Functional dairy booms as tech-driven innovation renew category potential
Tech driven innovation is growing the potential of functional dairy, repositioning the category as a strong player in the global functional foods space
The rise of functional foods and beverages over the past decade has been nothing short of meteoric, driven strongly by increasing consumer knowledge and demands for better value-for-money in their purchases.
A lot of hype has been had over new and upcoming functional ingredients that are set to move the category to the next stage, from nootropics to fibre, but one particular area which is set to see a real boom in the near future is that of functional dairy where a lot of new tech-driven innovation is taking place.
Iran Conflict: What does this mean for global food sector?
The ongoing tensions in Iran could disrupt supply routes and drive volatility across key food commodities such as rice and meat
United States–Israeli strikes on Iran since end-February have led to intense fears all over the Middle East, with people in most parts of the region including United Arab Emirates business centre Dubai instructed by the government to stay indoors due to air strikes and missile interceptions.
Amid all this, UAE officials have continued to maintain that local food supply remains sufficient and stable, urging residents to refrain from panic or excessive grocery purchases.
“In the midst of geopolitical unrest in the region, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MoET) confirms that essential food commodities in the country are available in sufficient quantities in the markets and across the UAE, and that supply chains are continuing uninterrupted,” MoET said via a formal statement.
Hunter Foods’ spicy chips bring extra heat to Middle East chilli lovers
Snacking giant Hunter Foods has launched a range of new snacks meant for ‘true chilli lovers’ in the Middle East, bringing more bold heat and flavour to the region
While the firm previously closely followed trends to create its products, such as the popular truffle range which saw its Black Truffle flavour go viral in South Korea and Japan, the firm has opted to go hot and bold with its latest innovation.
“What we have created this time is really for the true chilli lovers out there, as we have made some of the spiciest snacks in the market,” Hunter Foods Managing Director Ananya Narayan told us.
Global beer consumption rises on growth in India, Russia and Thailand – Kirin
Beer consumption increased a marginal 0.5% globally, narrowly avoiding decline thanks to sharp gains in key emerging markets, according to Kirin
This was based on the recently-published Global Beer Consumption Report, which comprises data collected by beer giant Kirin Holdings across 170 global markets.
While many traditionally strong beer markets such as Germany (-2.2%) and Australia (-2.6%) saw beer consumption decline from 2023 to 2024, overall international beer consumption managed to remain in the green due to rising demand in several emerging markets.
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.
“The aim of these new regulations is to not only strengthen supervision and management of food live-streaming e-commerce activities, but also urge these live-streaming operators to fulfil their primary responsibility in ensuring the food safety of the products they are selling,” China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) stated via a formal statement.
