The Malaysian palm oil sector believes there is little prospect of seeing market growth in the coming year due to labour, economic and climate challenges.
Qatari dairy giant Baladna is looking at more markets in South East Asia to bring its sustainable dairy self-sufficiency model to, after successfully securing and setting up its joint venture in Malaysia.
Shock statistics showing that one in five adults in Indonesia is obese is a wake-up call that needs to be urgently addressed through public education via social media, argues the president of the Indonesian Nutrition Association (INA).
Carlsberg Malaysia has retained a cautionary outlook for the company’s overall growth citing concerns over inflationary and taxation pressures, despite announcing year-on-year growth of over 200% in net profits in its Q3FY2022.
Plant-based beverages must be able to still provide a creamy mouthfeel in order to successfully convert consumers over to healthier, low-sugar options for the long-term in Indonesia, especially when these are priced at a higher tier than traditional dairy...
Rising awareness amongst Thai consumers regarding the potential unhealthy connotations associated with long expiry dates is a key factor driving up the demand for clean label food ingredients in the country, according to leading industry experts.
The Philippines government has announced a ban on all prepackaged processed foods containing high trans-fats levels as part of its objective to completely eliminate their presence by 2023.
The Indonesian government is to establish what will become the nation’s largest sugar company by 2028, aiming to seize control of the local sugar market in the same way it dominates the palm oil sector.
The Thai government has announced new regulatory edicts specifying tighter regulatory control over the use of hemp and CBD in food and seasonings, just three months after announcing the decriminalisation of cannabis in the country.
Indonesia has decided to push ahead with plans to tighten regulations governing imported processed foods by introducing a risk-based assessment system.
F&B multinational Nestle has highlighted major coffee producer markets in Asia as being key links in its newly launched Nescafe Plan 2030, a sustainability strategy with an emphasis on regenerative agriculture.
Chinese dairy giant Yili has highlighted the vital, science-backed role that dairy is playing in improving consumer nutrition and public health in the country, by combining both Eastern and Western technologies.
Vietnam-based fruit multinational Les Vergers du Mekong is banking on its centralised production location and fresh fruit-only guarantee to expand its presence in retail markets across Asia, on the back of a successful leap from HORECA to modern trade...
Nestle Malaysia saw its profits for the third quarter take a hit year-on-year due to rising commodity costs and poor exchange rates, with firm predicting that this challenging situation will not abate any time soon.
Ensuring that brand focus is maintained after joining a larger company is crucial to sustain and boost growth, according to sugar replacement start-up Swiftlet which has become part of Vietnamese conglomerate Senix Health Group.
Recent changes in Thailand’s sustainability-linked financing rules are set to deliver a boost to the ‘Blue Finance’ sector, which is good news for firms dabbling in this area such as seafood heavyweight Thai Union.
Indonesian food and beverage firms have been urged to accelerate their new product innovation and digital adaptation to keep up with consumer demands, especially with multiple post-COVID-19 challenges still dampening the local economy.
Economic growth and rising health awareness are being tipped to propel nut-based products to be come household staples in Vietnam over the next decade.
Thailand’s Chiangmai Bioveggie is focusing on exports for its single-ingredients frozen lime juice product, banking on the culinary heritage of limes in many Asian and Middle East markets, coupled with shelf-life benefits, for success.
The EU’s recent approval of its controversial deforestation regulation is expected to drive up the cost of palm oil and other affected commodities, and thus food and beverage prices, amid ongoing inflationary pressures that have already affected a majority...
Malaysian plant-based protein firm the Ultimeat Group plans to tailor its formulation and packaging to every market it intends to enter from 2023 to 2024.
Global flavours giant McCormick has revealed that product innovation with spicy flavours that can bring the heat is going to be key for snacking firms in Indonesia to achieve significant growth.
Like several Asian countries, Thailand is experiencing a greying population. While interest in healthy ageing is high, the level of innovation for this category of products remains relatively low.
China’s plant-based and cultured meat market is getting increasingly competitive, but industry collaboration and product localisation are going to be crucial if it is to become more ‘relevant’ to consumers.
Japan has set its sights on Vietnam as a potential major destination for its food exports and has set up a specialised export platform in the country to back existing and would-be traders.
China dairy giant Yili has registered record growth and increased market share in its recently-released H1FY2022 financial report, and has attributed this success to the sales of its value-added dairy products as well as its efforts in rapid new product...
Disease outbreaks, such as swine flu affecting pork quality and the COVID-19 pandemic hitting supply chains, have raised the profile of plant-based products among lower-income consumers in Thailand, according to a brand CEO.
Palm oil producer nations have accused the European Union of deploying a ‘protectionist political ploy’ that will hit a raft of commodities in developing countries, amidst its highly controversial Deforestation Regulation being passed in parliament after...
Ireland is eyeing the South East Asian region as its next major dairy and meat export market, banking on its ability to offer guaranteed sustainability and high quality to capture consumers in the region.
Food and beverage major CP Foods has identified the strengthening of its water management, food safety standards and healthy product innovation as key strategies to help the company with its business sustainability ambitions.
The expertise of global food corporations and VC firms is urgently needed to drive the Thai foodtech system and help build a regulatory framework for novel foods, while also offering more support to start-ups.
Olam says it is on a mission to improve low consumer awareness of ‘natural and sustainable’ alternative nut butters in Asia in a bid to open up new product development opportunities for the entire category.
Healthier snacks outfit Lecka believes that its all-natural snacks, localised flavours and sustainable packaging will help it attract the attention of millennial consumers across various markets in the South East Asian region.
The Indonesian producer of handmade cheese brand Mazaraat Artisanal Cheese plans to quadruple its daily output by building a second factory and subsequently entering more Asia Pacific markets from 2023 to 2024.
Thai researchers have urged the local government to implement better enforcement and consumer awareness initiatives to prevent its trans-fats elimination policy from fizzing out in failure, despite its promising start.
Thai Union has outlined ambitious goals for its in-house plant-based meat and seafood range OMG Meat over the next three years, including for its alternative protein sector to be bringing in US$30mn of revenue by 2025.
The Asian plant-based protein start-up scene is geared to grow 25% by 2025 as more Asians look into flexitarian diets and firms region-wide strive to develop products better suited to their palate.
Brewery giant Carlsberg Malaysia has identified premiumisation as a crucial strategy for the firm to continue achieving profitable growth, even as the firm battles continued inflationary pressures, rising costs and consumer sentiment about price hikes
Frozen poultry giant Sadia says that frozen chicken can be the answer to solving Singapore’s supply instability concerns in the wake of shortages from previous top supplier Malaysia, as freshness, nutrition and flavour can all be well-maintained if handled...
Turkey’s honey brand Polenkoy is targeting a deeper reach into the Asian market after achieving 30% growth year-on-year through its partners in India and Australia.
Plant-based beverage specialist Vitasoy is hoping to expand the reach and consumer awareness of its new barista milk series in South East Asia, specifically in Singapore, after having secured significant success in Australia.
Qatar dairy powerhouse Baladna has confirmed plans for a dairy venture in Malaysia that is expected to produce hundreds of millions of litres of fresh milk to plug existing gaps in local production.
Singapore traceability technology firm Natural Trace believes it has pioneered a world-first category of in-product tagging based on DNA markers integrated directly within food and beverage products, creating a watermark of sorts that could solve traceability...
Thai silk pupae firm Kokoonic is marketing its new high-protein, low-sodium savoury snack range Eri Rocket as the ‘Snack of the Generation’, believing it can draw in health-focused and sustainability-seeking consumers.
Thai plant-based meat firm Let’s Plant Meat has launched a wave of new Thai-focused plant-based meat and seafood products to meet rising demand in the region, which the firm says is being driven by both consumer health awareness and rising meat prices.
Vietnamese rice product specialist Duy Anh Foods is using fruits and vegetables as crucial ingredients in its novel product innovation drive, having developed unusual combination products including watermelon vermicelli and dragonfruit rice paper thus...
Non-alcoholic spirit brand Seedlip believes that the strength of new product discovery as well as health and wellness trends in the Asia Pacific region are key industry drivers that are set to propel the sector to new heights, especially in Singapore.