Beverage heavyweight Kirin Holdings has outlined plans to implement ‘aggressive measures’ across beer and sugar-free innovation, to recover from the negative impact of cost increases.
Climate conditions in Asian countries are a key driver behind lower production costs and ‘ready-made’ opportunities for the region to emerge as a major insect farming market, providing a more affordable alternative source to the global protein supply.
Chinese consumers’ increasing demands for functional and fortified foods and beverages to support a lifestyle based on ‘punk nutrition’ has opened up massive innovation opportunities for brands across various product categories.
The better-for-you snacks sector in Asia Pacific will need to step up its focus on product functionality and freshness if it is to build on the boom it has enjoyed in recent years.
Italy’s government has announced the passing of a bill banning the production and marketing of cultivated meat. The measures, which also restrict labelling for plant-based products, aim to protect Italy’s traditional food culture.
Cargill-owned Aalst Chocolate is putting “substantial investment” into insights-driven R&D, customised products, and strengthening of its bean-to-bar supply chain to push growth in Asia and beyond.
The use of MSG as a flavouring agent should be reduced, according to researchers who have also emphasised the need for further research into the long-term biochemical effects of human consumption.
Kirin says that revenue from LC-Plasma, its flagship immune health ingredient, has grown significantly even during spring and summer this year, although these are seasons when consumers tend to take fewer precautions against infectious diseases.
Snacking giant Mondelez has highlighted continued strong demand for its snack brands such as Oreo and Cadbury in emerging markets as key to its Q3 profitability, playing down threats from cheaper supermarket private label products.
Kirin Holdings’ health science-focused arm Kyowa Hakko says the versatility and stability of its postbiotic ingredient has enabled it to continue to enjoy commercial success beyond the surge of COVID-19.
Affordability and accessibility are just as important as product innovation if food firms are going to help meets Asia’s nutritional needs, in a region that is still beset by childhood stunting and rising rates of obesity and diabetes.
Precision fermentation firms in the Asia Pacific region need to move beyond a technology focus to prioritise scaling up and commercialisation or risk facing major ‘bottleneck’ challenges when demand increases.
PepsiCo has highlighted collaborations with entrepreneurs as a ‘vital’ part of its strategy to achieve sustainable operations in the APAC region, amid the crowning of its regional Greenhouse Accelerator champion.
New data from Singapore has shown that the public’s perception on ‘healthy ageing’ as a term has become overly skewed to focus on intrinsic elements such as healthy diets, at the expense of extrinsic issues such as elder neglect and ageism.
Governments across the Middle East are ploughing in resources to increase food security and strengthen self-sufficiency, but where are the best opportunities for success, and how can considerable obstacles be overcome?
The supplementation of the amino acid glycine before bedtime has shown to improve sleep quality, alertness and reduce fatigue in healthy populations, according to findings of a recent review conducted by researchers from Singapore.
There is currently significant debate taking place over the timing for athletes to consume caffeine and reap the most benefits, a leading sports science researcher has pointed out.
Why do people buy meat alternatives? A new study reveals that values focused on one’s relationship to a group, such as ‘self-transcendence’, are far more likely to influence their decision to buy meat alternatives than ‘self-focused’ values such as a...
Auckland-based nut butter producer Forty Thieves is investing in social media content creation and influencer marketing to target online consumers, whom it says have increasingly shorter attention spans.
China dairy giant Yili has secured ‘record high’ financial results in the first nine months of its financial year driven by liquid milk and ice cream category growth.
The nutritional value of plant-based meats is limited by lack of key micronutrients, although they contain significantly less saturated fat, indicates an assessment of products on the Hong Kong market.
The nut butter industry in Asia Pacific is targeting pricing strategies and novel applications as it seeks to achieve mainstream success beyond being ‘just a spread’, according to industry experts.
Although efforts show progress on plastic pollution is possible, the world is ‘not on course’ to eliminating plastic waste and pollution, stresses the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Food firms need to be increasingly savvy when it comes to meeting growing consumer demands for fortified and reformulated products, in order to remain cost competitive in the current economic environment.
Asia Pacific consumers are increasingly demanding a combination of affordability, health and tastiness when making their food and beverage purchasing decisions, driving the rise of what is known as the ‘and’ consumer.
Japan’s decision to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear disaster could have far-reaching impacts for the APAC seafood sector, especially in terms of negative consumer perception and overall confusion.
Personalised nutrition innovators need to better consider the entire ecosystem spanning health data collection and analysis, alongside new products, says an industry expert from Nestle.
China-based clean label brand Haofood is putting extra efforts into innovation while maintaining focus on taste and affordability to boost consumer adoption of plant-based diets.
China dairy giant Junlebao believes that the concentration of a specific variant of DHA molecules – the sn-2 DHA – plays a crucial role in the absorption and efficacy of infant formulas, and has called for industry collaboration to increase understanding...
Chinese 3D food printing firm MOODLES believes that this technology needs to be efficiently incorporated into the production of personalised nutrient-rich staple foods that consumers will eat on a daily basis if the sector wants to grow locally.
Thailand-based Hippo Energy Drink believes that its combination of health, natural ingredients and low sugar offerings can help it build on its initial success in South East Asia and take on major brand competitors in the category.
olam food ingredients’ (ofi’s) flavour experts share their predictions on how families will tap into this season’s flavour trends to create a ‘Spooktacular’ 31 October.
Consumption of food-derived oligopeptides has been linked with an increased rate of triglyceride breakdown, enhanced the uptake of non-esterified fatty acids, and the promotion of fat oxidation, both during periods of inactivity and exercise among cyclists.
Hybrid innovation with meat and plant-based ingredients, affordability and a focus on the needs of flexitarians is needed to boost the protein sector in APAC over the long-term.
Nestle is hopeful that its new nutritional labelling and marketing strategy will play a strong part in its sales recovery, after seeing a drop in sales across many APAC markets due to ‘historic’ inflation and foreign exchange challenges.
A new study reveals the key differences in nutrient intake when an animal-based diet is replaced with plant-based alternatives, with calls for greater in-depth research and consideration of such factors manufacturers when developing new products.
A study in Korea posits that a higher dosage and long-term use of omega-3 could positively affect cardiovascular disease management, and potentially save on healthcare costs.
With this month’s launch of thick-cut, decadent Texas Toast made with and without gluten and slathered with real butter, garlic and cheese, Rudi’s Bakery is entering a new phase of “reinvention and reinvigoration” that recently reappointed CEO Jane Miller...
Food and beverage brands that are able to convey microlocal tastes and tap into consumer pride with a strong domestic production chain are best-placed for success in the APAC region, according to Kerry.
Affordability is emerging as the main driving factor for insect-based foods in the APAC region, possibly even more significant than its often-lauded protein or sustainability factors.
Stronger government regulatory support and the ‘debunking’ of myths surrounding hemp are still at a ‘crucial’ stage in Asia, the success of which is key to unlocking its active nutrition potential.
Nutritional supplementation taken at the stage of pre-conception by a mother has major potential to improve the long-term health of children, according to results from cross-country research.
Global megabrand Suntory has highlighted consumer confusion and production time as some of the key challenges standing in the way of achieving ‘full personalisation’ in the nutrition and food manufacturing spaces.
Consumer concerns over the rising price of seafood needs to be addressed by the industry before sustainability as a purchase driver play a bigger role.
Data from the large-scale Singapore Chinese Health Study has shown that all consumers can reduce their risk of later cognitive impairment by switching to a healthier diet at any age, as revealed by the study’s principal investigator at the recent Growth...
While dairy is the basis of protein nutrition, the use of plant-based and precision fermented protein is bound to increase in products such as infant formula, healthy ageing, and sports nutrition, says dairy multinational firm Friesland Campina.
