Mondelez’s first cocoa crop science centre, located in Indonesia, aims to develop good quality, more sustainable beans to benefit its global chocolate brands such as Cadbury, Milka and Cote d’Or – with the firm stressing the need to intensify production...
A 12-week study by Yakult on more than 1,000 Vietnamese children has shown that its fermented milk containing the Lactobacillus casei strain (LcS) could reduce the incidence of constipation, diarrhoea, and acute respiratory infections (ARI).
Australian beverage firm Remedy Drinks is eyeing Vietnam as the next big market for its kombucha, banking on a rising health and wellness awareness trend and product ability to be transported without refrigeration.
A food tech firm headed by the execs who pioneered plant-based sausages in Germany and propelled Impossible Foods’ launch into Singapore are now looking for manufacturing partners globally for their new plant-based chicken.
Food manufacturing giant Nestle Philippines has confirmed that none of its products would be affected by the recently-proposed bill on trans fats elimination from the local food supply, though it has also requested that the legislation terms be laid out...
The uptake and demand for certified sustainable palm oil in major Asian markets is extremely low compared to available supply despite the demand for rigorous sustainability certification processes, and experts are urging local governments to take stricter...
Plant-based egg firm Eat just will open its first Asia manufacturing site in Singapore after securing a US120m partnership with a consortium led by Proterra Investment – with the two outfits also discussing opportunities in the cultured meat space.
Chobani Australia has made its first venture out of the dairy yoghurt category with its first plant-based oat milk launch, with plans to develop a range of oat-based products in the pipeline.
The Singapore Exchange (SGX) and New Zealand’s Exchange (NZX) have signed a Heads of Agreement in relation to a global partnership to grow NZX’s dairy derivatives market together.
The head of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) has challenged Australian chocolate manufacturer Darrell Lea to explain its sustainability claims after the latter announced that it would be going totally palm oil-free.
Singapore-based brand Nutrixin has relaunched its flagship immunity product, apple peel essence and rolled out two more functional beverages with cognitive and digestive functions.
Malaysia-based kombucha brand WonderBrew is on track to more than double its sales this year, as it seeks to expand its e-commerce presence amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Qatari dairy firm Baladna is working with the Malaysian government to help it establish dairy self-sufficiency similar to what it has achieved in its homeland, with the firm’s CEO saying that there are parallels to be drawn between both countries in this...
A proof-of-concept study by the Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) has found that high pressure processing (HPP) of plant protein could produce a clean label plant-based yoghurt with desirable texture and nutrition, comparable...
The palm oil sector is demanding fair and equal treatment after years of being subjected to ‘unjust’ treatment and criticism, despite ‘doing more for sustainability’ compared to other edible oils in the industry.
Malaysian kefir specialist firm MayKef says it is proudly taking a ‘health over taste’ approach to its production and marketing as it seeks to extol the virtues of goat’s milk and coconut milk kefir over traditional dairy.
Nestle Malaysia’s local sustainability initiatives will be focused on recycling and reforestation projects in the near future in addition to efforts on plastic reduction although there is still a pressing need for the material, according to its top executive.
Singapore functional beverage and dietary supplement company Asmara is moving into food-based cosmetics, with four new mask and scrub products launching next year.
Non-alcoholic spirits firm Lyre’s has made its supermarket entry into the Singapore market via retail giant Dairy Farm International, owner of local grocers Cold Storage and Market Place, becoming the first non-alcoholic spirits line the retailer has...
The Philippines-based WTH Foods is looking to expand in Singapore and other South East Asian markets with its range of plant-based meats, but has cited challenges in market testing and production.
Nestle has highlighted the tropical climate in many Asian countries as a major challenge in developing sustainable food packaging options for the region at the same pace as in other countries worldwide.
The Philippines durian industry believes that its local variety shows strong potential for export as a food ingredient in addition to the more common frozen format due to its sweetness and colour, an important step forward in the quest to durians into...
Thailand has emerged at the top scorer amongst all developing countries worldwide in terms of adolescent fast food consumption in a new dietary study, with the researchers attributing this to television and food industry influence in popularising ‘Western-style’...
Chicken, pork and salmon samples contaminated with COVID-19 showed no decline in the virus level after 21 days in both refrigerated and frozen storage conditions.
Thai plant-based meat firm Let’s Plant Meat jumped from conceptualisation to commercialisation in just 12 months for its plant-based burger patty – and is now determined to make the product 'affordable for the masses' in Asia.
Experts at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have continued to vouch for the merits of Golden Rice despite a recent weeklong-protest held against the genetically-modified crop across Asia.
Indonesia has called on the United Kingdom to implement equivalent regulations for rapeseed oil as stipulated in the the Due Diligence policy it is looking to apply to palm oil, in order to achieve proper ‘mutual recognition’ of each other’s regulatory...
The outbreak of COVID-19 has led a number of ASEAN countries in “fully recognising the importance of health supplements” in optimising or maintaining the public health, according to a regional trade association.
Malaysian insect-protein firm Ento has opted to shift its food production focus from whole-insect snacks to a ‘proteinisation’ focus in the hope of increasing consumer acceptability and encouraging mass consumption.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was China’s biggest export destination for dietary supplement ingredients and products in the first half of this year, while the Middle East is likely to offer further growth potential, says a report...
Chinese e-commerce firm Pinduoduo (PDD) and Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) are developing a cost-effective way of testing for contaminants such as pesticides in fresh produce – in an effort to boost consumer, retailer...
Carlsberg is striving to debunk the myth that booze- free beer is a poor alternative to regular brews with the launch of its alcohol-free pilsner and wheat beer in Singapore – and is letting consumers buy a sample can for as little as 10 cents.
Singapore healthier sugar firm Nutrition Innovation is riding on consumer demand for healthier, less-refined products, especially post-COVID-19, to launch in several new markets as well as push a new commercial sugar variety.
The prices of fresh produce in Vietnam is being driven up by poor logistical coordination and high transport costs being transferred down the food supply chain to food firms, retailers and eventually consumers.
F&B conglomerate Kraft-Heinz believes that its sauces are in a key growth position in Malaysia post-COVID-19 due to a rise in the home cooking trend and has streamlined its local distribution operations in an effort to accelerate this trend.
The Indonesian government is urging its local food and beverage industry to embrace digital advancement and shift towards the use of local raw ingredients for manufacturing as part of the national Making Industry 4.0 industrial strategy.
Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Berhad (Carlsberg Malaysia) is pinning its hopes on digital marketing and e-commerce to recover from huge revenue and profit drops suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.
Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group’s substantial investment in technological innovations and upgrades to its food production facilities under food arm CP Foods were what ensured its continued smooth operations through the COVID-19 pandemic, CP Group’s US Business...
Palm oil trade between Malaysia and India has moved back on track with the latter running low on local stock and the former relaxing export tariffs as both countries move to repair a trade relationship wrecked by previous political clashing.
CP Foods, the food arm of Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, believes that its major acquisitions over the past two years has put it in a good position to conquer major pork markets in both North America and Asia, CP Group’s US Business Chairman...
Researchers in Thailand have called for the government to pursue more aggressive public health policies in addition to imposing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes in the country after an advanced simulation model revealed that this would have little...
The government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) has built of a new food safety and quality control centre with a Chinese partner, in the hope of providing a boost for the country’s economy and potentially graduating from its current ‘Less-Developed...
The European Union’s (EU) new Farm-to-Fork (F2F) Strategy may have been coined in the name of sustainability for its local food chain, but if implemented could have massive cost implications for palm oil exports and major export countries such as Malaysia.
General Mills is collaborating with Musim Mas Group to launch a programme designed to integrate independent smallholders from villages neighbouring the Leuser Ecosystem in Aceh Singkil into the sustainable palm oil supply chain to reduce deforestation...
China has emerged as a saviour for the durian industries in Thailand and Malaysia throughout the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, with solid demand and import growth continuing even throughout lockdowns despite earlier pessimistic predictions.
The Philippines’ banana industry is lobbying for the government to take action to protect its global export markets against competition from ‘pirated’ bananas and tariff disadvantages before more ground is lost.