Reaching China’s Gen Z: Functional, musical and healthier candy innovations
Today’s dynamic Chinese market has seen candy evolve beyond a simple sweet treat to a medium for emotional, social, and digital expression among Gen Z consumers, driving a wave of innovation blending functionality, wellness, and even music.
One expert said, ““Gen Z consumers are in essence more focused on themselves with a preference for novelty and challenging boundaries – for instance, they are not automatically accepting of big brands but instead are more accepting of products based on national trends and Chinese medicinal ingredients.”
End of nuclear conflict? China may reopen doors to Japanese seafood imports
Japan and China have been at odds over the former’s decision to release treated nuclear wastewater into the ocean in 2023.
Now, China is warming to the idea of welcoming Japanese seafood imports back after two years of tension over the nuclear wastewater release saga.
RTD Tea 3.0: What is the next stage of evolution in China’s beverage space?
Ready-to-drink or RTD teas have been at the core of product innovation innovation for many beverage firms in recent years, driven by a dual interest in tea products as well as convenience.
But whilst this is still growing at a rapid rate in most markets, industry experts in China believe that the country is fast approaching what the market deems the era of ‘RTD Tea 3.0’, meaning that consumers will soon have even more demands when making beverage purchases.
House Foods urges food brands to focus on going mainstream – or risk getting ‘washed out’
According to Japan-based House Foods, which is also the international market leader in the instant RTC and RTE curry category, any food brand that wants to stick around for the long terms needs to prioritise reaching a mainstream audience to actually survive.
“Within the food and beverage industry, it is all too often that we see products appearing, making waves for one or two years with everyone talking about them, but then just disappearing and never heard of again,” House Foods China President Hiroyuki Miyato said at the recent Food and Beverage Innovation Forum (FBIF) 2025 in Shanghai.
PepsiCo APAC eyes more ‘win-win’ partnerships from latest accelerator programme
PepsiCo is hopeful that more ‘win-win’ partnerships between the global F&B giant and regional startups will come out of its latest Greenhouse Accelerator (GHAC) programme in APAC.
The firm recently announced the 10 startup finalists for GHAC APAC – they include Beijing Phabuilder Biotechnology, Guangdong Databeyond Technology, and Shanghai Electric Group.