News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology
The Global Food Tech Awards 2025
From smart packaging to AI solutions, upcycled ingredients to personalized nutrition, start-ups are redefining the future of the food and beverage sector. But which are the top technologies of the year?
Singapore beer giant Tiger says that its revamped packaging reflects progress and innovation while staying true to its roots as a local icon.
Bringing you the top 10 most-read sustainability stories from the APAC food and beverage industry in 2024, featuring updates on the EU deforestation regulation, Nestle’s valorisation partnership, Cadbury’s reduced-plastic packaging and more.
See our top 10 most read science, research and technology stories from 2024, featuring the use of science in policy formulation, plant-based dairy research, 3D food printing and more.
There may be a positive correlation between nutrient-rich plant-based diets and improved sleep health among older adults, according to a study by researchers in China.
Frequent consumption of certain fast food items may increase the risk of depressive and anxiety symptoms in young adults, say researchers in Hong Kong.
Read our top 10 most-viewed food and beverage packaging stories throughout 2024, featuring various packaging and labelling regulatory updates, Perfetti Van Melle’s packaging strategy, Yili’s unique new twist-top tea bottle and more.
Five Asia-focused projects will examine the effects of human oligosaccharides (HMOs) and postbiotics – independently or with probiotics – on immunity, metabolism, ageing, and mental health.
Dairy brand Elle & Vire has highlighted artificial intelligence (AI) as an efficient tool for inspiration and time-saving, but urged that this cannot yet ‘be used as-is’ to replace human creativity or innovation.
The supplementation of a whey-derived peptide has been shown to lower self-perceived levels of stress among middle-aged adults, according to a six-week study conducted by Kirin Holdings.
Japan global warming woes, tapioca-based thermoplastics, cultivated seafood in South Korea and more feature in this edition of Sustainability Snippets.
Thai Wah is aiming to use its tapioca-based thermoplastic starch (TPS) for its consumer food packaging to create a closed-loop solution starting with cassava cultivation and ending with eco-friendly waste that enriches the soil.
Japan is seeking to alleviate the impact of global warming on its domestic food supply chain after new data showed how rising temperatures are hitting crops and increasing food loss.
Danone tech accessibility, PepsiCo thermal energy collab, Pernod Ricard digital label and more feature in this edition of Science Shorts.
Taking 1,500mg of curcumin daily for 12 months has been shown to improve insulin, fasting blood glucose levels and body mass, based on a clinical study conducted in Thailand.
Dark chocolate reduced depression scores among menopausal women but had no significant effect on sleep quality and anthropometric indices, according to researchers.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the nutraceuticals industry could become a ‘crucial’ component of innovation and regulatory compliance processes, but care must be taken regarding the information that is fed into the technology.
Tate & Lyle has highlighted that speedy innovation and operational digitalisation are more important to the food and beverage sector in Asia than anywhere else in the world, amidst the unveiling of its new globally-connected research laboratory.
Beef and dairy companies put greater focus on claiming lower emissions through regenerative ag practices over embracing the concept holistically, a new report has found.
The supplementation of fermented soybean has been shown to reduce symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), including heartburn, as well as lowering inflammatory markers, based on findings from a 12-week RCT.
Malaysia-based seafood company Yeam Seng Frozen Goods & Fishery is channelling more resources into expanding its ready-to-cook portfolio to capture busy consumers and facilitate entry into overseas markets.
Food manufacturers in India have been mandated to increase the boldness and font size of product nutritional information such as total sugar, salt and saturated fat on product labels.
A new consumer survey conducted by Suntory found that fatigue, anxiety, and bad skin conditions were the most common health issues for Japanese aged 18 to 34.
Singapore-headquartered firm Natural Trace aims to address the limitations of existing traceability technologies through its DNA-based ingredient, while contributing to combatting food fraud and “irresponsible market behaviour”.
Food and nutrition giant Danone believes that 'accessibility and meaning' are key to get consumers to adopt digital technology and fuel personalised innovation.
Singapore start-up Crunch Cutlery is seeking to tackle plastic waste with its edible cutlery made from chia, buckwheat and jowar.
Alcohol giant Pernod Ricard has launched a new digital label initiative in Singapore, hoping to tap on South East Asian consumer demands for increased information and shift towards better drinking habits.
The use of probiotics to improve the gut microbiota of infants that have been exposed to antibiotics has strong potential to boost the extent of immune protection conveyed by vaccination, according to recent research data.
Yili's twist-top RTD tea, Starward's colourful whiskey, Mondelez on portion control and more feature in this edition of Packaging Happenings.
The designer of Suntory’s internationally successful BOSS RTD coffee brand has revealed how empathy and metaphorical references have been crucial to the long-lasting and widespread growth of the 32 year-old brand across the world.
Nutrachampion podcast
Singapore nutraceutical start-up NanoSG is honing up its AI avatar and online tools, as consumers are relying more on data and information to guide their purchase decision.
New data from one of Singapore’s largest child-focused studies has indicated that there is ‘much room for improvement’ in the diet quality of children to prevent them suffering from negative health and cognition issues in the long run.
The South Korean government has refined its new expiration dates system with the launch of a new database that is equipped with a search function and specific guidance on ‘use-by’ timeframes for processed foods.
The Japanese government has released new data highlighting the safety of genetically modified crops to placate public concerns that accidental spillages were affecting biodiversity.
Mondelez cage-free eggs strategy, Nescafe China upcycled cascara drink, plant-based sector future and more feature in this edition of Sustainability Snippets.
Asian seafood automation, dates as functional snack, kimchi for immune regulation and more feature in this edition of Science Shorts.
The seafood sector in Asia requires major transformations both in terms of operational technologies and perception shifts, if the industry hopes to see effective and lasting transformation.
China State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has announced new, stricter excessive packaging regulations governing the tea industry, one of the country’s largest and most traditional commodities.
Shanghai traffic light labelling, Kirin's luxury wine marketing, Zespri's Nudge Theory packaging and more feature in this edition of Packaging Happenings.
The China State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has announced new regulatory standards for pre-packaged food labels, urging food and beverage companies to comply in order to boost clarity for consumers.
Microsoft and The Coca-Cola Company have announced a five-year strategic partnership: which will see the companies jointly experiment with new tech such as Azure OpenAI Service.
The local government of Shanghai, China has launched a pilot traffic light labelling scheme for sugar-sweetened beverages, with grades to be implemented based on not only sugar but also saturated and trans-fat content.
Consumer-facing food and beverage brands play a ‘critical role’ in moving the Asia Pacific agrifood system towards digitalisation, organisation and long-term sustainability by influencing consumer purchasing decisions, say experts.
Cadbury reduced-plastic Easter packs, South Korea label-free water bottles, EUDR concerns and more feature in this edition of Sustainability Snippets.
AI food imports screening, Nestle NAD+ precursor study, seafood sector digitalisation and more feature in this edition of Science Shorts.
Trigonelline, an alkaloid found in plants and animals, is found to be closely linked to muscle health, with low serum levels reported in seniors suffering from sarcopenia, new findings from a Nestle-funded study have shown.
Retailers in APAC need to increase the support given to sustainability-focused food and beverage products in order to match brand initiatives and boost consumer awareness, say experts.
The testing of 18 commercially available NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) supplements sold in Singapore found that most products did not meet label claims, and researchers have called for industry-wide effort in resolving the issue.
South Korea is expanding its AI-based screening system SAFE-i24 to include processed food imports, in a bid to maintain food safety and quality while maximising efficiency particularly during peak seasons.
Significant doubts remain as to whether the EU’s new deforestation workstream model will be sufficient to allay fears raised by palm oil producing nations, especially in relation to sustainability and smallholder farmers.