On-pack updates: The Top 10 most-read food and beverage packaging stories from 2023

Safe for second use: South Korea approves recycled PET as material for new food and beverage containers​

South Korea gave the nod earlier this year for recycled PET plastic to be used as a material to make new food and beverage containers as part of its national sustainability strategy, citing work by international brands such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo as an inspiration.

The South Korean government has been proactively pushing its sustainability goals to reduce its plastic waste production by half, as well as more than double recycling rates from 34% to 70% by 2030.

Given the latter target, it has unsurprisingly been particularly active in promoting recycling initiatives.

The government announced that from January 2023, recycled PET has been approved as a raw material to be used to make new food and beverage containers for use within the food and beverage system.

Too much sugar focus: ‘More measures’ needed for Singapore’s Nutri-Grade system to improve consumer diets – study​

A study conducted by Singaporean researchers earlier this year on the government’s Nutri-Grade front-of-package (FOP) beverage labelling scheme has concluded that more work needs to be done for it to make a positive impact on consumer dietary and purchasing choices.

Singapore first announced the Nutri-Grade labelling​ scheme for sugar-sweetened pre-packaged beverages back in 2020, and this was finally officially enforced in the country in December 2022 after various delays attributed to COVID-19.

The scheme grades beverages from A (healthiest) to D (least healthy) in terms of sugar and saturated fat levels.

Researchers at the Duke-NUS Medical School found in the study that although the FOP labelling system did help to encourage consumers to choose beverages with higher ratings, this was not quite so clear in terms of helping them to improve health and dietary choices.

Paper power: Nestle moves plastic reduction ambitions one step closer to APAC region with Australia pilot​

Nestle moved one step closer earlier this year towards its ambitions to reduce plastic packaging in the APAC region with its announcement of a paper packaging trial for chocolate in Australia, though its suitability for Asia’s hot and humid climate still remains to be seen.

Food and beverage giant Nestle has long been vocal of its ambitions to tackle plastic packaging usage and reduce the use of this in the name of sustainability. But the majority of such innovations, including those coming out of its international packaging science institute, have been targeted mainly at markets with colder climates e.g. Europe and the United States.

A major limiting factor for the firm to bring similar new innovations into the Asia Pacific region is the tropical hot and humid climate here.

Progress has been ongoing to develop packaging more suitable for the region, and the firm has been moving closer towards its plastic reduction goals with a new paper packaging pilot in Australia for the KitKat four-finger 45g pack, which was also open to public feedback.

Sustainability amid volatility: Nestle Malaysia pushes energy, packaging and plant-based progress despite economic uncertainty​

Nestle Malaysia vowed earlier this year to continue its progress in environmental and business sustainability areas such as renewable energy, recyclable packaging and plant-based product innovation even amidst current global economic instability.

Nestle's global headquarters have announced positive growth​ in the company’s overall organic sales and profits, as well as significant progress in its ESG initiatives.

“Nestle’s peak carbon [emissions status] has been behind us since the 2019-2020 period, but as of 2022 we are also below the 2018 starting levels greenhouse gas emissions, an important achievement,”​ Nestle CEO Mark Schneider said when presenting on the firm’s ESG progress.

“Our net zero carbon roadmap goes from 2018 and extends to 2050, by which we intend to be completely net zero, and now we’re below the baseline emission levels of 2018 which is a big milestone such that we are on track for the targeted 20% carbon emission reduction by 2025 vs 2018."​

Nutritional labelling catch-up: Vietnam moves to implement mandatory regulations and align with international standards​

Vietnam moved earlier this year to implement regulations that mandate the display of nutritional labelling according to national standards on all qualifying food and beverage products in the country, progressing from its previous voluntary labelling system.

According to government data, presently just 60% of food and beverage firms in the country were displaying nutritional labels on their products, the majority of these being larger brands and retailers.

“A study by the Ministry of Health Department of Preventive Medicine has shown that overall 60% of products have nutritional information provided – it also found that 82% of non-alcoholic beverages are attaching labels, but just 50% of processed packaged foods are doing this,”​ Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Thuyen said via a formal statement.

“Conversely, 100% of all enterprises that are exporting food products to the international market comply with the required nutritional labelling regulations at the importing countries, and we have also found that major brands, food products sold in supermarkets and larger enterprises are all actively engaging in nutritional labelling."​

Expiration experimentation: South Korea embarks on nationwide project to set ‘use-by’ dates for food and beverage products​

The South Korean government implemented a nationwide project earlier this year to set ‘use-by’ dates for some 2,000 food and beverage items, in an attempt to cut national food waste.

The use-by dates significantly extend the timeframe that products would be made available to consumers, as these are within 80% to 90% of the timeframe for safe consumption. It has also been expected to reduce the amount of food disposed in-home by consumers based on the dates printed on-pack.

The local Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) embarked on a national project earlier this year to set specific criteria for use-by dates in various food products.

“MFDS will be conducting a project on calculating and setting use-by dates for overall about 2,000 items in 200 food categories between 2022 and 2025,”​ MFDS Minister Oh Yoo-Kyung said via a formal statement.

Food label changes: Philippines updates policies governing sodium limits and caloric labelling in pre-packaged food products​

The Philippines Food and Drug Authority (FDA) announced new changes earlier this year to sodium content limits and how caloric values are to be displayed on the packaging of pre-packaged processed food products in the country.

In September 2023, the Philippines FDA issued a formal circular highlighting that food manufacturers and distributors in the country would need to adhere to updated labelling requirements for pre-packaged processed food products.

These changes were based on the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intakes (RENI) nutritional system dietary standards used in the Philippines, which has been in force since 2002 but saw major updates based on advances in the understanding of energy and nutrient requirements back in 2015.

“In line with updates made to the RENI by the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) based on scientific advancements in nutritional understanding, the FDA shall now use the new REI/RNI [as presecribed],”​ FDA Director General Dr Samuel Zacate stated in the circular.

Applicable to all: Australia’s new mandatory alcohol pregnancy warning labels enforceable on imported beverages​

Australia started enforcement earlier this year of mandatory pregnancy warning on all alcoholic beverages, a requirement also applicable to imports.

The alcoholic beverages sector in Australia has maintained that there is a ‘working and effective’ ​labelling scheme already in place with no need for legislation to govern it, with major players such as Alcohol Beverages Australia (ABA) and Australian Grape and Wine previously having submitted protests agsinst the move.

Nevertheless, FSANZ has proceeded with the transition to and enforcement of the alcohol pregnancy warning label over the past three years, and from July 31 2023 all beverages with above 1.15% ABV must carry the label in accordance with strict size, format, colour and font specifications.

“The pregnancy warning label must be an image containing the pregnancy warning pictogram (image above) with a black pregnant silhouette and red circle and strikethrough, the signal words ‘PREGNANCY WARNING’ in red coloured capital letters, and the statement ‘Alcohol can cause lifelong harm to your baby’ in black letters, all within a border,”​ FSANZ stated via a formal statement.

BYOC cereal: Nestle Indonesia taps refillable dispenser tech for Milo and Koko Krunch to beat climate-related packaging challenges​

Nestle started utilising novel refillable dispensing technology for the Milo and Koko Krunch brands via vending machines in Indonesia, an initiative hoped to withstand the humidity and heat of the local climate.

The F&B giant has placed a great deal of effort in sustainability-related innovations and initiatives, including its dedicated Nestle Institute of Packaging Sciences​ and its commitment to hit net zero carbon emissions by 2050​.

That said, Nestle has also long been transparent about its many challenges when it comes to developing suitable alternatives to plastic packaging particularly for the Asian region where hot and humid weather​ has been a major limiting factor to its efforts.

“It’s much more challenging to bring [paper packaging] solutions to tropical markets such as Indonesia [as the] climate is more humid and less mild [compared] to European markets such as France,”​ Nestle CTO Stefan Palzer told FoodNavigator-Asia​.

Guilt-free gummies: Funday highlights gut-friendly formulation and single-serve packaging as major success factors​

Australian guilt-free confectionary firm Funday highlighted its unique gut-friendly ingredient formulation as well as its one-bag-one-serve packaging as major success factors after entering 3,000 retail outlets in the region earlier this year.

When we last spoke to Funday in early 2022, the firm had just hit the 1,000 retail outlets​ mark and told us of plans to make it to 3,000 outlets by the end of the year – a target which it successfully achieved.

“Funday natural sweets are now in Chemist Warehouse and Woolworths outlets worldwide, as well as some 450 Ampol gas stations, WH Smith stores as of last December, and more retailers to come as of this month (January 2023),”​ Funday Founder Daniel Kitay told FoodNavigator-Asia​.