The world's leading instant noodle maker Indofood said last week
that its first-quarter net profit rose 48 per cent from the prior
year's same period thanks to an increase in sales and
foreign-exchange gains.
French fries and potato chips available in South Korea are higher
in the carcinogenic chemical acrylamide than previously thought,
said an environmental group on Tuesday.
Asia Pacific Breweries is making headway in its aim to become the
region's leading brewer, with its first acquisition in the world's
second most populous nation, India.
Chinese dairies need to invest more in R&D to capitalise on
future growth in added value products like milk drinks, cheese and
yoghurts, advises a new report from consultants McKinsey.
Philippines-based Universal Robina will spend P5.6 billion (€87m)
this year to expand its branded foods range and increase its
presence in other Asian markets, URC president Lance Gokongwei told
reporters last week.
The world's biggest instant noodle maker, Indofood, said yesterday
that its 2005 net profit fell 68 per cent on the prior year to
IDR124 billion (€11.4m).
US soft drinks giant Pepsi opened its first research and
development centre outside the US in Shanghai yesterday, signaling
its commitment to the fast-growing Chinese market.
Uni-President, Taiwan's biggest food group, is looking for private
equity to allow it to expand further in the Chinese beverage
sector, according to a report.
An RFID tracking system designed to slow the spread of avian flu
will be tested this month by China's poultry industry, currently
facing flagging demand and low prices following several outbreaks
of the disease in different provinces.
The US government is set to open free trade talks with Malaysia,
predicting that an agreement could double exports of American
goods, including food, to the country by 2010.
A guide to help the food industry understand new country of origin
labelling rules, set to be launched in Australia this June, has
been unveiled by the country's health minister.
South Korean brewer Hite announced Friday it work with Jinro, the
country's leading distiller, to create the leading bottled water
brand on the national market.
South Korea and the United States are set to begin talks on a free
trade agreement that promises to benefit food and drink sector
firms on both sides of the Pacific.
PepsiCo has announced it will invest another $850m in China over
the next three years in recognition of the country as a rapidly
emerging market for soft drinks and snack foods.
A survey of the effects of bird flu on the Spanish poultry market
demonstrates the complex interplay between government intervention,
consumer concerns and industry reaction to a disease that has the
potential to cripple the sector.
South Korean kimchi exports have jumped in the first 10 months of
the year, after the media reported it may have a preventative
effect against avian influenza.
The proportion of value-added food and beverage products exported
from New Zealand has continued to rise steadily against commodity
products, with the value-added sector enjoying growth of nearly 10
per cent in the past five years.
A UK lobby group is targeting the Malaysian and Indonesian palm oil
industries, claiming that intense farming of plantations is
threatening the orang-utan with extinction.
Australian brewer Lion Nathan has responded to last week's
objections by Coopers, the subject of a hostile takeover by the
firm, with similar claims of foul play.
Foster's has taken a streamlined approach to 'brand Australia' on
the world wine market, announcing two wineries will be sold off as
the firm tries to realise cost-savings from its Southcorp buyout.
Australia has imposed an indefinite ban on the Selecta ice cream
brand over fears that its ingredients could be affected by the
incidence of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the Philippines.
More productive sugarcane varieties can be delivered two to three
years earlier, say Australian scientists, helping the sugar
industry maintain its productivity and sustainability.
Consumption of vitamins and minerals in China is growing, thanks to
immense economic growth and the emergence of a new consumer
culture. There may be opportunities for foreign companies to export
to the country to make up for a shortfall...
About 36 people have died in China after eating or handling pigs
infectected with a mysterious diease, and there are now 198 more
confirmed cases, reports Hridyesh Pandey.
A Vegetarian Food Industry Association will be set up in China this
year to combat the use of animal material in vegetarian products,
according to the China Food Culture Research Organisation.
India's dairy industry is priming the country's research centres
with funds in a bid to mechanise the region's indigenous foods
sector ahead of moves to apply international food safety standards,
Hridyesh Pandey reports.
There has been a rapid increase in the incidence of foodborne
parasitic diseases, stemming from the country's burgeoning demand
for raw food, according to new figures from the Chinese government.
Vietnam has announced that seafood exports have risen during the
first four months of the year, despite ongoing trading difficulties
with the US, Tom Armitage reports.
Australian prawn farmers have reacted angrily to the government's
proposed labelling reforms, which could provide the country's food
producers with increased competition from imports, Tom Armitage
reports.
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has backed calls for a joint
feasibility study, which will look at ways of achieving the
European Commission's desire for closer trading links with the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations...
Japanese food safety authorities have ordered further testing, after two cows were diagnosed with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) during preliminary screening, Tom Armitage reports.
South Korea's Lotte Confectionery Company, the country's largest
snack food manufacturer, has acquired a 100 per cent stake in a
Chinese confectioner - a move which will not only bolster its
influence among China's...
French dairy giant Danone has received approval from the Chinese
authorities to more than double its existing stake in China's
biggest dairy company, Tom Armitage reports.
The Philippines may have to import more rice than it has for seven
years if a prevailing drought cuts rice production as feared,
suggested a senior agricultural official.
Heineken last week announced its decision to acquire a 40 per cent
stake in the Chinese brewery Jiangsu DaFuHao, after intimating in
its February results that it would continue to look for investment
opportunities.
The Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council
met in Adelaide today to discuss the standards and regulations that
govern the countries' food industries.
Chicken breeders in Indonesia are being forced to slaughter their
stocks as they fight to prevent the spread of bird flu throughout
the country - a battle which they currently appear to be losing.
South Korea's Food and Drug Administration has begun inspecting
outlets of fast food restaurant operators after the Chinese
operation of KFC admitted that it had discovered traces of the
banned food dye, Sudan 1. The threat of...
