A Rabobank report released last week claims Indonesia will lead Southeast Asian growth over the next decade, based on global demand for key commodities and stable domestic needs.
Singapore’s government has pledged funds over the next five years towards the country’s food manufacturing sector in a bid to improve productivity by 20%.
Bunge Agribusiness Singapore Pte has announced that it will join hands with an Indonesia palm plantation company, the first time Bunge has invested in the palm oil industry.
Changing consumer eating patterns and greater western influence has seen an upward trend in the bakery industry in Malaysia, but trade group urges education drive to enhance the sector’s growth potential.
Thailand’s chocolate confectionery segment showed it jumped 20% last year to reach THB3.360bn ($0.1bn), notes UK market analysts Mintel in a new review.
A new Malaysian initiative will set up a new food product network that will take locally made food products to overseas markets, according to Malaysia’s Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA).
There is a huge range in taste preferences within Southeast Asia, so being immersed in the market is essential for meeting regional customer requirements, according to Asia-focussed flavour company KH Roberts.
Chinese ingredients supplier Fenchem reports that sales of eye health carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin have doubled in a year to break the million-dollar mark for the first time – even as a marigold shortage sets in.
PepsiCo has agreed to sell its majority 41.5 per cent stake in Thai soft drinks and bottling firm Serm Suk (SSC), after ThaiBev (THBEV) announced plans to acquire the latter for $548m last week.
The National Association of Smallholders, Malaysia (NASH), which represents 240,000 Malaysian small farmers, has in an open letter strongly protested the Australian palm oil bill.
A new study has suggested that there are undeclared allergens in many commercial processed food products in Thailand, which could cause allergic reactions.
The Indonesian cocoa processing sector is ripe for further investment from multinational food manufacturers, a spokesperson from the country’s investment authority said.
Singapore-based Veredus Laboratories has launched a portable test kit that can detect bacteria and viruses that cause the most common foodborne illnesses in collaboration with Geneva-based chipmaker ST Microelectronics.
DKSH Holdings Ltd, the Swiss market expansion services group, has invested in a new innovation centre in Thailand as part of an initiative to introduce new concepts and ingredients to the local confectionery and bakery industry.
Leading cocoa processor Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has announced it is kick-starting its Ivory Coast sustainable cocoa initiative – Serap – in Indonesia in a bid to boost cocoa quality from growers in that region.
Forest fragmentation driven by demand for palm oil is having a catastrophic effect the level of biodiversity, and may be endangering certain species, according to scientists from the Queen Mary University of London.
Nestlé and General Mills’ joint venture Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW) is investing €27m in a new Malaysian factory to enable the local production of Nestlé breakfast cereals in the country for the first time.
Barry Callebaut, in a bid to meet its strategic need to diversify its cocoa origin and boost the viability of cocoa production in Malaysia, has announced a new research programme.
A new research project aims to optimise the production and quality of oil palm, helping to produce more sustainable crops, by using molecular genetics to boost crop breeding.
The delivery of Cargill’s first UTZ Certified beans from Vietnam marks an important milestone for the company in its bid to establish the region as a new origin country for cocoa, said the ingredients giant.
Greenpeace has welcomed a pledge towards forest conservation from palm oil supplier Golden Agri-Resources Limited (GAR) which is aimed at “creating long-term sustainable growth for GAR and the palm oil industry”.
Increasing demand for western style pastries in Thailand is behind ingredients supplier Unifine’s goal to expand its presence in that market this year.
Cargill is to acquire Indonesian starch and sweetener company PT Sorini Agro Asia Corporindo, deal designed to help it better serve its customers in the Asia Pacific region.
A scheme based on a computer-aided process simulation tool can optimise the cocoa manufacturing process in Malaysia and double output, claims new research.
Although the food and drink flavouring market in Southeast Asia is “growing enormously”, consumer tastes are still cost-driven and traditional, according to top flavour producer IFF.
Cocoa bean exports were hit for the first time in four months as heavy rains damaged crops and disrupted transport, according to the Indonesian Cocoa Association.
Next week’s Nutracon Asia conference in Hong Kong will include a special one-day workshop on the regulatory state of play for dietary supplements and functional foods in Asia Pacific, giving case studies and showing areas of opportunity.
Political decisions encouraging biofuel production from palm oil is causing deforestation in Indonesia and not the low tonnage sourced by Kit Kat maker Nestlé, according to the chairman of the Swiss based food company.
The globe’s two biggest food firms, Nestlé and Kraft, have launched internal investigations after a Greenpeace report claimed both purchase palm oil from Indonesian company PT Smart whose parent group Sinar Mas allegedly engages in widespread illegal...
Unilever has halted all purchases of palm oil from Indonesian company PT SMART after a Greenpeace report alleged that its parent group Sinar Mas is engaged in widespread illegal deforestation and peatland clearance in Indonesia.
The Singapore Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) has approved five nutrient and product-specific health claims that can now bear a ‘Healthier Choice’ symbol.
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has announced a $30m collaborative project which aims to boost South Asian cereal production by five million tonnes a year.
Cargill says it will create innovative new dairy and confectionery products and help bring them to a growing market in Asia with the opening of its new application centre.
Purac has officially opened its new lactic acid factory in
Thailand, where it hopes to build on lactic acid growth in Asia as
well as cutting production costs.
Swiss chocolate company Barry Callebaut is to purchase a 60 per
cent share of Malaysia's KL Kepong Cocoa Products in a move
designed to increase its sourcing capacity in Asia.
Dairy and ingredients firm Friesland Foods Kievit has constructed a
new drying plant in Indonesia for producing encapsulated
products to expand the group's portfolio in the wider Asian region.
Carlsberg will strengthen its position in Vietnam's burgeoning
economy with its new brewery built in association with a
domestic partner, the company announced this morning.
Nutracea announced it has received an opening purchase order from
network marketing company the Cosway Corporation for launch of its
stabilized rice bran in Southeast Asia.
Dutch infant nutrition group Numico is to increase its stake in
Indonesian company Sari Husada to capitalise on major growth in the
country for nutrition and health products.
The Indonesian government is currently reviewing its laws on
artificial sweeteners and will consider banning them from food if
expert evidence suggests they present health risks, according to a
report.
Vietnam's first industrial park catering solely to food processors
is set to boost the country's position in value-added products for
export markets, says the project's founder.
