Protecting the good name of sushi worldwide - the Japanese government acts

Winemakers lobby pushes back on Senate committee's advice to abolish wine tax rebate - A new Senate report with 12 recommendations for reforming the wine industry has been panned by one of the senators on the committee that authored it, and met with disappointment by winemakers.

Australian grape and wine industry - Report of the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs
and Transport References Committee

List of recommendations

• Recommendation 1

The committee recommends that the Government phase out the current
Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) rebate over five years, allocating the savings to a
structural adjustment assistance program for the industry including an annual
grant to genuine cellar door operators to support their continued operation.

• Recommendation 2

The committee recommends that the Government amend labelling
requirements so that wine labels must declare whether wine is produced by an
entity owned or controlled by a major retailer.

• Recommendation 3

The committee recommends that in responding to the Competition Policy
Review’s Final Report, the Government specifically consider commercial
agreements between growers and producers of wine and the major retailers.

• Recommendation 4

The committee recommends Australia Post review its approach to wine
delivery in each Australian state and territory with a view to developing
harmonised agreements across Australia.

• Recommendation 5

The committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government,
through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), work with states and
territories to establish mutual recognition arrangements for responsible service
of alcohol qualifications.

• Recommendation 6

The committee recommends that Government continue to match the grape
research levy and wine grapes levy income collected by the Australian Grape and
Wine Authority.

• Recommendation 7

The committee recommends that Government give further consideration
to the roles of the Australian Grape and Wine Authority and the Australian
Bureau of Statistics in wine industry data collection.

• Recommendation 8

The committee recommends that funding be allocated so that the
production of the Vineyards Census is resumed on an annual basis.

• Recommendation 9

The committee recommends that Government commit to increasing
export demand for Australian wine by considering whether current
opportunities for industry participants to increase exports through the
Australian Grape and Wine Authority and the Export Market Grants
Development Scheme are fully optimised or would benefit from redesign.

• Recommendation 10

The committee recommends that the government significantly increase its
funding to wine export market development.

• Recommendation 11

The committee recommends an independent review of the Australian
Wine Industry Code of Conduct, to report to Government before 30 June 2016.

• Recommendation 12

The committee recommends that if targets for increase uptake of the
Australian Wine Industry Code of Conduct are not met, the Government, in
consultation with representative organisations for growers and winemakers,
reconsider the development of a mandatory code before the end of 2017.

Coles' Extra Reserve Cheddar judged as best overall at 2016 Sydney Royal Cheese Dairy Produce Show

Sorry, Sushi Burrito: Japanese Program Certifies Authentic Cuisine - A new program from the country's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will certify that Japanese restaurants operating outside the country uphold the values of traditional Japanese cuisine, known as washoku. That cuisine is more popular than ever: There are now more than 89,000 Japanese restaurants that operate outside of Japan, up from 55,000 just two years earlier, according to the ministry. ... The program, which will launch soon, doesn't have an official English name just yet. At the Japanese embassy in Washington, D.C., it's being referred to as "Japanese Cuisine Skills Certification Guidelines." The voluntary certification system aims to help eliminate mistakes commonly made by overseas chefs — from the mishandling of raw fish, to low hygiene standards, to the ceremonial way in which food should be presented to customers.

Hold Your Nose And Take A Bite: The Odd Appeal Of A South Korean Fish Dish - Most South Koreans shake their head at eating hongeo. This fermented skate dish has a sharp, pungent aroma ... After about a month of incubating in its own urine, the hongeo – smelling thoroughly of ammonia — is served as a platter of sashimi in a presentation known as samhap, which translates as "harmonious trinity." This combination consists of hongeo, bossam (boiled pork belly) and old kimchi, a combination known to counter the wretched odor — if not mask the flavor altogether.

There are good reasons why airport food is so bad