Topic “In the News News” — Exporter Magazine

Power shutdowns reached serious levels in some regions from January to April this year, and some power generation capacity has been shut down because of coal shortages, the report said, citing Tan Rongyao, supervisor of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission. China, the world’s largest Internet market by users, represents an attractive frontier for Facebook. Zuckerberg visited the country in December and met with the heads of several Chinese Internet companies, including Baidu Inc, Sina Corp and Alibaba Corp. The innovation award was for an endophyte-inoculated grass which promises to make airfields much safer through deterring birds from feeding on grass and insects at grassed areas at airports. The grass has a fungus which makes birds feel sick when they feed off it, although it does not harm them. Ulf Sonesson, from the Swedish Institute for Food Production and Biotechnology said smart packages can cut food waste in western economies. Packages that can be enclosed after opening help to prolong shelf life and to reduce waste. Pastilles, gums, jellies and chews remained the most dynamic category within sugar confectionery last year, analyst Francisco Redruello was quoted saying. This segment grew 8% in retail value sales, due in part to variety in packaging design and flavours. Christian Kledal, head of legal affairs at A.P. Moller-Maersk, said that at least 16 officials from the commission were at its headquarters in Copenhagen and that they would remain there for a few more days with the company’s full assistance. Inspectors were checking computers and collecting any documents they deemed relevant, including minutes from meetings, he added. An initial ruling by China’s Ministry of Commerce this week found that European Union (EU) members have subsidised potato starch exports to China, hurting the interests of China’s domestic industries, according to a Xinhua news report. Australia and New Zealand’s food standards body has approved an application for higher maximum permitted levels of steviol glycosides in ice cream and several beverage categories, which will enable a more acceptable taste profile in finished products, according to FoodNavigator.com.