Authorities in Japan have sounded an alert over cochineal extract, a commonly used food colorant, over fears it could trigger intense allergic reactions amongst consumers.
Fish harvested off Australia and New Zealand are free from radioactive contamination caused by the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear accident in Japan, the region's food regulator has said in light of a recent study.
Demand for bread and ramen noodle products made with domestic wheat varieties is growing in Japan but the country needs to invest in its weak local production of the grain, government institute says.
Beverage and ice cream manufacturers are investing in power alternatives at Japanese facilities, as the tentative electricity network will not see a major uptick this summer.
Coca-Cola has been driving growth across Japan in 2011 with NPDs and expanded distribution channels; its latest tea product is set to carve an entirely new product category in the local market, the company said.
The previously robust seafood trade corridor between Japan and South Korea took a huge beating because of nuclear contamination fears in the wake of the Fukushima incident last year.
Japan’s functional food manufacturers have recently shifted activities towards the global market amid a shrinking population and declining domestic demand, claims an industry expert.
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has suspended poultry imports and eggs from Australia following the bird flu outbreak in Victoria earlier this week.
A method for marker-assisted breeding, conceived in 2009 through a collaborative research project between the UK and Japan, is now focused on developing rice breeds tolerant to salt-sodden Japanese soils following the Tsunami last year.
Following the discovery of radioactive substances in its baby milk formula, it has now emerged that Meiji Holdings Co. was contacted about possible contamination three weeks before it decided to recall the products.
Japan’s alcoholic beverage market is shrinking and sluggish according to a Datamonitor report, but analysts have noted opportunity in the growing alcohol-free sector due to consumer focus on drink driving laws.
Distribution of rice cultivated in the Fukushima prefecture has been restricted following the detection of unsafe levels of radioactive contamination found in samples harvested this season.
Drinks manufacturers need to be strategic to succeed in the struggling Japanese market, paying attention to the trend for gourmet and healthier beverages and the younger generation’s preferences, according to an industry report.
India-based Generix Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd. is betting on changing lifestyle patterns and an increased awareness of health and fitness issues in India for its new nutraceuticals business.
Danish probiotics giant Chr Hansen says its just-announced alliance with a Japanese botanical supplement maker will yield plant-probiotic combination food supplement products on European and global markets kicking off in Q1 2012.
In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japanese scientists from the Fukushima Agricultural Technology Centre are working towards a potential solution for the future of Japanese rice farmers – a strain of rice resilient to cesium absorption.
Demand for gourmet yoghurt has seen a small yoghurt maker from New Zealand attract interest from a multi-million dollar player that would see its products on shelves in thousands of stores in Japan.
Independent Japanese inspectors have found the first case of radioactive contamination in a sample of rice since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant accident five months ago, on March 11.
Consuming nutrient-dense seaweed may decrease blood pressure in healthy children and offer earlier-life strategies for preventing high blood pressure in adults, says a new study.
Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings today announced an agreement to acquire 100% of Independent Liquor from Pacific Equity Partners and Unitas Capital in a 97.6bn Yen ($1.28bn) deal.
After several years and several “dialogues” with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Japanese supplier Kaneka has won a positive Novel Foods opinion for its weight management liquorice extract.
New York-based Maypro Group has finally revealed its ‘quiet’ program to donate potassium iodide supplements to Japanese locals at risk from the recent nuclear incident, and asks if there is a way to turn this into a wider industry fundraising effort.
Beverage giant Coca-Cola is donating 2.5bn Yen (US$31m) to areas affected by the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster that hit the country this month.
The Japanese bakery and cereals market is expected to slow down over the next few years in terms of retail sales and product launches, said Datamonitor, as Japan’s biggest bread maker Yamazaki reported stagnant 2010 net sales.
Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency has said it intends to ask food makers to voluntarily label the trans fat content of their products, according to Kyodo News International.
The chocolate category still accounts for over half of new confectionery product launches in Japan, but the functional segment is beginning to steal some of the limelight, according to a new report from market researchers Datamonitor
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has signaled its intention to blacklist 125 nutrients including forms of glucosamine, aloe vera and krill because it says they are not being used in products, according to the US Department of Agriculture...
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has signed a co-operation agreement with its Japanese counterpart as part of a strategy to boost its knowledge pool and ability to track food across the globe.
Chinese supplier Fenchem said its new collagen peptide extracted from fish scales, an ingredient used in the joint health food and drinks market in Japan, is aimed at food and supplement manufacturers in the US and Europe.
Japan's leading chocolate maker Meiji Seika has recalled a range of
confectionery products, after it was discovered that they contained
a novel sweetener made with an unapproved genetically modified
enzyme.
