pies in Australia and to build pride amongst pie-makers. Major winners this year include WA’s Pinjarra Bakery, which won best plain meat pie; Qld’s Paradise Bakehouse, which won best overall gourmet pie for its Dancing Scallop Pie; Vic’s Hope Bakery, which won best plain sausage roll; and SA’s Little Red Grape Bakery, which won best gourmet sausage roll for its Garlic Chicken Roll. For a full list of results, head to greataussiepiecomp.com.au.

Vegie farmer wins top sustainability award

Mulgowie Farming Company has won the top sustainability accolade at Woolworths’ Annual Supplier Awards. The Sustainable Supplier award was open to all Woolworths’ suppliers across every category. Mulgowie was the first vegetable farmer in Australia to generate carbon credits to the international standard. The business captures 213kg of greenhouse gas for every tonne of veg produced and is certifiably net carbon negative at the farm gate. It also removed 50 tonnes of plastic from its supply chain in 2019 and 2020. In an extra nod to the company, Mulgowie was also awarded Woolworth’s Fruit and Veg Supplier of the Year.

Won’t somebody think of the children?

Aussie parents have taken a stand and are demanding that unhealthy food manufacturers distance themselves from advertising to children as part of the Parent’s Voice Fame & Shame Awards. Now in its 17th year, the annual awards highlight the worst of unhealthy food marketing and celebrate those promoting a healthier lifestyle to kids instead. Shamed this year were McDonald’s and KFC (again), Cadbury, Coca Cola, Nutella and Kellogg’s. Parent’s Choice awards went to Australian Avocados, Rebel Sport and Woolworths. For more details on this year’s shames and fames, head to parentsvoice.org.au.

Have your say on an organic standard

Australia’s $2.6 billion organic industry is celebrating a milestone in establishing a mandatory standard for use of the word “organic” following an Australian government announcement calling for public consultation on the matter. This will allow industry and consumers to have their say on improving our domestic organic regulatory framework. Currently, Australia is one of the only developed nations in the world without a mandatory domestic standard, meaning products that aren’t certified can still be labelled organic. Exporters of organic products are also severely disadvantaged in the absence of a trusted Australian framework. The consultation will open soon. To find out more, click here.

It’s seafood marathon season

Whether you’re the early bird starting the Christmas holidays with oysters for breakfast while watching the sunrise, the kid enjoying fish and chips in their PJs, the midnight prawn connoisseur or the last-minute Christmas Eve shopper, Sydney Fish Market’s 36-Hour Seafood Marathon is back and ready to cater to every seafood lover this Christmas. The market will welcome customers in droves this festive season, opening its doors non-stop from 5am on December 23 through to 5pm on Christmas Eve. Santa Claus may even be making an appearance… For more info, head to sydneyfishmarket.com.au.

New Year Street Feasts is back

Melbourne’s popular New Year Street Feasts is returning for another year. It’s once again set to draw enthusiastic crowds into the CBD and reinvigorate the city’s streets and laneways. In a partnership between City of Melbourne, Melbourne Food & Wine Festival and the state government, Street Feasts features seven outdoor dining precincts that will host thousands of New Year’s Eve revellers this December 31. Each precinct will bring together restaurants and bars from the surrounding streets and laneways, offering diners more than 30 premium venues to enjoy. Bookings and the full program are available at mfwf.com.au.

Crab pest found in SA waters

An Asian Paddle Crab, a pest species that would pose a risk to our Blue Swimmer Crabs if established, has been found in South Australian waters, the fourth detection since 2019. The crab was identified after being caught by a fisher at Port Adelaide last week. SA Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development David Basham says the Asian Paddle Crab could outcompete native crab species if established. He’s urging all fishers and other boat and water users to keep an eye out and report any suspicious aquatic pests.

Oh, bring us some nougat pudding

Darrell Lea’s iconic Christmas puds are back in supermarkets. The Australian-made puddings have a light and fluffy nougat centre, are smothered in milk chocolate and topped with edible Christmas holly. They’ve been an Aussie Christmas staple and a family favourite since 1940. Darrell Lea has made more than 70 tonnes of puddings this year, ploughing through 25 tonnes of milk chocolate and 10 tonnes of desiccated coconut. All Darrell Lea products are palm-oil free and are sourced from 100 percent sustainable cocoa. You can find the full Darrell Lea Christmas range at Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and Big W.

Grab a mini moment

For those hankering for something sweet before Christmas hits, our friends at Charlie’s Fine Food Co have just what you need. The company’s Mini Melting Moments cream biscuits range is now available in newly designed 50g and 100g boxes. They’re perfect for hampers, gifts or simply a delicious treat for when you need a moment of sweetness to lift you out of the daily grind. You can find them in select independent supermarkets nationally.

Top food stories on Eativity this week

Rare livestock breeds could be the solution to the big issues plaguing our food supply: climate change and disease. But they’re fast dying out. This week, we profiled the Aussie farmers who are helping to boost their numbers. We also met one of the brothers behind the insanely popular Bearded Bakers and found out why Sydney and Melbourne are going nuts for their knafeh. Speaking of sweets, our mates at McKenzie’s shared some tantalising recipes for sweet treats that are also a little bit good for you. And to keep those healthy vibes going, we also took a look at the latest in Australian nutrition research. Finally, with Christmas fast approaching, we brought you a selection of the best Aussie-made gifts for the food-lover in your life. Or just buy them for yourself. We won’t judge.

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