The major council focus in 2007 was an investigation into opportunities to further develop the Tasmanian brand relative to the food and beverage sector. The Food Industry Council of Tasmania through the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the Department of Primary Industries and Water, initiated a study into the feasibility of developing and implementing a Place-of-Origin brand. The investigation explored underpinning integrity standards as a potential marketing and quality assurance model to enhance the value of the Tasmanian food and beverage brand. The Place-of-Origin Branding Report by McKinna et al is the culmination of this joint initiative.
The council and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism held two workshops on key facets of packaging and labelling for the food and beverage industry. The workshop topics included the legal aspects of food labelling, bar coding, product brand development through packaging and labelling and consideration of the practical aspects of packaging for shelf-life and product protection.
The council provided advice to the State Government on a number of issues affecting the Tasmanian food and beverage industry in 2007 including the current moratorium on genetically modified foods and emerging issues resulting from consumer focus on food miles and the carbon footprint of food production.
The council also continued to work closely with the vegetable industry throughout the year, providing advice on the research and development of the Tasmanian vegetable industry marketing and communication plans. The council are working across Tasmanian food and beverage sectors to develop closer links between Tasmanian vegetables and other Tasmanian icon food products such as salmon and cheese.
A review of the 2005 Food Industry Strategy is planned for 2008. The revised strategy will seek to update and clarify specific sector priorities and issues, and provide broad strategic direction for the food and beverage sector.
