A vote of confidence for New Zealand food

The 2009 Total Diet Study confirms that the common New Zealand diet poses no food safety concerns from chemical residues or contaminants. The study results were released last week by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, MAF.

“Results from this comprehensive study provide confidence that New Zealand continues to have one of the safest food supplies in the world,” Acting Policy Manager Cherie Flynn says.

The full report can be found online here

The 2009 TDS is the seventh to be carried out in New Zealand since the initial study was conducted in 1974/75. It was commissioned by the then New Zealand Food Safety Authority, who contracted the Institute of Environmental Science and Research for technical input and operational management.

MSI's new website 

Ministry of Science and Innovation has launched a new website www.msi.govt.nz

Embedded throughout the site are inspiring case studies which demonstrate the value of science and innovation and give a tangible expression of our role – to lead the science and innovation ecosystem to deliver a step change to New Zealanders' prosperity and wellbeing.

• Find out how an olive oil producer turned waste into kitty litter
• Read about an Auckland company who secured a multimillion dollar contract and is now building a citrus sorting machine as long as a rugby field

Plus more inspiring stories about clever Kiwi companies and smart scientists who are changing the world we live in, every day.

www.msi.govt.nz

Change of shareholding in Hawkins Watts Limited and group of companies

Hawkins Watts New Zealand has been jointly owned by its directors, Peter Hawkins and Paul Harrison, through their respective family trusts, for a number of years. Hawkins Watts New Zealand also owns 50 per cent of Hawkins Watts Australia.

Following recent discussions, the Harrison Family Trust has agreed to sell all of its shares in Hawkins Watts New Zealand to the Hawkins Family Trust. This share sale will be effective from 29 November 2011 and the Hawkins Family Trust will have 100 per cent ownership of Hawkins Watts New Zealand

and 50 per cent ownership of Hawkins Watts Australia from that date.

As a result of this change, Paul will also be stepping down as a director of both Hawkins Watts New Zealand and Hawkins Watts Australia from 29 November 2011 and will leave the full time employment of both companies from 31 December 2011. However, Paul will continue to provide services to both Hawkins Watts New Zealand and Hawkins Watts Australia on a consultancy basis as required.

Peter and the entire team at Hawkins Watts New Zealand and Hawkins Watts Australia wish to thank Paul for his significant contribution during his time with Hawkins Watts and wish him and his family every success for the future.

Award Winning Robotics Engineering

Milmeq won the award for the Mechanical and Manufacturing category at the 2011 New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards for their Ovine Automated Evisceration and Brisket Cutting Processing Systems developed for Ovine Automaton Ltd. The systems have achieved the commercial reality of having robots fully integrated within sheep processing lines. State-of-the-art sensing and robotic technology developed by Milmeq allows complete automation of two processes required for sheep processing; the tasks of brisket cutting and evisceration removal. The technology reduces the manual labour required for these tasks, improves pelt and meat quality, and cuts costs related to accidents and injuries.

The Mechanical and Manufacturing Award category covers activities associated with developing improved or new products, processes or services using mechanical engineering and/or mechatronics which includes elaborately transformed manufactured goods, automated production facilities, mechanisation, control systems and robotics. Judging criteria for the awards is based on designs being commercially proven, trialled and tested.

The aim of the New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards is to celebrate the excellence in engineering whether it is a project or an individual engineer/engineering team. The New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards raises the profile of the profession by show casing engineering at its best by our home grown talent.

Other category winners at the 2011 Engineering Excellence Awards were;

• Building and Construction - Mainzeal Property and Construction Ltd/Aurecon
• Energy and Systems - Sinclair Knight Merz
• Water, Waste and Amenities – AECOM/Aurecon/McConnell Dowell/Tonkin & Taylor Ltd
• Sustainability and Clean Technology - MWH New Zealand Ltd
• Transportation Infrastructure - NZ Transport Agency/Beca/URS New Zealand Ltd/The Fletcher Construction Company Ltd

For further information contact Kate Ashley, kashley@milmeq.com

IMCD acquires Infineum’s sales infrastructure in Australia

IMCD Group has strengthened its position in Asia-Pacific with the acquisition of Infineum Australia Pty Ltd (IAPL).

Marcus Jordan, IMCD Group Development Director, comments on the deal: “The Infineum additives perfectly complement the product portfolio of IMCD Australia and will further enhance the service we can offer to the customers in this market segment.”

IMCD will become Infineum’s appointed distributor in Australia and New Zealand and, by the end of January 2012, IAPL will be fully integrated into the IMCD Australia organisation.

Packaging courses from AIP

Introduction to Print Technology – Half-Day Training Course

Monday April 2, 2012

Presenter: Andrew Readman

Where: BNZ Highbrook Partner Centre, East Tamaki, Auckland

Have you ever gone to a press approval and struggled to make the printer understand what you wanted?

Do you want a basic understanding of what problems you are likely to encounter with each print process?

This half-day training course will provide delegates with adequate information to be able to have an informed discussion with a printer on your requirements and needs.

Who should attend?

People likely to benefit from this course are packaging technologists, packaging designers, people involved in print sales and marketers.

For more information: nerida@aipak.com.au

www.aipak.com.au