China cracks down on food live-streaming with strict new regulations
In a world-first move, China has introduced specific regulations to govern live-streamers and related companies dealing in food products
Live-streaming as a sales and marketing tool has been on the rise in many global markets, but Asia and undoubtedly China are leading the pack when it comes to the influence of these live-streamers on consumers.
The increasing use of this format to sell food products, especially on near-omnipresent platforms in the country such as Douyin (TikTok) and Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), has led the Chinese government to implement new regulations specifically targeting live-streamers in the country, becoming the first government in the world to do so.
South Korea strengthens contactless retail, egg safety regulations
South Korea has upgraded its contactless retail and egg safety systems, with an eye on curbing food poisoning and strengthening e-commerce oversight
Online grocery ordering and delivery has gained significant traction since consumers were forcibly exposed to the benefits and convenience of these systems during the pandemic, and nowhere has this been more obvious than in Asia.
Delivery timelines such as ‘next-day delivery’ and ‘Two-day delivery’ are common in many markets for a premium – but in South Korea one of the most popular services to have emerged is ‘Dawn delivery’, where groceries are processed and delivered overnight ready for consumer use first thing in the morning.
Clearer and more flexible: India’s 2026 alcohol regulations
India’s new alcohol regulations include mandatory labelling and expanded category definitions, signalling greater consumer transparency and flexibility for producers
The new regulations were proposed between June to November 2025 and will be enforced by July 1 this year.
These regulatory updates align with FSSAI’s recent moves to empower consumers. At the same time, they give manufacturers greater clarity, enabling more effective compliance.
Asia sustainability report: Protein sources, food safety gaps strain progress
Asia’s food industry is battling various hurdles threatening the rapid progress of sustainability agendas, with protein diversification and food safety emerging as major issues.
With sustainability and ESG initiatives shaping the narrative for many food and beverage companies in Asia, progress in this space is moving more quickly than ever before in the region.
That said, a new report released by Asia Research and Engagement (ARE) in February 2026 assessing sustainable sourcing in the food industry has found that this progress is moving forward in a skewed manner, with some areas gaining much more attention than others.
Why salt reduction is getting harder for food makers
Governments may be returning to salt reduction targets, but manufacturers say the era of easy reformulation wins is long over
Data released by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) shows working-age adults in England consume an average of 8.4g of salt a day, well above the UK’s 6g guideline. The health implications are well known: high salt intake is linked to elevated blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
