All Asia

10-May-2012 - Developing demographic-specific formulations and validating health claims must be a focus for probiotic manufacturers targeting Asian markets, according to an industry analyst.

The GM rice problem: Food fraud from China?

07-May-2012 - Genetic modification is an on-going problem in Asia’s basmati rice network and it is a problem that importers need to be vigilant in curbing, according to an industry expert.

Nestlé’s €9bn Pfizer buy may face anti-trust trouble

23-Apr-2012 - Nestlé’s $11.85bn (€9.02bn) acquisition of Pfizer Nutrition may run into anti-trust hurdles after it beat Danone to the drug giant’s global infant nutrition business, according to an analyst.

Natural colours suit Asia’s dietary heritage: CEO of Chr Hansen

19-Apr-2012 - Chr Hansen recorded an 11% surge in sales across Asia Pacific in its H1 results, with natural colours proving strong for business; underpinned by a cultural dietary heritage favouring healthy food choice, according to CEO of the company.

Multinationals committed to nutritional literacy in Asia: Report

16-Apr-2012 - Educating Asian communities about health and nutrition decisions is a key concern of multinationals, according to the industry association Food Industry Asia.

Givaudan: flavoursome in China and Japan

12-Apr-2012 - Givaudan’s sturdy presence in China and Japan has helped secure strong Q1 results for its flavour division; with a 9.4% sales increase in Asia Pacific markets.

Cargill’s new Asia unit eyes China and India

03-Apr-2012 - With India and China firmly in mind, Cargill has launched ‘Cargill Specialty Asia’ to serve its portfolio of specialty food ingredients and application capabilities, including texturisers and health and nutrition ingredients.

Stevia-nourished seafood, a novel usage

03-Apr-2012 - US farm management company, Stevia Corp, has formulated stevia-supplemented fish feed in a bid to drive sustainable aquaculture and increase production volumes across Asia.

News in brief

Pushing European meats in Asia

27-Mar-2012 - European meats and meat products are being promoted in China, Singapore and Thailand by a Poland-based program, the European Table.

BASF in bid to drive innovative, sustainable food production in Asia

19-Mar-2012 - BASF Crop Protection said it is aiming to solve the supply-demand imbalance as well as boost quality of Asian agriculture by driving use of fungicides, educating farmers and joining forces with food producers in the region.

Thailand: The new ‘frontier’ of CSPO production

13-Mar-2012 - Malaysia and Indonesia are renowned as strong production players in the certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) market but Thailand is emerging as the new frontier in Asia Pacific, according to the secretary general of RSPO.

Enzymes and yeast extracts strong drivers for ABF Ingredients in China

13-Mar-2012 - UK-based ABF Ingredients is manufacturing yeast extracts in China and targeting the enzyme market, as it has superior growth rates in these two specialities, according to the CEO of the company.

News in brief

Amazon bans sales of shark, whale and dolphin meat

13-Mar-2012 - Amazon has prohibited the sale of shark, whale and dolphin food products from its Japanese site and placed an explicit warning on its main site, in response to ongoing pressure from environmental groups.

China and India targeted to close the supply-demand gap of certified sustainable palm oil

06-Mar-2012 - China and India, the two largest consumer markets for palm oil, will be targeted by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) to take-up certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) in a bid to close the stark gap between the supply and demand of this global commodity.

Soy foods surging at a 6.4% CAGR in Asia Pacific

06-Mar-2012 - Rapid development underpinned by large population bases in China, India, Indonesia and Korea is driving fast growth of soy foods in Asia Pacific, with an overall surge pegged at CAGR 6.4% for the region, according to a report.

Probiotic drinking yoghurts slide a little, spoonables ride better

06-Mar-2012 - Sales of probiotic drinking yoghurts like Yakult and Danone Actimel are flatlining or dropping in most western European markets, and even in Japan where the concept was born, but BRIC markets are surging, and spoonables are shining brighter.

Taiwan bans exports amid bird flu outbreak

05-Mar-2012 - Taiwan has placed a ban on all poultry product exports and almost 60,000 birds from two farms in the wake of a bird flu outbreak in two farms.

China spurring growth in Asia’s emulsifier market

01-Mar-2012 - Asia Pacific will see a 9% CAGR in its emulsifier market until 2017, fuelled by China, driven by a sustained demand for natural emulsifiers and low-fat foods in a burgeoning processed foods segment, according to a report.

Wilmar secures majority interest in Goodman Fielder

01-Mar-2012 - Asian agribusiness, Wilmar International, has secured a 10.1% shareholder stake in Australian food giant Goodman Fielder, and will consider further investment.

Fonterra says organics perfect fit for food-scared Asia

21-Feb-2012 - Fonterra’s organics ingredients business is being underpinned by increasing demand for clean, natural and safe dairy products in Asian markets.

Asian investment enables Blue Pacific Flavors to expand research capabilities

07-Feb-2012 - An undisclosed investment from Asia’s largest agribusiness Wilmar International will enable US flavour giant Blue Pacific Flavors to focus on expanding its research capacities.

Tate & Lyle: Monk fruit sweetener attracting most interest in dairy and beverages

07-Feb-2012 - Dairy and beverages are proving the most popular application areas for monk fruit sweetener Purefruit, says Tate & Lyle.

Aquaponics – a future for Asian food cultivation?

02-Feb-2012 - Aquaponics is being pegged as an alternative eco-friendly, sustainable and commercially viable business model for food manufacturers by experts in the field.

Naturex founder: “After Asia, acquisitions will be European and North American”

30-Jan-2012 - Rampant acquisitionist Naturex will make 3-4 European and North American acquisitions in 2012, once it completes a deal with an unnamed Asian supplier by the end of March, CEO, president and founder, Jacques Dikansky has told this publication.

Lucrative Chinese partnership for Australian winery

23-Jan-2012 - A strong Chinese investment in the Australian wine company Ferngrove has enabled it to expand its premium bottled wine business and successfully enter and market to China, according to the firm’s managing director.