New trout brand taps UAE fishing roots, convenience demand for launch
Finnforel has launched sustainably farmed rainbow trout in UAE, tapping the country’s fishing heritage and demand for clean-label convenient nutrition
Middle East
CG Foods eyes Middle East, Europe for instant noodle entry
Nepal’s CG Foods is pitching Wai Wai instant noodles as versatile snack and meal alternatives, eyeing entry into Middle East and European markets
中东焦点：清真食品生产、Instagram营养建议等最新动态
清真食品生产、Instagram营养建议等内容收录于本期《中东焦点》
Fermented fungi firm targets taste gap in plant-based, hybrid proteins
Aussie-based Nourish Ingredients focuses on global rollout for plant-based and hybrid protein categories after FEMA GRAS approval
How Brooklyn Creamery mastered cold-chain in hot markets
Cold-chain innovation by Brooklyn Creamery has powered frozen dessert delivery in challenging markets such as India and UAE
How Kerry’s salt and sugar reduction tech is quietly driving its bottom line
As brands face mounting pressure to cut sodium and sugar without compromising taste, reformulation is no longer a niche concern – it’s driving real commercial gains. Kerry’s behind-the-scenes tech is helping reshape everyday foods and quietly lifting margins
中東フォーカス：English Tea Shop、飲料トレンド、コーヒー
ここでは、English Tea Shop、飲料トレンド、コーヒーなどを特集しています。
Why pulses may be key to a more sustainable food system
Here are three ways pulses meet the demands of future food systems – from health and affordability to environmental sustainability
Dairy, but not fruits and vegetables, shown to lower blood lipid levels – WHO-based STEPs study
Researchers have found that dairy intake lowered triglyceride levels while fruit and vegetable intake had no significant impact on blood lipid levels.
How Asia and the Middle East are shaping beverage trends
Beverage brands across Asia and the Middle East are staying competitive by blending cultural familiarity with health-focused creations and tech-driven convenience
Middle East Focus: ‘Made in UAE’ demand, palm oil needs, snacks and more
‘Made in UAE’ demand, palm oil needs, Indian-made snacks and more feature in this edition of Middle East Focus
GULFOOD
Changes in consumer perception driving ‘Made in UAE’ product uptake – SMITHS
Snacks firm SMITHS says that the positive shift in global consumer perception of food manufacturing standards in Dubai is driving the uptake of UAE-made products.
GULFOOD
Proximity key to meeting local needs, building partnerships as GAR accelerates MENA expansion
Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) is looking to expand its presence and foster stronger partnerships in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through its Dubai office, where it can better keep up with local trends and needs.
Food fraud and recalls – industry stresses are ramping up
The food and drink industry is facing some of its biggest threats
GULFOOD
Agthia optimistic about growth in water, snacking to double revenue in next 5 years
Middle East food and beverage giant Agthia is optimistic about the growth opportunities in water and snacking categories to help the company realise its double revenue growth ambition in the next five years.
GULFOOD
India’s Cup-ji rides convenience trend with ‘ready-to-sip’ tea cups, eyes global expansion
India-based Cup-ji is capitalising on the convenience trend with its ready-to-sip beverage cups while eyeing global expansion on the back of UAE gains.
GULFOOD
Swiss firm eyes market opportunities for dried fruit snacks in Middle East
Switzerland-headquartered yourharvest aims to tap into opportunities for the dried fruit snacks category in the Middle East through its premium product offerings.
SPC Group eyes bigger slice of halal market, Malaysia plant to boost expansion in SEA, ME
South Korean food major SPC Group’s recently completed manufacturing plant in Malaysia will help drive its growth in South East Asia and the Middle East.
GULFOOD
SAMBAZON prioritises product taste testing over advertising to win over new consumers
US-based açaí brand SAMBAZON is prioritising taste testing promotional activities over advertising in the Middle East, with the former has shown strong customer conversion rates.
GULFOOD
Barakat targets young consumers with RTD mocktails, seeks to boost category growth
Dubai-headquartered Barakat looks to meet consumer demand for non-alcoholic beverages that replicate the drinking experience with its packaged mocktails, a category that the company hopes to grow in the Middle East and beyond.
UAE’s Meliha launches packaged laban to meet growing demand for organic dairy products
Sharjah Agriculture and Livestock Production (Ektifa)’s dairy brand Meliha has expanded its line-up to include a laban beverage, in response to rising demand for organic products in the UAE.
Increasing preference for snacks over meals in Asia spells diversification opportunities
Consumers in Asia are increasingly favouring snack consumption over meals, which spells opportunities, particularly in savoury snacks, for food companies to innovate and diversify, according to industry experts.
Juicing it up: Sun-damaged ‘ugly pears’ in South Korea given lifeline through upcycling
The Korean Pears Cooperative Union processes “ugly pears” with high sugar content into juice, creating new revenue-generating opportunities for farmers and quality products for consumers.
Mirailab Bioscience’s NMN supplements enter Singapore via Shopee at prices comparable to Japan
Japanese biotech firm Mirailab Bioscience has launched its nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplements in Singapore via e-commerce platform Shopee, as it seeks to increase access through prices comparable to Japan.
Rice opportunity: India’s LT Foods targets Saudi convenience market
India-headquartered LT Foods says there is a huge opportunity for growth in Saudi Arabia’s convenience and ready-to-eat market.
‘Perfect playground’: Kerry to ramp up presence in ME amid start-up boom, evolving consumer demands
Kerry is looking to boost its R&D and production capabilities in the Middle East amid a boom in new businesses and evolving consumer demands.
Potato power: Americana Foods and Farm Frites to ramp up MENA expansion with new US$100m plant
Americana Foods and Farm Frites have built a new manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia, as part of strategic growth plans in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
House of Pops eyes bigger B2B opportunities on the back of partnership with Emirates Bustanica
Dubai-based frozen desserts brand House of Pops has partnered with Emirates Bustanica to launch two new product ranges, a move that it believes would bring forth greater B2B opportunities.
Okra could help manage cardiometabolic symptoms – meta-analysis
Okra consumption significantly reduced total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), fasting blood glucose (FBG) and haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) levels.
Middle East Focus: Gautam, Vlinder Chocolate, Haldin, Linafsi
This round-up features companies that are making inroads into the Middle East market, including Gautam rice, Thailand’s 3 Seasons Holding and Indonesia’s Haldin, as well as brands from the region that are rapidly expanding.
High dietary intake of magnesium and fibre mitigates risk of metabolic syndrome among Kuwaiti women – study
A study has found that increased dietary intake of magnesium and fibre is associated with reduced likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Kuwaiti women, underscoring the need to encourage diets rich in these nutrients.
Oterra to boost Asia production, push ‘bold innovations’
Natural colours manufacturer Oterra is boosting its production capacity in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region while continuing to create “bold innovations” based on its latest survey findings.
Meet the 14 AgTech start-ups set to take centre stage at World Agri-Tech MEASA
Fourteen start-ups offering disruptive, scalable solutions and technologies for the climate-stressed agricultural regions of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia will take centre stage at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in Dubai on December 9-10.
Freeze-dried superfoods: Thai manufacturer eyes Dubai as launchpad for Middle East expansion
Thailand-based 3 Seasons Holding is gearing up to expand its operations into the Middle East, with plans to enter the region through Dubai within the next two years.
Saudi Arabia’s Vlinder Chocolate enters South Korea amid relentless ‘Dubai chocolate’ craze
Saudi Arabia’s Vlinder Chocolate recently debuted its “Dubai chocolate-style” products in South Korea, on the back of the viral food trend that has taken the market by storm over the past year.
Gautam eyes top rice importer spot in Middle East, anticipates Saudi to be biggest growth driver
Gautam General Trading (GGT) aims to build on its success in the UAE and Oman to expand in Saudi Arabia, which it believes will be a key market to drive growth and help it claim top spot among rice importers in the region.
Saudi coffee trends: Local products faring well, caffeine intake levels within recommended limit despite rising popularity
A study on coffee consumption patterns in Saudi Arabia has found that Saudi coffee is more widely consumed than Turkish coffee among the local population, and that caffeine intake levels remain within the daily recommended limit despite the category’s boom.
New synbiotic yoghurt offers novel solution for metabolic syndrome management – study
A synbiotic yoghurt could help reduce oxidative stress in adults with metabolic syndrome, according to a new RCT.
Dubai-based Linafsi prioritises flavour innovation, sales channel expansion to stand out in competitive healthy snacking market
Dubai-based healthy snack brand Linafsi is adopting several strategies to overcome stiff competition, including flavour innovation and localisation, exploring new product formats, and expanding sales channels.
Little Moons sets sights on premium ice cream consumers, Middle East markets on the back of TikTok success
London-headquartered ice cream brand Little Moons hopes to woo premium consumers after successfully winning over youngsters and gaining market presence in the Middle East.
First-world 'game-changer'? Kraft Heinz seeks to resolve gamers’ pain point with hands-free snack dipper
Kraft Heinz recently introduced a hands-free “snack dipper” device, which the food major says would solve the so-called problem of not being able to eat while gaming.
Peranakan delights: Health, heritage, and convenience sell – O’nya
Health, heritage, and convenience are increasingly important to consumers, says Singapore’s food start-up O’nya as it plans strategic expansion with authentic peranakan pastes.
IFF’s innovation centre in Turkey to accelerate speed-to-market developments on the back of accreditation
IFF wants to accelerate speed to market for food manufacturers in the Middle East and Africa, after its Creation and Design Center in Turkey was officially recognised as a key innovation centre by the country’s Ministry of Industry and Technology (MoIT).
Halal horizons: Japan eyes Middle East as next major emerging export market with new UAE platform
Japan has earmarked the Middle East as its next major emerging market for exports with the establishment of a specialised export platform in the UAE, banking on the rising interest in Japanese food in the region.
'Asia is a very big opportunity': Orthomol aims to replicate South Korea success in Vietnam and beyond
German food supplement company Orthomol is aiming to replicate its South Korea success in other markets, especially in Asia and the Middle East.
Volume-led growth: Agthia doubles down on product innovation and protein production investments
Middle East food and beverage giant Agthia has reaped the rewards of solid investments into new product innovation with significant volume-led growth in the first half of 2024, and hopes to further boost this with its newly opened protein facility.
Record profits: Baladna to double down on new product innovation and international projects after 137% growth
Qatari dairy firm Baladna has announced plans to double down on its new product innovation and international market expansion strategy, particularly in Algeria, after seeing a record growth in net profits over the first six months of 2024.
Ageing, women and health concerns are key drivers for Mediterranean diet adherence among Lebanese – study
A study has identified ageing, female demographic, and pre-existing health conditions as some of the key factors that influence the Lebanese population’s uptake of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet).
Singapore’s Jääde brings premium water to China, eyes Middle East market
Singapore-based Jääde is actively strengthening its presence in the local market for its packaged Finnish spring water, while working to expand across the region in the long run.
Global sensation: Viral ‘Dubai chocolate fever’ underscores impact of social media, exclusivity and regional flavours
The meteoric rise of FIX Dessert Chocolatier’s chunky chocolate bars can be attributed to the growing influence of social media on purchasing decisions, exclusivity, and unique regional flavours, says an analyst.