In a move to reduce consumption of unhealthy products and prevent chronic diseases, the UAE Government will impose a fresh 50% excise tax on a raft of products containing added sugar or sweeteners, with officials hoping it will reduce consumption of ‘unhealthy...
Taiwan FDA has drafted guidelines on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for health supplements, which is expected to help smoothen export procedures for locally-made health supplements.
Top tips, and the major pitfalls to avoid, when trying to crack China’s fast-growing probiotics market will be the topic of a keynote presentation at our forthcoming Probiota Asia Summit in Singapore.
New Zealand supermarket chain Countdown has banned the sale of energy drinks to under 16s, with its 180 outlets requiring young customers to present their ID when seeking to make purchases.
One-in-five food products in Japan are still not compliant with the country’s new food labelling standards, with time rapidly running out for manufacturers to make the changes.
A new New Zealand report has revived calls for the government to make the Health Star Rating (HSR) system mandatory in the country after highlighting that almost all leading food brands carried high numbers of ultra-processed foods.
Packaged food and beverage products in China have been found to contain the highest levels of saturated fat and total sugar content, and is second only to India in terms of calorie content, according to a new study.
Indonesia’s recent banning of products carrying ‘Palm Oil Free’ labels has received a positive response from the local industry, while MNCs Nestle and PepsiCo have reiterated their commitment to use of RSPO-certified palm oil.
The ban on exporting live sheep from Australia to the Middle East has been extended to September 22, due to the risk of heat stress, Australia’s Department of Agriculture announced.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a formal order mandating compulsory third party food safety auditing for all food companies that deal in ‘high-risk’ product categories in hopes of reducing the need for frequent government...
The European Union (EU)’s recent demands that Australia remove food product names it claims are protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) scheme, such as feta or gruyere cheese, has angered the country’s F&B industry, but the government insists...
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has launched two proposals to overhaul of the Australian food safety standards in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code), marking the first time in almost two decades these have been reviewed.
Over 20% of fermented beverages in Australia have been found to contain alcohol content above that of the limits stipulated by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), a government study has revealed.
The Philippines Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has approved a new round of sugar imports into the country, on the back of requests from local food manufacturers such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
Liquor adulteration prosecution under NSA in India, China's national health guidelines, Thai GMO regulations and more feature in this edition of Policy Picks.
Thailand has drafted a new set of regulations for comments, targeting food and food products containing or consisting of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which covers the entire spectrum across plant, microorganism and animal-based foods.
The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has passed several amendments to penalties for offenders involved in liquor adulteration, including prosecution under National Security Act (NSA) and Gangster Act.
Punjab has topped the list of adulterated and/or misbranded food items in India despite active efforts by the local food safety department to eradicate this, according to official government numbers.
China’s national health strategy guidelines, dubbed the ‘Healthy China Movement’, has announced ambitious goals of cutting dietary oil, salt and sugar nationwide by 2030, in tandem with the overarching ‘Healthy China 2030’ initiative.
Fruit companies in Thailand are feeling the heat after China introduced new requirements for durian imports from the country to come with a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification, claiming that this would both negatively affect export volumes...
The Health Star Ratings (HSR) scoring system has come under fire yet again as the completion of its five-year-review draws close, with both consumer groups and academics calling for major changes in its proceedings.
Most New Zealand consumers have “got the message” about switching to some of the many no- or low-sugar drinks now available, according to the country’s top food and beverage industry association.
Sugar sweetened beverages are one of very few “clearly unhealthy products” that are readily promoted to children and “significantly contribute” to poorer health outcomes as people age, according to a leading health consultant.
Simply “slapping on” a sugar tax to sugar sweetened beverage tax to tackle obesity, diabetes and improving long-term health outcomes when Asia’s ageing population reaches its senior years is misguided, according to the CEO of the Australian Beverages...
An Australian-led RCT has found that restricting calorie intake moderately, by people only marginally overweight, can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A new study from the University of Otago has highlighted the overall effectiveness of sugar taxation in several countries where it has been implemented, but stressed that both taxation design and policy consistency need to be taken into account to increase...
Coca-Cola, Nestle and Fonterra, which all participated in the surveys and interviews conducted for the report by IGD and Food Industry Asia, reaffirmed to FoodNavigator-Asia their commitment towards healthier reformulation, especially around sugar reduction.
A new food labelling regulations draft published by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) suggesting colour coded labelling for products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) has drawn fervent protest from the nation’s food and beverage...
South Korea has upgraded the enforcement regulations for its Imported Food Act, with an import sanitation appraisal now mandatory for multiple types of food products.
Malaysian trade officials have insisted they are standing firm on a decision to grant sugar import licenses to eight Sarawak food and beverage manufacturers, allowing them to bypass local sugar refiners, despite vehement protests from the latter.
The Philippines lifted its ban on the importation of several fish species from the nuclear-hit region of Fukushima, despite the fact the country didn’t import such products in the first place.
Malaysia has implemented its sugar tax targeting sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in the country, which has led major beverage companies to reformulate products in an attempt to curb its impact – but is this enough to meet the government’s goal of combatting...
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is looking to amend the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act to expand its jurisdiction over the country’s food product exports, in addition to relaxing licenses and gaining control over animal feed.
A packaged drinking water plant operated by India’s Kerala Water Authority (KWA) has finally reached the final stages of its launch after it was first conceptualized some 12 years ago and continuously embroiled in controversy ever since.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been ordered to head up a committee examining the necessity of establishing further regulations governing the use of plastic packaging for food products in the country.
The Philippines Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has named five ‘fake vinegar’ brands following continued pressure by government officials and the public – but consumers are now demanding to know why the other 275+ have been kept confidential.
The Pakistani government will be doubling the country’s sugar tax to 17% as well as implementing a raft of other levies, as revealed in the country’s recent Federal Budget 2019-20 announcement.
The Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Adminstration Department has warned the Indian public about the continued dangers of adulterated edible oil despite a recent labelling change made by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Popular China-made candy White Rabbit has recently been under fire in Brunei after a study conducted by the country’s Islamic authority revealed it to contain pig protein, and Malaysia now looks likely to follow in its South East Asian neighbour’s footsteps.
Taiwan has passed an amendment to the country’s food safety laws that will allow for a penalty of up to NT$1mn (US$31,800) or up to three years imprisonment to be imposed on those spreading fake food safety news in the country.
Singapore has confirmed the ban of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) - a form of trans fats - as an ingredient in all foods, with the new rules expected to come into force from June 2021.
Oman's new taxes, Malaysia and Brunei's White Rabbit candy non-halal debate, Taiwan's tightened regulations for egg imports and more feature in this edition of Policy Picks.
Oman is joining other GCC states, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar in implementing a selective tax on energy drinks, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco.
The Oman government’s flagship dairy project, Mazoon Dairy, is expected to begin production by next month as part of the stat’s drive to strengthen its food security.
Philippines Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol has urged the local Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) to release the brand names of vinegar products containing synthetic acetic acid, recently found to...
Extensive investment in innovation to develop more sustainable products, as well as ambitious CO2 reduction targets directly linked to the company's bottom line, are two of the key strategies DSM is adopting as part of its sustainability efforts....
Recently re-elected Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that the government will not be taking up the Australian Tax Office (ATO) suggestion to extend the application of Goods and Service Tax (GST) to a broader range of food items.
Thailand’s efforts to drive food innovation are reaping rewards with the country’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) now pledging to promote these novel products to new export markets.