Indonesia commits to easier halal certification for food SMEs
Indonesia aims to simplify halal certification for food SMEs, boosting global competitiveness and ensuring inclusive access for small businesses.
Since October 2024, Indonesia has enforced regulations mandating that all local and imported products being traded in the country which are not on a pre-approved Positive List must be halal-certified, including foods and beverages.
However, this has not yet been implemented for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) due to various complications. The anticipated date of enforcement will be in October 2026.
“MSMEs are very much the backbone of Indonesia’s economy as most businesses fall under this category, but their transition to complete halal certification has been a significant challenge,” Indonesia’s national Halal Products Assurance Agency (BPJPH) Department for Halal Registration and Certifications Head Dr Mamat Salamet Burnanudin said.
Heart-healthy + salt-free: Aussie startup reinvents Asian condiments
Australian startup Heartful Flavours launches three salt-free Asian seasonings made from whole plant foods, complementing its heart-healthy meal packs
The new launches are salt-free alternatives to soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce – condiments central to Asian cuisine.
Yeast, seaweed, and mushrooms re-create authentic flavours for the firm’s “Fiish Sauce” seasoning. “Soi Sauce” and “Oister Sauce” seasonings have the same base ingredients but contain fermented soybeans and dates respectively.
World’s top 30 food-tech companies revealed
From AI-powered ingredient discovery to zero-waste packaging and next-gen proteins, the top 30 global food-tech list showcases the game-changing technologies shaping the future of food
The top 30 list is a snapshot of a global industry in transformation where science, sustainability and scalability converge to redefine what and how food is produced.
Curated following a rigorous judging process for the Global Food Tech Awards 2025, which saw sector experts from CPGs to academics and journalists critique leading food-tech start-ups, this is a world eye view of what’s going on in food-tech.
Belize hot sauce heats up Asia with ‘unfermented’ innovations
Belizean brand Marie Sharp’s is turning up the heat in Asia with its unfermented habanero sauces that blend tropical flavour and clean-label appeal
Marie Sharp’s is positioning their brand as one that is healthy, natural, and easy on the palate, Brand PR Officer Paul Ho told us.
Well known in Japan and Taiwan, the Belizean brand is now focusing on trending local flavours as it seeks to widen its Asia-Pacific footprint.
Taiwan’s Rose Box eyes rapid exports expansion with organic rose-based products
Taiwan-based Rose Box is aiming to grow its exports business to more APAC markets over the next year with products such as rose jams and rose pastes.
Rose Box specialises in all things to do with roses, planting its own certified organic roses in a 20 hectare farm in Pingtung, Taiwan.
“We can guarantee the freshness and quality of every rose because we only use roses from our own farm in our products, which are picked every morning and immediately transported to our nearby factory for processing,” Rose Box parent company Grand Blossom Grange Owner Yang Tien Te told us.
