One month after Typhoon Haiyan struck a devastating blow to the Philippines, farmers who lost essential crops and supplies are receiving the first wave of emergency seeds, restoring hope for a productive planting season and much-needed food for the coming...
Hershey has committed to purchasing 100% traceable and sustainably-sourced palm oil by the end of 2014. Greenpeace has welcomed the move, but has reservations about timelines and terminology.
US-based International Flavors & Fragrances, one of the world’s biggest developers of flavours and fragrances for consumer products, has revealed plans to invest over US$50m in its flavours operations in Jakarta.
Philippine fishers face immense damage to the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in regions affected by Typhoon Haiyan, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has said, calling for prompt and sustainable actions to help rebuild livelihoods.
Scientists in the Far East have discovered a rice gene that in preliminary testing increased production by 13-36% in modern long-grain indica rice varieties—the world’s most widely grown types of rice.
What began as outrage over phone bugging accusations has now escalated to the point that Indonesia revealed it was turning away from Australian food imports.
Benecol has expanded its plant stanol, cholesterol management-based health offering in the UK by adding vitamins that permit approved EU heart and bone health claims – a move analysts said should resonate with older consumers and give rival pro-activ...
Many confectioners are sidestepping responsibilities on sustainable palm oil by only ensuring products meet ‘inadequate’ RSPO standards, according to Greenpeace.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s emergency chief expects that crops in areas of the Philippines that were worst hit by this month’s Typhoon Haiyan have been “severely compromised”, and has warned that action must be taken quickly...
New Zealand’s prime minister is looking to put his country’s relationship back on track with Thailand after the damaging botulism crisis in August by embarking on a trade visit of the Southeast Asian country over three days.
While the scale of destruction in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan constitutes a major humanitarian crisis, its impact on rice production in the worst-affected Filipino provinces is yet to be fully understood.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture organisation has been mobilising support to the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, which tore through the country causing severe damage to the fisheries and agriculture sectors, as well as massive loss of life.
In July, we reported on the first certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) shipment from Thailand to Europe, bringing the world’s third-largest producer of the crop in line with other sustainable exporters. We thought we would follow this up as part of our...
Deforestation, loss of habitats, social upheaval and vast swathes of smoke: there’s no doubt the palm oil industry is guilty of continuing atrocities against both planet and humanity.
By By Marieke Leegwater, palm oil programme manager at Solidaridad
Even though often invisible, palm oil is present in many product formulations. Currently, it is the worlds most used vegetable oil and its production and demand are forecast to grow.
Carlsberg’s CEO says his firm remains well-positioned for future growth after breaking ground on Burma's 'first ever' international brewery and starting construction on another facility in China.
Italian botanicals giant Indena will market a high-potency cranberry extract made by French firm Pharmatoka in global markets like South Korea, India and Russia, under a new alliance.
Over two-thirds of Singaporean consumers are taking food inflation on the chin, saying they can absorb rising prices in their household budgets without having to make spending cuts elsewhere, according to a report released by Nielsen.
Kellogg cannot shirk its palm oil responsibility by deflecting attention to its supplier, says RAN following a statement from Kellogg calling for productive talks between its supplier Wilmar and the environmental group.
The Hershey Company will make its single largest investment in Asia with a new factory in Malaysia, a country the firm says gives it a strong route to 25 markets in the region, including China.
Fonterra has denied it has “any legal liability” to Danone in relation to its recent whey protein concentrate (WPC) contamination scare, despite being in talks with the French dairy giant over the possible payment of compensation.
While Thailand has successfully controlled its problems with undernutrition over recent decades, the country is now facing an outbreak of overnutrition.
By Rick Beckmann, senior foreign legal counsel, and Aldi Rakhmatillah, associate, of Susandarini & Partners, in association with Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
How should Indonesia and, more to the point, the local community, benefit from foreign investment in plantations?
Omega 3 from herring caviar will find a new market in Southeast Asia following a deal inked last week between Norway’s Arctic Nutrition and Holista Colltech of Malaysia that will see the fatty acid added to its supplements.
By Rick Beckmann, senior foreign legal counsel and Aldi Rakhmatillah, associate, of Susandarini & Partners in association with Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
The Indonesian Government is planning to crack down on further expansion of groups in the powerful palm oil plantation industry and, indirectly, foreign conglomerates.
GreenPalm has announced the first certified trade of palm oil by-product for feed use, hailing the development a triumph in supply chain sustainability for food manufacturers.
The Indonesian deputy trade minister has said that after successfully increasing domestic cocoa grinding capacity the country should lower cocoa bean import duties to prevent shortages in the future.
Now Thailand has been given approval to use stevia in food and beverages, Indonesia is the only Southeast Asian nation waiting for the authorities to give the regulatory go-ahead for the natural sweetener.
Indonesia has approved a plan to buy one million hectares of Australian farmland in the country’s north in order to solve its own crippling beef supply problems.
The non-Asian ingredient supply sector is fairly well represented here at Food Ingredients Asia-Thailand in Bangkok, but given current concerns about food supply chain security in the region, is probably still under-represented. Which is surprising…
Flavouring companies looking to expand across Asia should forget China. That’s the point San-Ei Gen’s David Tan was making as he spoke to FoodNavigator-Asia during Fi Asia-Thailand in Bangkok, adding that the youthful markets of Indonesia and the Philippines...
Having an office in the Philippines is a “logical step”, according to Barentz after the ingredients company opened the doors to its new Manilla base last weekend.
Malaysian tongkat ali supplier Biotropics has found significant growth in the United States on the back of some savvy media marketing through celebrity health shows.
This time last year, the Southeast Asian nations of Asean set out to create the single largest regulatory framework for dietary supplements in the world. We spoke to Dato' Dr Rajen M, who has been advising on Malaysia's position, to give us...
Food companies that only use certified sustainable palm oil have been accused of “certifying destruction”, according to a Greenpeace report released to coincide with the first European Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) summit in Berlin this week.
The world’s biggest manufacturer of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) outside of China has defended the quality of the sector as contaminated products continue to raise red flags with regulators in the UK, Hong Kong, Denmark and elsewhere.
Fonterra has rubbished reports that four Sri Lanka-based executives have been summoned to face contempt of court charges over the company's alleged failure to comply with a ban on the sale and advertising of its milk products in the country.
Interview: Prof Suhaila Mohamed, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Government financing and promotion of herbal ingredients research has helped Malaysia to become one of the world leaders in the field, according to one of the country’s pre-eminent researchers.
Petra Foods has reported growth in its consumer goods division in its second quarter (Q2) results and says it is planning to capitalize on the growing middle classes in Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore with premium products.
An outbreak of early mortality syndrome (EMS) might have stalled a decade-long boom in the shrimp industry, but a new better understanding of the pathogen might mean significant growth once again.
Still drinks continue to attract new consumers in Indonesia and Coca-Cola Amatil was smart to expand its Minute Maid range with new flavour variants there last year, Canadean insists.
Soaring whey prices are changing the face of the protein concentrate market, but hefty Asian-driven premiums won’t signal a flood to plant proteins, says an analyst.
The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) has accused Cargill of using child labour in its palm oil supply chain – and Cargill says it has registered its concern with supplier KLK.
