China Focus: Hard seltzer, protein powder and local dairy regulations feature in our round-up

China’s first hard seltzer company LINGYA rebrands to ZEYA and outlines local and regional strategy​

LINGYA (零呀), the company which produced China’s first locally made hard seltzer has rebranded to ZEYA, in line with a new local and regional strategic plan.

Founded in June 2020, the Shanghai-company first introduced six hard seltzer products in China, which were low calorie, and contained zero sugar.

They came in cucumber, blackberry, strawberry, white peach, grapefruit and passionfruit flavour variations.

Protein power for the young: China’s ffit8 creates probiotic containing powder for immune, gut and mental health​

China-based firm ffit8 is launching probiotic protein powder to boost immunity and mood, following the success of its flagship protein bar last year.

Launched in December 2020, ffit8 is the first in China to introduce the concept of probiotic protein powder to the public.

Containing whey protein, milk powder, and bacillus coagulans, it claims to maintain immune function, intestinal health as well as relieve stress, mood-boosting and aiding sleep.

China’s dairy focus: New national three-year strategy highlights R&D and regulatory control to boost safety and reputation​

The Chinese government has announced a new three-year strategy to further develop the local dairy industry, with emphasis on strengthening R&D as well as tighter governance to quell remaining food safety concerns and boost the sector’s reputation.

The strategy, dubbed the ‘Dairy Product Quality and Safety Enhancement Action Plan’, was announced by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and is the latest in the country’s many attempts to motivate local consumers to increase dairy consumption including the formulation of formal consumption guidelines for this last year.

“[Although] the overall level of dairy product quality and safety has been on the rise in recent years, this strategy has been formulated as there are still various problems plaguing the dairy industry [that need to be solved] for it to reach maximum potential,”​ said SAMR via a formal statement.

“These issues include a lack of independent research capability in the private sector [leading to] low competitiveness, and continued poor food safety management which is also continuing to affect the reputation of the industry."​

‘Now is the time’: China and Indonesia highlighted as major post-COVID-19 opportunity markets for halal growth​

Indonesia and China have been highlighted by experts as major opportunity markets for halal F&B brands looking to internationalise their products post-COVID-19, banking on rising purchasing power and government support in both countries – though some doubts still linger for the latter.

Government support was highlighted as one of the main reasons for halal F&B growth in China, where the local government has been focused on building cities with high Muslim communities since 2018, according to China F&B advisory firm Chainera Head Tng Jin Kit.

“It’s really a good time for halal food brands in China now – the government has spent a lot of money on building infrastructure like the High Speed Rail and bringing in technology and agricultural methodologies to cities like Xinjiang and Lanzhou which have many Muslim communities,”​ said Tng.

“What this means is that the Muslim communities in these cities have become richer over the last three years, so now have much higher spending power."​

Angel Yeast to open new R&D centre in China tapping on plant-based and sports nutrition trends​

China-based manufacturer Angel Yeast is set to open a new R&D centre in Yichang, Hubei Province this year to accelerate product innovation, with a particular focus on the plant-based sector and sports nutrition.

The manufacturer and distributor of yeast and yeast extracts hopes to innovate and develop new yeast strains that can improve flavour in bread and brewing applications as well as targeting the growing plant-based and sports nutrition industries.

The US$30m, 36,000 square meters R&D center will be completed in February. The company invest around US$50m in R&D annually.

Eric Ao, general manager of Angel Yeast (European Division) told FoodNavigator-Asia​: “Consumers’ growing awareness about the health benefits of plant-based protein is driving consumer interest in meat analogs​.”

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