Topic “Featured News” — Exporter Magazine

The UK market for functional foods on a bone health platform grew 6.8% in the year to March 2010, but at just GBP38 million, it still represents a niche part of the GBP556 million (NZD$82 million) functional foods market, according to DairyReporter.com. Japanese export ship orders were up 111% year on year to 5,867,651 gross tonnes in the first five months of fiscal 2010, starting April 1, showing a rise for the ninth consecutive month, according to the Shipping Gazette. The Avocado Industry Council is predicting an export crop of 1.78 millions trays this season, 300,000 less trays than predicted before the storms, according to the Bay of Plenty Times. The Chinese central government has called for stringent regulation on the production and marketing of melamine to avoid the use of melamine in the food and feed industry, according to ChinaDaily.com. The six planned models will expand Toyota’s hybrid engine range of vehicles that run on petrol and electricity at a time when rivals such as Nissan are developing all-electric vehicles. Surfing the internet rather than snacking on the couch seems to be the Aussie thing these days. Vegemite, Tim Tams and Coca-Cola have given way to technology companies Google, Apple and Sony as the nation’s most loved brands, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. According to a UPS Asia Business Monitor survey 78% of Chinese SMEs currently conduct their business in the Asia-Pacific, compared to 6% in the United States and 10% in Europe.