New food and beverage (F&B) companies will ‘only’ have to fill in 200 data fields, versus the previous 845 from next year, revealed Singapore Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry (MTI) Chee Hong Tat.
We take a look at the latest policy news making the headlines, including new rice rules in the Philippines and stricter managerial standards in Singapore.
The Indian food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has ordered all states to conduct a ‘special drive’ to ensure the safety and quality of milk and milk products ahead of Deepavali, amid plunging public confidence in products....
Increased involvement and commitment of food companies’ upper management in food safety processes is now a required factor under the latest 2018 versions of Singapore food safety standards SS444 and SS ISO 22000.
Food companies have been warned to avoid fancy ‘nicknames’ for rice as suggested retail prices (SRPs) are implemented in the Philippines, in a move that the government hopes will alleviate the country’s rising food troubles.
Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports reached the VND 63.5tn (US$2.7bn) mark as of September 2018, up 14.1% year-on-year, but officials are concerned that more needs to be done to improve sales to domestic consumers.
Food industry experts from the ‘ASEAN-5’ – the fastest growing economies in South East Asia – have lifted the lid on the key food and beverage trends driving growth in their countries, and the major challenges they continue to face.
Australia has a multi-billion food waste problem, alongside massive simultaneous food insecurity and hunger issues, meaning it is a long way off meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals the CEO of Foodbank Australia has told us.
A 'graded sugar tax model' has been suggested by an expert analyst as an alternative to just soda or sugar taxes in Malaysia's battle against sugar over-consumption.
The Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is striving to educate food firms on Japan food safety standards in a bid to reap export rewards.
A recent Australian study has identified the selective and partial uptake of the voluntary Health Star Rating (HSR) system for beverages as ‘shortcomings’, a finding that has received short shrift from the nation’s beverage sector.
Public pressures and higher production standards could result in New Zealand’s red meat farmers being forced to comply with increased regulations, according to Rabobank.
Recent research has revealed that the consumption of ultra-processed foods is on the rise amongst Taiwanese adolescents, a trend that academics have associated with poor dietary quality.
Changes to food safety and traceability rules in China, the prospect of severe fines for food firms in Vietnam, plus potential raw milk law changes in New Zealand feature in our monthly policy round-up.
The scale of impact of current initiatives to deal with plastic and packaging waste in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam have been found to be affect only 5% or less of waste, according to a comprehensive study by Food Industry Asia (FIA).
From Indra Nooyi’s key lessons from her time at PepsiCo to the rise of fermented foods and new cases of avian flu in China, a lot has happened over the past seven days. Here’s a round-up of the top seven global food and beverage news items to get you...
Nestlé announced it closed its joint venture with the Indofood Group last month, while PepsiCo reiterated its stance to not source palm oil – either directly or indirectly – from the company and its subsidiaries, purportedly linked to deforestation and...
From Dr Pepper’s acquisition of CORE Nutrition and tighter standards for advertising to kids and the UK’s pledge to halve food waste by 2020, a lot has happened over the past seven days. Here’s a round-up of the top seven global food and beverage news...
Global food and beverage manufacturers such as Kellogg's Arabia, Mars Saudi Arabia and Nestlé Middle East have signed a voluntary pledge with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) that seeks to reduce sugar, salt and fat content in their products....
Australian researchers have found that dual implementation of the Health Star Ratings (HSR) and Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion (NPSC) to advertise product healthiness is "likely to result in confusion for consumers".
Harvard University has responded to the Indian agricultural department's emphatic letter protesting the description of coconut oil as 'pure poison' by distancing itself from any direct connection with the claims, saying that these were...
NGO coalition Human Rights for Migrant Fishers staged a protest in Taipei during the Taiwan government’s recent workshop on combating human trafficking, to highlight the large gap between international standards and that of the Taiwan fishery industry.
Malaysian beer industry leaders Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd (Carlsberg) and Heineken Malaysia Bhd (Heineken) have expressed varying opinions about the implementation of the Sales and Service Tax (SST).
From Heinz's new Maychup condiment to Coca-Cola entering Australia's kombucha category, here’s a round-up of the top seven global food and beverage news items from the past seven days.
The CEOs of Nestle, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, amongst other beverage giants, have been summoned by Pakistan’s Chief Judge with regard to their water usage in the country.
China Vice Premier Han Zheng is pushing for harsher penalties, including lifetime bans, on industry players that knowingly flout food safety laws and regulations.
In the first of our monthly round-ups of the latest APAC policy developments, we reveal the latest news from the Philippines, India, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has denied that there is any rice shortage in the country despite senators calling it a ‘full-blown food crisis’ and urging him to declare a state of calamity.
Dairy farmers in Queensland are calling on shoppers to boycott Coles stores, after the retailer declined to adopt a 10-cent drought levy on milk to help farmers cope with the soaring cost of grain and fodder for milking cows.
The Indian agricultural ministry has lashed out with a strongly-worded letter against claims by a Harvard professor who declared coconut oil to be ‘pure poison’.
Japan's hopes that the Taiwan government will lift the current ban on foods from Fukushima and surrounding areas has hit another hurdle after Kuomintang, the largest opposition party in Taiwan, submitted a referendum request on what has been dubbed...
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) is to embark on a year-long review of the rules governing sugar claims in relation to alcoholic drinks, amid ministerial concerns of misleading messaging to consumers.
No one can accuse India's food regulator FSSAI of a lack of ambition or activity, as hardly a week goes by without a major new announcement, scheme or plans for new rules reaching my inbox, writes FoodNavigator-Asia Editor-in-Chief Gary Scattergood.
Malaysia’s Sime Darby Plantation (SDP) and China’s COFCO Group Co. Ltd. (COFCO) are joining forces to collaborate over palm oil related ventures and boost trade between the two nations.
