China updates organic certification standards for food sector
The Chinese government recently announced an updated version of the local Organic Product Certification Implementation Rules, which will be enforced starting January 1 2026.
The new regulations have included stricter standards and procedures that organic certification agencies will be utilising for all certificate issuances as well as post-certification supervision and management next year.
Back to RIG: How will new Nestle CEO’s growth plans impact APAC?
New Nestle CEO Philipp Navratil has reset Real Internal Growth (RIG) as his ‘most important’ priority moving forward – but just how will his plans for this impact APAC?
Nestle uses RIG to measure ‘normalised’ growth generated by volume and product mix/innovation, as opposed to pricing-led growth which is achieved via price hikes.
Returning to RIG-led growth after the pandemic period was identified as an important target by previous CEO Mark Scheider, who also stated during his term that Nestle was committed to this goal in 2024.
Exclusive: Why APAC is rising hub for functional foods, new food tech
Four markets were found to have above-average interest in functional ingredients, all of which are in Asia: China (93.9%), Malaysia (93.6%), India (91,6%) and South Korea (89.6%).
“[These findings indicate that] China, Malaysia, India and South Korea should be seen as key markets to target for functional ingredient firms,” Lumina Intelligence senior insight manager Flora Zwolinski said.
Ageing Asia: 3 expert food and nutrition takeaways for industry action
Healthy ageing has become a major focus in Asia, as many countries in the region experiencing rapidly ageing populations such as Japan, Singapore and China.
Asia also has one of the most diverse demographic landscapes in the world, so industry players have many factors to take into consideration when it comes to innovation, new product development and research focus areas.
4 emerging functional ingredients with APAC growth potential
Ginseng is among the functional ingredients that is gaining popularity in APAC as consumers seek sustainable, traditional foods to support healthy lifestyles.
Brands such as China’s Herbal Player has captured traditional ginseng benefits in modern formats such as sodas, aiming to tap on younger generations’ interest for convenient functionality.