China Focus: Fonterra’s performance, dairy growth drivers, Blossom Tea’s granulated tea crystals, latest research findings
Pricing in trouble: Fonterra predicts volatile year ahead despite stellar China and consumer products performances
New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra has predicted a volatile year ahead, despite stellar performances in the first half of the year, especially with milk prices expected to rise in the next few months.
Fonterra recently announced its H1FY2024 interim results, reporting a strong 23% year-on-year increase in profits after tax to NZ$674mn (US$385.5mn).
This increase in profitability was attributed mainly to an improvement in its consumer products such as Anchor, Fernleaf and Anlene, as well as its business in Asia, particularly China.
Polarised patterns: Fonterra, Yili and more big APAC dairy firms on how wellness and enjoyment trends are driving industry
The twin trends of health and wellness alongside indulgence and enjoyment are driving APAC dairy industry growth and opening up a raft of innovation opportunities, according to industry leaders including Fonterra, Yili, Parag, and more.
The popularity of dairy in APAC has not traditionally been uniform, with markets such as Australia, New Zealand and India dominating production and demand. But in recent years, more Asian markets including China and Vietnam have gained interest in this sector.
One of the key drivers is wellness and nutrition, particularly in China where the government and industry associations established consumer guidelines for daily dairy consumption in 2020.
Granule greatness: Taiwan’s Blossom Tea taps crystallised format innovation to expand in Greater China region
Taiwan-based Blossom Tea has developed a range of granulated tea crystals, which it believes will help tap on both convenience and health trends in markets across the Greater China region.
Blossom Tea deals in conventional tea leaves, ranging from regular Oolong, Pu’er and green teas to more premium items such as Oriental Beauty, Jinxuan, and Dayuling.
To modernise its tea business, the brand has launched a range of health-focused teas based on herbs, fruits and TCM principles, whilst also perfecting a crystallisation technology to enhance convenience properties.
Omega-3 could help achieve desirable levels of blood sugar among diabetics – China study
Daily intake of 0.4g of omega-3 could help more than 95% of diabetics achieve desirable blood sugar levels, according to a Chinese study.
The findings indicated that as the intake of omega-3 fatty acids increased, there was a dose-dependent decrease in HbA1c levels. HbA1c is the average blood glucose levels for the last two to three months.
Seafood fraud in China: Better traceability and labelling needed to protect consumers, threatened species
Researchers in China conducted label analysis and (DNA) molecular identification on Japanese seafood products (JSPs) sold on a Chinese e-commerce platform, and found that these were not fully compliant with labelling standards.
This study highlights the prevalence of mislabelling and the use of ambiguous trade names in JSPs, underscoring an “urgent need” for improved traceability procedures and an updated regulatory labelling system to prevent seafood fraud.
