New Zealand food exports of traditionally strong-performing products such as seafood and dairy are expected to take hits in the coming months in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak due to transportation challenges and weakened demand from key markets.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an extension of free food ration distributions for the nation’s poor till November, but recent government data has also revealed that distributions till date have been ineffective in several major states.
Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) are conducting three clinical studies to assess the effects of a probiotic formula on COVID-19 patients, people at higher-risk of contracting the virus, and the general population.
Beverage firms in the APAC region can most effectively tap into immunity innovation for their products by focusing on key areas such as culture, convenience and demographic-targeting, according to experts at DuPont.
China’s COVID-19 focus has taken a clear food-related shift with a decided focus on stepping up food import regulations, despite this putting it at odds with foreign food firms and governments arguing against the probability of food-related virus spread.
Snacking has evolved from being a convenient and comforting experience before Covid-19 to a more food conscious and healthy activity during the pandemic, two market experts claim.
Food waste dropped, interest in self-sufficiency soared and orange consumption rocketed in the UAE during the COVID-19 crisis, according to the UAE Minister of State for Food Security.
Wine consumption rates in Australia have maintained steady pre-COVID-19 rates even during the pandemic-induced lockdown, mostly driven by the alcohol consumption behaviour of the nation’s Gen X consumers during this period.
India’s edible oil industry has managed to survive the COVID-19 crisis by processing more crude oil to fulfil local demand, and now wants to strengthen its position by banning all refined palm oil imports into the country.
Food and agriculture products are expected to help Thailand maintain its export trade worldwide post-COVID-19, despite the significant logistical challenges seen in all major export modes of transportation so far.
India has repeatedly stressed that the country’s agricultural sector will emerge unscathed from and even achieve growth amidst the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, but injurious fearmongering and a severe locust threat seem to suggest otherwise.
Malaysia is considering a potential reviews of regulations governing alcohol sales and/or production following a rash of drunk driving accidents in the country, marking yet another hurdle for an industry trying to find its feet due to COVID-19.
Nestle Malaysia has expressed strong confidence in post-its COVID-19 recovery, with the firm accelerating its e-commerce drive at products with an ‘at-home’ focus.
New Zealand kiwi firm Zespri says sales to Japan have soared by 52% in the last five years, with a further 4% rise to 104,000 tonnes forecast for this year.
FoodNavigator-Asia will be hosting five webinars as part of a groundbreaking new global series of online events brought to you by the FoodNavigator teams in the Americas, EMEA and Asia.
AI solutions to track and trace raw materials and ingredients will likely gather pace in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, where supply chains were disrupted and many firms had to source supplies from alternative providers.
Alcohol consumption in UAE is expected to continue to decline, a trend which began last year and accelerated with the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, according to new research.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, food and beverage adulteration has continued unhindered in Pakistan with authorities having had to seize and discard thousands of units of dairy, fruits, spices and other items despite continuing food supply fears...
Fruit, dairy and meat have emerged as ‘saviour commodities’ for New Zealand trade amid the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, with these food exports showing significant growth despite just about all other sectors experiencing falls.
Tensions between Australia and China have recently been running high over barley tariffs and beef bans, but this nothing new nor solely due to ‘punishing behaviour’ over COVID-19, according to several trade consulting experts.
Coca-Cola Amatil says it has seen improved sales performance across most of its markets in May, but will have to continue to focus on cost-savings initiatives in the coming year as the company doubles down on efforts to survive the impacts of COVID-19.
New industry analysis suggests that China’s fresh foods sales by e-commerce will continue to boom, after the Chinese New Year period and COVID-19 lockdowns initially caused trade to spike.
Heineken and Tiger Beer have taken measures to revise marketing strategies and double-down on product innovation after seeing online sales surge after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak hit on-trade consumption.
Dubai-based organic kombucha company, Saba Kombucha, says business is booming as the COVID-19 pandemic heightens consumer awareness in health and wellness, with online orders alone increasing by 30%.
Food and beverage companies have been advised to concentrate on packaging, technology and water use to help maintain production during and thrive after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, in the wake of a near 5% drop in exports.
First it was beef, now it’s barley, with China seemingly staying true to its word to deal a series of trade blows to Australia in retaliation for its calls for a wide-ranging global inquiry into the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
An Indian research institute has developed a range of high protein and fibre foods, including cookies, bread, and rusks specially for COVID-19 patients.
Smallholder farmers in Africa are particularly at risk amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Julie Greene, VP, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at agri-food giant Olam.
Malaysian brand Jobbie Nut Butter has sought to clear the air after being accused of using the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak as a ‘sympathy ploy’ to boost sales.
Ministers in charge of trade for countries within the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) regional forum have highlighted ‘remedying economic challenges’, including the restarting of food and agriculture supply chains, as a key focus even though...
Indonesia’s gummy supplement start-up, YOU, said sales of its adults’ and kids’ multivitamins have nearly tripled amid the COVID-19 outbreak, as more recognise vitamins as a means of preventive healthcare.
The F&B industry in Malaysia has called for food businesses in all states nationwide to ‘concurrently resume’ as per the government’s recent loosening of COVID-19 related lockdown restrictions, but has hit a snag with seven of the nation’s 14 states...
F&B industry group Food South Australia has turned to technology to help businesses in the region highlight and tackle the impacts of COVID-19 in the region, with its Chief Executive Officer citing three new tools.
Coca-Coca Amatil has been hit with plummeting sales volumes in Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia amidst COVID-19 lockdowns being implemented by all three countries, but remains positive that its strong foundations will tide it through the crisis.
Last week we revealed that the NutraIngredients’ teams worldwide were to host the first ever co-ordinated series of webinars looking at immunity, and now we can reveal the stellar line-up for the first APAC event which will focus on clinical research.
Thailand's retraction of a nationwide blanket ban on alcohol sales, which led to panic-buying and fears of a fresh wave of COVID-19 infections, has been defended by industry leaders who claim alcohol and social gatherings don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand.
Consumers in Saudi Arabia have drastically ramped-up their online purchases of food products in the the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, new data reveals.
Qatar says it has enough stock of food and consumer goods to meet demand for at least one year, as the Middle East continues to battle the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Health authorities should reassess the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of key micronutrients such as vitamin C and D to support the immune system, said a group of researchers.
China’s online purchasing patterns throughout the country’s COVID-19 lockdown thus far have revealed a shift towards food products for home-cooking, a pattern that is expected to continue even beyond current restrictions.
As the two countries engage in an increasingly hostile war of words over the COVID-19 outbreak, could the Australian supplement industry’s huge export success to China now be under threat? Editor-in-Chief Gary Scattergood assesses the risk of collateral...
The durian industry in Malaysia has been hit hard by a drastic drop in demand and lack of manpower due to the COVID-19 outbreak, a sharp downturn for one of the country’s most popular exports.
Many Singaporean consumers have shifted their purchasing behavior from offline to online shopping as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts predict that this shift will be a long-lasting one with effects long past the outbreak.
South Korea has seen an increase of over 90% in online food product transactions during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, but continues to face trade-related challenges even as the country has moved to relax some social-distancing regulations.
Indonesia has seen export volumes for its palm oil, its top agricultural commodity, drop drastically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, with even bigger slumps set to come.
Fresh produce experts in Australia and New Zealand have denounced the merits of directly disinfecting fruits and vegetables as has been advocated via a viral video and mainstream news, calling this a ‘dangerous’ food safety hazard.
Country leaders of all the member states comprising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) reaffirmed commitments to ensure food security and smooth regional food trade in the recent ASEAN Special Summit on COVID-19.