Local solutions key to safer, sustainable seafood in Asia
Asia’s seafood sector must adapt safety and sustainability measures to diverse local markets, say experts
Regulatory standards for this sector are generally similar across Asia, though some adjustments may be needed for specific markets.
“Around 80% of regulatory standards are common across Asia, covering food safety and environmental care,” said Malcolm Ong, founder and CEO of The Fish Farmer, a Singapore producer of fish and fish-based products.
UN atomic body stresses post-Japan wastewater release food safety
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched three reports to reiterate that Japan’s nuclear water release does not affect seafood safety.
Japan has been under fire from various nations, particularly its neighbouring countries, since it first released treated wastewater from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster into the ocean in 2023.
That said, the IAEA has been supportive of this move since the very beginning, stressing that the wastewater release was ‘appropriate’ and health risks were ‘negligible’.
Japan faces long-term health risks from low fruit, vege intake intake
Most Japanese adults are not meeting recommended fruit and vegetable needs, and new data indicates this issue will worsen in the long-term without intervention
According to a new simulation study that used national dietary data, more Japanese adults are at risk of deviating from nutrient recommendations in the country’s Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) according to current dietary intakes.
Infuriatingly, this issue persists even though this simple issue could be solved by just eating 200 grams of fruit and 350 grams of vegetables per day.
Matcha under threat: A ‘victim of its own success’?
Lower quality matcha has been flooding markets. Could the popular ingredient fall out of favour?
According to Alice Pilkington, principal analyst at marketing intelligence company Mintel, high demand has meant that lower quality powders have been “flooding” the market.
Such powders could lead to the “cheapening” of a traditionally revered tea ceremony, she explained.
Coca-Cola: Innovation and local production key to business resilience
Coca-Cola has highlighted local manufacturing and an innovation focus as crucial needs to build resilience for any food and beverage company
The concept of supply chain resilience and security has become top of mind for many companies in the food and beverage space in the past few years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted painful gaps in global logistics and operations.
This has been no different for beverage giant Coca-Cola, and the firm’s ASEAN & South Pacific Operating Unit President Selman Careaga highlighted that it has taken steps to increase localised operations in order to minimise future disruptions to supply chain operations.
