New blockchain technology – HalalChain – has been launched to enable consumers trace and track halal products, in an attempt to overcome difficulties posed by scores of accreditation schemes and regulatory uncertainty.
The global trend for natural colours has been slower to catch on in APAC, where the market is still overwhelmingly driven by price, according to a senior executive at Arjuna.
Indonesia and the UAE will drive growth in the global US$55bn halal packaged food and drinks market over the next five years, with China also performing strongly despite its minority Muslim population.
Cochineal dye - which produces red colour in food, drinks and cosmetics - has been found to cause allergic actions such as redness, itching, swelling and anaphylaxis in a small number of cases, Japan researchers say.
More personalised formats, a growing number of unmanned outlets, and soaring online sales are set to be key features of Asia’s food retail landscape, according to a regional expert.
Nestlé Breakfast Cereals from Cereal Partners Worldwide (a joint venture between Nestlé S.A and General Mills) will be sold in India this year, Nestlé India said.
Authorities in Hong Kong have signalled that they would consider lobbying for punitive taxes on sugar and alcohol as a last resort to tackle rising cases of cancer, obesity and stroke.
Ten agri tech and food tech start-ups from Australia, India, Israel, Japan, Korea and Taiwan are vying for US$100,000 in the second Future Food Asia award.
China’s leading grocery retailers are forecast to grow at nearly double the rate of the country’s total grocery retail market by 2022, with experts highlighting five factors that will accelerate their advance.
Almost half of plant-based meat and dairy firm Impossible Foods’ growth plans are targeted at Asia, which has been described as a “really critical market” by chief strategy officer Nick Halla.
Food scandals, recalls and suspicions over sustainability are all contributing to growing distrust among consumers, but several innovative companies are showing how this scepticism can be overcome.
