Tokyo-based NEXT MEATS’s latest innovation claims to offer several advantages over existing plant-based products, including improved taste and texture despite minimal use of ingredients, and being ambient storage-friendly.
Close to 90% of municipalities in Japan need to improve accessibility to food for elderly consumers amid the country’s shift to an ageing population, according to new government data.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is seeking public comment on draft regulations for the newly-coined ‘defined foods’ category, which will cover novel foods, genetically modified foods and insect-related foods.
Singapore food businesses looking to expand reach to the Middle East must be prepared with next-level persistence and a longer-than-average financial plan to succeed - but the returns can be tenfold, according to industry experts.
Consumer-facing food and beverage brands play a ‘critical role’ in moving the Asia Pacific agrifood system towards digitalisation, organisation and long-term sustainability by influencing consumer purchasing decisions, say experts.
New evidence suggests that brands and government need to scrap altruistic messaging about climate change and focus on health and culture to promote sustainable eating in Asia.
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is facing major pushback from ministers and trade organisations within Europe, alongside continued pressure from palm oil producer nations in Asia, casting doubt on hopes for a smooth implementation.
China regulators are considering subjecting the local ready-to-cook (RTC) foods category to additional mandatory standards and regulations in response to general public concerns over the food safety and quality.
Vietnam has completed and recently launched its new digital food safety management system which was developed in partnership with South Korea, with a particular focus on food poisoning outbreak monitoring across the country.
The Japanese government is cracking down on counterfeit agri-food product exports protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) scheme with the use of digital monitoring technology.
The cultivated meat sector looks to be in for a long term of funding and growth uncertainty amidst a global ‘funding winter’, even in Singapore which many start-ups in the industry considered ‘the place to be’ from a regulatory and financial.
The Philippines Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will establish a new electronic recall system for pre-packaged processed food products found to be in violation of domestic food safety regulations.
Retailers in APAC need to increase the support given to sustainability-focused food and beverage products in order to match brand initiatives and boost consumer awareness, say experts.
Developing markets in Asia and Africa risk being sidelined in the efforts to create a more sustainable food system, unless inclusion and affordability are placed front and centre to improve nutrition.
South Korea is expanding its AI-based screening system SAFE-i24 to include processed food imports, in a bid to maintain food safety and quality while maximising efficiency particularly during peak seasons.
The South Korean government has plans to significantly boost the level of food safety assurance in the local food system by investing into facility and technological improvements for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) advancement.
More than two thirds (68%) of food and drink businesses are optimistic about future growth, despite costs continuing to be a significant challenge, according to a survey by accountancy and business advisory firm Johnston Carmichael.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised five countries for their efforts in eliminating industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFA), marking the first time it has done so since launching an initiative in 2018 to encourage food manufacturers...
Food and beverage major Nestlé Professional claims there is a need to move away from marketing keywords such as “plant-based” and focus on elevating the taste of alternative protein products to boost “natural” uptake and sector growth.
The Chinese government’s new draft regulations governing the labelling of pre-packaged foods and beverages contains stricter guidelines, including mandating manufacturers to include clearer information on compound ingredients as well as more country of...
The government of Vietnam has its eye on increasing food trade across various product categories with China, citing huge population demand for meat as well as ongoing successful fruit and vegetable trade relationships as notable drivers.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has highlighted that cultivated meat still needs to meet a ‘more rigorous’ set of requirements to be halal-certified, even though it has been deemed potentially permissible for halal consumption.
Emerging technologies such as 3D food printing (3DFP) are unlocking opportunities to develop nutrient-rich and personalised plant-based substitutes for traditional meat, say researchers.
Food industry experts in Thailand remain optimistic over the potential of plant-based meat in the country despite slower-than-expected uptake, citing hybrid innovation as one of the growth opportunities.
The Indonesian government is revising food packaging regulations in response to consumer and academic concerns over the presence of dangerous chemicals entering the food supply chain.
Brands in South Korea have been compelled to submit product nutritional information, which the government has used to update its national food database for processed goods.
Major Japanese brands Ajinomoto and Meiji have highlighted how efficient inventory management will be key to reduce food waste throughout their supply chains, as part of their commitment to the national Food Loss Reduction Declaration.
The general public and experts in Singapore have raised several concerns over the consumption of cultivated meat, while also acknowledging it can play a crucial role in the City State’s food security efforts.
We take a closer look at five of the top trends that look set to shape the Asia Pacific food and beverage industry in 2024, from the newly-emerged ‘premium affordability’ to the evolution of plant-based protein, the rise of RTD beverages and more.
Australian cultivated meat firm Magic Valley has detailed its production and partnership objectives for 2024 as it seeks to get products in front of consumers in 2025.
From the hotly-debated EU Deforestation Regulation to increasing governmental scrutiny over pre-packaged and processed food nutritional labelling and packaging, FoodNavigator-Asia brings you five of this year’s need-to-know regulatory updates for 2024.
A plant-based diet may have the potential to lower the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during pregnancy, according to researchers in Fujian Province, China.
South Korean plant-based food brand UNILMEAT has opened an online store specially catering to the US market to satisfy consumer demand following positive growth and sold-out launches.
The food and beverage sector will need to focus on making more ‘immediate’ changes beyond just creating a novel protein supply in order to address sustainability and overall supply chain challenges, according to industry experts.
Japan has set up a physical anti-counterfeit consultation desk in Thailand to fight against a rising number of food and agriculture products claiming to be of Japanese origin.
There is an urgent need for real-time global monitoring of food fraud in order to protect public health and the global economy, say experts in Thailand.
Italy’s government has announced the passing of a bill banning the production and marketing of cultivated meat. The measures, which also restrict labelling for plant-based products, aim to protect Italy’s traditional food culture.
Middle Eastern food and beverage heavyweight Agthia has pledged to focus more investment into the digitalisation of its business as well as the creation of new snacking innovations in order to sustain the positive growth and profitability seen in the...
The Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) has launched a new version of its food safety platform in the local Hindi language in an effort to increase domestic food firm understanding and compliance of local regulations.
Affordability and accessibility are just as important as product innovation if food firms are going to help meets Asia’s nutritional needs, in a region that is still beset by childhood stunting and rising rates of obesity and diabetes.
New Japanese government data has revealed that the country could be close to achieving its goal of having 80% of the population simultaneously aware of, and taking action against, food waste.
Precision fermentation firms in the Asia Pacific region need to move beyond a technology focus to prioritise scaling up and commercialisation or risk facing major ‘bottleneck’ challenges when demand increases.
World-first liquid shio koji brand Hanamaruki has big plans to ride on the growing umami and wellness trends in South East Asia, after seeing success in western and East Asian markets.
Grocery e-commerce platform giant RedMart is seeing health and sustainability trends increasingly driving the purchasing decisions of consumers in Singapore, inspiring the firm to focus its own in-house product innovations on these factors.
The South Korean government has set its sights on partnerships with the ministries of multiple Latin American countries to establish the region as its next major trade partner in terms of food exports.
The nutritional value of plant-based meats is limited by lack of key micronutrients, although they contain significantly less saturated fat, indicates an assessment of products on the Hong Kong market.
Although efforts show progress on plastic pollution is possible, the world is ‘not on course’ to eliminating plastic waste and pollution, stresses the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.