One week to go! Entries for Global Food Tech Awards APAC closing soon
APAC start-ups have one more week until Sept 30 to enter the Global Food Tech Awards 2025 and showcase innovations on an international stage
South Asia
‘Food labels go beyond marketing’: India signals tighter rules ahead
FSSAI signalled tighter scrutiny of food labelling and advertising to meet global standards after a multi-ministerial consultation
India enforces stricter transparency, food safety training for e-commerce
India announces stricter transparency and training mandates for e-commerce in a ‘bold but necessary’ move
Dark stores and deep risks: What APAC can learn from India’s Q-commerce
India’s Zepto license suspension exposes hygiene and safety risks as APAC markets embrace rapid delivery and dark store models
Calling all start-ups: Global Food Tech Awards seeking future food leaders
Start-ups can now enter the APAC Heat of the Global Food Tech Awards 2025, showcasing innovations from AI to personalised nutrition, until September 30
India Focus: Modi’s anti-obesity plan, better-for-you snacks, Zepto food scandal, and more
Modi’s nationwide anti-obesity drive, the rise of better-for-you snacks, Zepto e-commerce scandal, and more feature in this round-up
Dairy’s most valuable brands: Who came top in 2025?
From Amul to Yili, here’s how dairy’s largest brands ranked this year
Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit: Resilience, food security and investment take the spotlight in Singapore
The Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit returns to Singapore this November to bring focus on resilience, food security and investment across APAC’s rapidly evolving agri-food landscape.
India urges cuts of oil, sugar in foods under Modi’s anti-obesity plan
Following PM Modi’s call to curb obesity, India’s FSSAI is urging states to cut oil use by 10% and roll out ‘sugar boards’ to promote healthier diets in schools
India’s TBH rides Asian snackification wave with clean label focus
India better-for-you snack brand TBH plans to expand internationally as it capitalises on the snackification and wellness trends
Zepto food scandal exposes India quick commerce risks
Zepto’s Mumbai hub exposed for major hygiene lapses, revealing weak food safety enforcement and cold chain gaps in India’s booming quick commerce sector
India’s SGG bets on healthy snacks with 2028 US$5.8m target
SGG’s snack brand To Be Honest is targeting US$5.8m in revenue by 2028, tapping rising demand for better-for-you options in India’s booming health snack sector
India warns against ‘100%’ claims as global scrutiny grows
India’s food regulator says ‘100%’ claims can mislead, as scrutiny mounts worldwide over absolute language in food and sustainability marketing
Asian pulse trade resilient amid Trump tariffs and geopolitical tensions
Amid trade tensions, India and Bangladesh are emerging as pulse growth markets while China turns to alternative suppliers for imports.
India Focus: FSSAI, Biokraft Foods, Kamlah Gold and more
FSSAI, Biokraft Foods, Kamlah Gold and more feature in this edition of India Focus
India’s FSSAI to tighten licensing rules for ‘high risk’ products
Firms producing infant nutrition, packaged drinking water, and other “high-risk” items must obtain either a State or Central License that involves stricter compliance requirements.
India’s quest to quash misleading food labels hinges on consumer awareness - expert
India’s food safety regulator has launched a digital tool for consumers to report misleading food labels — but experts warn that its impact may be hampered by limited public awareness
India’s Biokraft Foods aims for 2026 commercial launch of cultivated seafood
Food tech start-up Biokraft Foods unveils India’s first cultivated trout fillets as it pursues regulatory approval for its 3D-printed chicken.
Unilever India renews commitment to grow Horlicks and Boost as core portfolio products
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) continues to place its faith in its Nutrition Drinks portfolio comprising the Horlicks and Boost brands as future key growth products, despite domestic growth challenges.
Big, loud flavours: Indian snack brand goes bold and quirky for Gen Z in Asia and the Middle East
Indian snack brand Cornitos is eyeing Gen Z market in Asia and the Middle East with “bold and trendy” flavours for its latest snack line Crusties.
India Focus: Lotte’s One India plan, HUL financial results, vegan logo rules and more
Lotte’s One India plan, HUL financial results, vegan logo rules and more feature in this edition of India Focus.
Millet mania: India’s Yellowfield pushes ancient grain as affordable, nutritious alternative
India-based Yellowfield is on a mission to promote millets as an alternative to rice and wheat, backed by rapid finished product innovation.
政策精读：新加坡无麸质食品、印度牛奶标签、日本肉类协会等专题综合报道
本期“政策精读”包含新加坡无麸质食品、印度牛奶标签、日本肉类协会等专题报道。
India proposes new guidelines for vegan food imports
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed new guidelines requiring all imported vegan foods to carry an official certificate from a recognised authority in the exporting country, specifying compliance with India’s vegan...
India proposes mandatory milk product logo, plus larger sat fat, sugar, salt labels
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed mandating a logo on milk products, while calling for more prominent salt, sugar and fat labelling.
MuscleBlaze to ramp up global business as protein invention secures US patent
MuscleBlaze, one of India’s whey protein and sports nutrition market leaders, has secured an invention patent from the US, which it believes will help propel its international expansion.
Unilever India turns to small pack, Korean inspiration to survive ‘slowed’ consumer demand
Hindustan Unilever India (HUL) is hedging its bets on small retail packs and Korean Hallyu wave inspiration for its food business amid subdued FMCG demand in the country.
India Focus: India Budget 2025, Nestle local strategies, cultivated meat potential and more
India Budget 2025, Nestle local strategies, cultivated meat potential and more feature in this edition of India Focus.
India launches a series of food safety measures, but experts warn gaps remain
Grey areas between food and drug regulations, coupled with roadblocks to innovation, pose challenges to India’s food and nutraceutical industries, even as the government launches key reforms to ensure safety, quality, and nutrition.
India Budget 2025: Food industry lauds cold chain, organic production funding but bemoans lack of excise support
India’s food industry has welcomed funds allocated by the country’s Budget 2025 to address existing cold chain issues and organic production, but also bemoaned the lack of solid fiscal support in the form of tax reductions.
Behind the Big Story
India’s protein boom: 90% funds poured in last two years, says Rainmatter - WATCH
India’s protein sector, be it protein supplements or protein-rich functional foods, is booming, says venture capital fund Rainmatter.
‘India is ready for cultivated meat’: Start-up to debut ‘competitively priced’ 3D-printed chicken in 2025
Sixty percent of consumers in India are willing to consume cultivated meat and 46 percent would pay a premium for it, according to a survey by Biokraft Foods, a biotech start-up aiming to launch 3D-printed chicken in 2025.
Unilever India’s demerger with Wall’s ‘maximises potential’ for ice cream growth
Unilever’s India business entity Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) says its planned demerger with Kwality Wall’s (India) Ltd (KWIL) ice cream business via a demerger, hoping to maximise the latter’s potential and growth in the country.
India Focus: Our Top 10 most read India food and beverage stories from 2024
See our top 10 most-read India food and beverage industry stories from 2024, featuring animal antibiotic concerns, plant-based brands avoiding dairy terms, Unilever India’s eye on premiumisation and more.
Palm oil and soybean oil sectors look to India as major 2025 target market
India is set to become one of the world’s largest food commodity consumption markets in 2025, particularly for edible oils such as palm oil and soybean oil.
India’s nutra regulations: Inter-ministerial committee report receives mixed industry response
An inter-ministerial committee from India has put forth a list of recommendations on how nutraceuticals could be regulated, which has received mixed industry response, especially around disease risk reduction claims.
Localisation and education: New venture seeks personalised solutions to address disease-related malnutrition in India
Pristine Pearl Pharma and Dutch Medical Food B.V. have formed a strategic collaboration to bring personalised medical nutrition products to India, targeting the issue of disease-related malnutrition.
Plug and play: UMAMI Bioworks targets stability, safety, and customisation to drive cultivated seafood growth in South Korea
UMAMI Bioworks says it will tap into South Korea’s lead in novel foods in its latest collaboration with biotechnology firm KCell Biosciences and bioprocess solutions provider WSG.
Flavours and colours 2025: Personalised wellness and bold, fruity profiles set to shape food trends – ADM
ADM has identified four key trends that will influence the food and beverage industry, focusing on personalised wellness and bold, fruity flavours.
Popping peas: Origin Nutrition launches high-protein popped pea chips to target Indian healthy snacking market
India-based Origin Nutrition has launched a range of high-protein, compression-popped pea-based chips in a bid to target the slow-but-sure local healthy snacking market.
Inflation issues: Unilever India announces ‘calibrated price increases’ after being hit with major palm oil and tea cost hikes
Hindustan Unilever India (HUL) has announced plans to implement ‘calibrated price increases’ in light of inflationary pressures leading to significant cost hikes in palm oil and tea.
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.
Fermented soybean shown to reduce GERD symptoms and inflammatory markers – 12-week RCT
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.
‘Healthy snacking in transition’: ProV Foods debuts indulgence range as first step of strategic portfolio expansion
Mumbai-based ProV Foods has introduced range of premium chocolate-coated almonds, setting the stage for a bigger portfolio expansion focusing on “balanced indulgence”.
Bigger and bolder: India food firms to bump up font sizes on product labels to ensure clarity
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.
Silver dollars: 'Affordability and comfort' key for Asia's ageing population, with electrolytes and prebiotics trending
Key influencers of consumer behaviour among Asia’s ageing population include affordability and familiar flavours, with electrolyte and prebiotic products proving popular, says market intelligence firm GlobalData.
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.
Climate concerns: Unilever India taps coffee and tea premiumisation for faster growth amidst flat nutrition drinks performance
Hindustan Unilever India (HUL) has highlighted the strong potential of its premium coffee and tea businesses to lead growth in the shorter term, amidst a flat performance by its Health Food Drinks (HFD) portfolio in the last quarter.
High without alcohol: Indian brand Swizzle sets sights on APAC expansion with RTD mocktails
Indian brand Swizzle, which was founded in Bengaluru as a mocktail kit delivery firm in 2019 and is now available in 1,500 stores nationwide, is aiming to launch across APAC with its ready-to-drink (RTD) mocktails.
India snack trends data: Makhanas and dry fruits top picks for 67% of consumers
India snack specialist Farmley has revealed new data showing that makhanas and dry fruits are popular across generations, with chocolate and vanilla flavours among the top favourites in its 2024 Healthy Snacking Report.