Beverages

Government action needed: Political pressure key for Indonesian F&B firms to propel reformulation

20-Feb-2020 By Pearly Neo

Food and beverage companies in Indonesia have cited government regulations as the major factor for reformulation, in a country where 28% of the adult population is overweight, 22% is obese, and 35% of deaths are caused by cardiovascular disease.

Halal ‘mismatch’: Why Malaysia needs to take action and close hole in balance of trade

19-Feb-2020 By Richard Whitehead

There is currently a “mismatch” between the amount of halal food imported into Malaysia and the quantity it exports that needs to be addressed, according to Jamil Bidin, the recently retired chief executive of the agency charged with promoting the country’s...

Pakistan’s sugar wars: Punjab proposes 10000% penalty increase for illegal sugarcane dealings as tensions rise

19-Feb-2020 By Pearly Neo

The government of Pakistan’s most-populated province, Punjab, is trying to halt the ongoing ‘sugar wars’ in the country between sugarcane millers and growers by raising the maximum penalty for illegal dealings by 10,000%.

Hemp-based spirits: Australian craft distillery launches gin and vodka products

18-Feb-2020 By Pearly Neo

Australian craft distilling company Natural Distilling Co has chosen to use hemp as the main ingredient for its first two product launches, as it intensifies efforts in using local, natural and sustainable superfood ingredients to innovate in the craft...

PepsiCo’s Asian NPD: MNC highlights key trends it is applying to develop emerging markets

18-Feb-2020 By Pearly Neo

PepsiCo has identified several key consumer trends in Asia which it is applying to develop its major emerging markets in the region.

Brand New: Mondelez, Coca-Cola, Asahi and more feature in our round-up

13-Feb-2020 By Pearly Neo

Mondelez, Coca-Cola, Asahi and more feature in this edition of Brand New.

UAE dairy firm Al Ain Farms seeks to make a splash with first bottled water release

12-Feb-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

UAE’s dairy giant, Al Ain Farms has launched its first bottled water product that is lower in sodium, in a bid to improve the country’s food security and health situation.

Bubble burst? Researchers question long-term health and environmental effects of plant-based diet

12-Feb-2020 By Pearly Neo

Plant-based products have recently come under fire for potential negative health and environmental effects, but much of this has so far gone more or less unnoticed and/or unmentioned by its proponents, it has been claimed.

Shrink the drink: Coca-Cola launches smaller packaging to cope with demographic changes in Japan

11-Feb-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

Beverage giant, Coca-Cola Japan has launched two new PET packaging sizes, 350mL and 700mL for its iconic drink.

FNA F&B Trailblazers Podcast Episode 4

PODCAST: AI Palette’s Som Ganchoudhuri on transition from MNC to AI start-up

07-Feb-2020 By Pearly Neo

In this episode of our Food and Beverage Trailblazers podcast, we speak to the CEO and Co-founder of Singapore-based artificial intelligence company AI Palette Somsubhra Ganchoudhuri (Som) about using AI for food product innovation, and making the switch...

‘Change mindsets’: Asahi ramps up beer promotion and stops disclosing sales volume data

06-Feb-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

Japan’s Asahi Breweries is focusing on its beer business this year, as it seeks to replicate its sales of JPY 666 billion (US$6 billion) in 2019, despite a forecast of 2% decrease in Japan’s overall beer market.

Five year goal: Coca-Cola New Zealand wants to reduce sugar in its beverages by 20%

06-Feb-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

Coca-Cola New Zealand have announced a goal to reduce the amount of sugar in its beverages by 20% by 2025, including Sprite, Fanta, Powerade, Kiwi Blue water, Pump, Keri Juice as well as its Coca-Cola range.

Sabah’s top beans: Malaysian cocoa specialist Vive Snack banks on local focus for success

05-Feb-2020 By Pearly Neo

Malaysian cocoa firm Vive Snack is banking on a strong local focus to further expand its reach in the domestic market, with an emphasis on its use of local ingredients and new product innovations.

Growth and technology: Food companies singled out as significant force in generating halal industry development

05-Feb-2020 By Pearly Neo

Food and beverage companies have been singled out as a significant force to ‘generate substantial growth’ for the halal industry, especially in Asia and the Middle East, by creating dedicated halal propositions in developing their businesses.

Digital and physical: Why food packaging developments can combat India’s adulteration woes

04-Feb-2020 By Pearly Neo

With the food adulteration situation in India showing no sign of slowing down, an authentication expert has argued that food packaging developments can help improve the situation and raise food safety levels in the country.