Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings today announced an agreement to acquire 100% of Independent Liquor from Pacific Equity Partners and Unitas Capital in a 97.6bn Yen ($1.28bn) deal.
Asia Pacific markets are ripe for functional foods development as a response to the increasing prevalence of western diets, says Katrina Diamonon, consumer analyst at market researcher, Datamonitor.
A new Nielsen study on shopper trends shows an increase in promotion-seeking as a result of inflationary concerns, providing opportunities for manufacturers to gain strong shopper and brand loyalty.
Bright Food’s acquisition of Manassen could be reassuring for consumers, according to an industry analyst, amid rumours that it is hoping to buy a 75% stake worth A$400m.
Malaysian halal food makers have a number of opportunities in China's food market, especially in the Muslim population provinces, a statement from the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) said.
Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has slashed its revenue expectations for 2011 and has seen its share price slip to a year low, as it reported its second quarter results.
Australian food manufacturer Goodman Fielder Ltd is set to open a new dedicated gluten free bakery in Huntly, New Zealand next month in order to cater to the rising demand for such products there.
A new proposal in China plans to change the process of how food products are disposed when they are past their expiry date or do not meet food safety standards in the country.
Taiwan has told countries that had placed a ban on the import of its food products that it has managed to gain control of the DEHP food contamination problem from earlier this year.
Food giant Nestlé has announced plans to double its dairy output in Pakistan, where there is growing consumer demand for branded milk, according to Mintel.
Nestlé’s Nescafé brand is to increase its footprint in Vietnam through a CHF 230m (€219m) investment which will be used to set up a new coffee factory in the region.
A dairy co-operative based out of the town of Waikato in New Zealand has become the first company in the country to achieve a new international food safety standard.
The price of milk and milk-based products in India is set to surge on the back of a variety of natural and human factors, including a shortage of rainfall in the monsoon months.
Innophos Holdings Inc. has set up a new subsidiary in China to develop on the ground direct sales and technical service capabilities in the country, where it sees a strong potential for growth.
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) has announced that it will expand its cocoa processing capabilities at its facility in Singapore to enable it to keep pace with growing demand for cocoa and chocolate products from Asian markets.
In a major demonstration of its commitment to the safety and quality of food made in China, the country’s regulators have cracked down on law-breaching businesses and people in the food industry.
Nestlé Sri Lanka has launched an up-market omega-3 fortified infant formula developed at its Swiss-based research centre, as it boosts activity on the south Asian island.
GLG Life Tech Corporation has moved fast after a patent approval in China last month to set up a local unit for Stevia formulations and then introducing the company’s first product line.
Feihe International Inc., formerly known as the American Dairy, has announced that it intends to sell its two dairy farms in China to a Chinese Investment Company.
The Beneo-Institute (Gmbh) has said that its prebiotic fibre, oligofructose, has been approved for use for more products in India, having previously approved for use in bakery items.
The New Zealand Commerce Commission says there are no grounds for an investigation of wholesale and retail milk pricing practices in the New Zealand market that is 90% dominated by Fonterra.
Demand for immune health ingredients in Asia is growing at an annual rate of 6.2 per cent, with revenues expected to reach US$1.46bn in 2016 from US$958.6m in 2009, a research report from consulting and research firm Frost & Sullivan predicted.
Food manufacturers in India may have to gradually reduce the salt content in their packaged food products if a proposal from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is accepted as a standard.
Indonesia is the focus of an extension of Nestlé’s sustainable Cocoa Plan initiative, with the Swiss food group aiming to pump $4m (€2.7m) into bean production in that country.
The Indian food retail sector may see an upswing in the very near future after a government panel agreed to recommend a policy change that will see foreign companies such as Tesco and Walmart be able to sell to Indian consumers.
Indian buffalo meat exporters have come under the scanner for possible foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) contamination in Philippines, local media has reported.
The rising economic prowess of India is expected to spur a huge change in how people consume milk in India, benefitting organised dairy companies present in the country.
Taiwan has said it would intensify checks on imported products into the country after a batch of concentrate for a Coca-Cola product was found to contain a preservative banned in the country.
US chocolate giant Hershey reported net income of $130.12m for the second quarter, with net income for the period up o $129.56m from $117.05m in the same quarter in 2010.
The Indian press is reporting that Danone is in “advanced talks” to buy the nutrition division of billion-dollar Indian pharma-focused firm, Wockhardt’s, for a price as high as €180m.
A report commissioned by Fonterra to investigate the fairness of the dairy giant’s milk pricing has faced criticism from its competitors, according to news reports.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced that it does not believe that supermarket operator Coles broke any competition rules when it dropped the price of it’s house brand milk to AU$1 a litre
The National Association of Smallholders, Malaysia (NASH), which represents 240,000 Malaysian small farmers, has in an open letter strongly protested the Australian palm oil bill.
India's new food safety act will strengthen better the ability of regulators and the government to handle food contamination incidents, the head of one of India's top food research institutes has said.
Local industry and government must cooperate to develop policies and regulations to ensure safe and sustainable nutraceutical products, Simon Pettman, executive director of the International Alliance of Dietary Supplement Associations (IADSA) has said.
Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) has invested about US$56m in India-based bottler Varun Beverages Ltd, as a new market report hints at untapped potential in India's soft drinks market.
After several years and several “dialogues” with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Japanese supplier Kaneka has won a positive Novel Foods opinion for its weight management liquorice extract.
Volumes were boosted by continuing growth in emerging markets for SABMiller, who remained tight-lipped on its Fosters bid in its first quarter results.
The first organic dairy factory has opened in Lebanon, Romania’s market is growing at 20%+ and in India, forecasts are for quadruple growth by 2015 as developing economies embrace organic production of foodstuffs.
Food testing in India got a boost last week when a key government-owned research institute received a grant to set up a new state-of-the-art food laboratory.
The food processing industry in India will be forced to adopt new technologies and improve their productivity if the foreign direct investment into multi-brand retail is allowed.
Food and beverage makers should be prepared to move away from the conventional marketing strategies when it comes to countries like India and China, a white paper from UK-based Healthy Marketing Team said.
There has been no let up in the soaring prices for guar gum, with little hope of a downward trend emerging in the coming months, warns a hydrocolloid expert.