Flavours and colours

Targeting TikTokers: India’s Beyond Snack builds on strong growth with ‘exotic flavours’ aimed at young consumers

21-Sep-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

India-based Beyond Snack recently expanded its repertoire of banana chips in the hope of attracting Millennials and Gen Zs, whom the firm believes are particularly receptive to flavour innovations.

Comfort and convenience: Consumers are seeking wider flavour options and formats for meal replacements – Sustyfoods

13-Sep-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Singapore-based meal replacements brand Sustyfoods says that convenience and functionality are key purchase drivers, and expects rising demand for savoury options and product formats that are more similar to “real meals”.

Who will pay? APAC cocoa industry says EU Deforestation Regulation could create ‘two-tier market’

12-Sep-2023 By Pearly Neo

The cocoa and chocolates industry in Asia Pacific is concerned that the EU Deforestation Regulation could lead a two-tier market for cocoa beans, which could have far-ranging cost and pricing implications.

Sweet and snacky: China cheese industry growth requires flavour localisation and western influence – Bel China

29-Aug-2023 By Pearly Neo

Cheese heavyweight Bel has called for local brands to simultaneously develop local innovations alongside introducing more traditional western concepts in order to drive faster industry growth in China

Sweet surprises: 50-year-old Boonprasert Confectionery boosts format and functional innovation to meet new consumer needs

03-Aug-2023 By Pearly Neo

Thailand’s Boonprasert Confectionery is evolving its innovation strategy to focus on the development of novel formats and functional offerings to meet changing consumer needs in and out of its home market.

Easing customs congestion: Thai FDA launches express digital service to accelerate processing of F&B imports

01-Aug-2023 By Pearly Neo

Thailand is the latest Asian market to establish a fully digitalised express customs processing service, which is hoped to greatly accelerate food and beverage import operations at its checkpoints in line with the national Thailand 4.0 strategy.

Turmeric hit: Haldy seeks to refresh mint market appeal across age groups with Ayurvedic-inspired products

06-Jun-2023 By Pearly Neo

Singapore mint specialist firm Haldy recently hit the market with its turmeric-based, Ayurvedic-inspired mints, which it believes has the potential to appeal to both younger and older consumers alike.

‘Futuristic perspective’: Mane Kancor combining growth with circular manufacturing ambitions

06-Jun-2023 By Si Ying Thian

Indian spice supplier Mane Kancor says it new facility in Byadgi will help meet growing global demand for chili extracts, as well as doubling down on its sustainability agenda.

A toast to innovation: Tiger breaks beer-making boundaries to keep up with ‘sessionable and accessible’ drinking trends

29-May-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Singapore beer giant Tiger’s latest product innovation is driven by Korean culture, and aims to appeal to young consumers seeking progressive flavours and easy-to-drink options.

The emerging flavour trends in the salty snacks category

23-May-2023 By Gill Hyslop

With more than a third of snackers citing ‘the excitement of flavour’ as the reason to indulge, the flavour experts at T. Hasegawa - one of the world’s top 10 flavour houses - get to grips with what both the better-for-you (BFY) and indulgent-minded consumer...

‘Unabsorbable’ price hikes: Ajinomoto predicts further cost increases despite record-breaking profits last year

23-May-2023 By Pearly Neo

Amino acid specialist Ajinomoto has predicted that more cost increases are likely in FY2023 due to continuous inflationary pressures, even though the company reported record-breaking sales and profits last year.

‘Samples Only’: Philippines FDA sets strict import guidelines for unregistered food products used for R&D

10-May-2023 By Pearly Neo

The Philippines Food and Drug Administration is implementing new strict import guidelines for food and beverage items that manufacturers want to use for R&D.

Stock options: Vitality Foods drills down on meaty flavour ‘translation’ to address plant-based gaps

09-May-2023 By Pearly Neo

Singapore-based Vitality Foods has developed a range of plant-based stocks to address current flavour-related challenges in the alternative meat industry.

More than a buzzword: Net zero sustainability commitments must make business sense for food firms – expert panel

08-May-2023 By Pearly Neo

The commitment to and achievement of net zero goals must make real business sense for food and beverage companies in the region in order to ensure these remain a key part of business operations as opposed to just fulfilling a trend.

FNA DEEP DIVE: ALCOHOL

Fresh approach: Carlsberg, Kirin, Brass Lion on why refreshing and fruity flavours dominate APAC alcohol NPD

26-Apr-2023 By Pearly Neo

The creation of alcoholic beverages with a focus on refreshing or fruity flavours is increasingly dominating new product innovation efforts across multiple alcohol categories from beers to liquors in the APAC region.

Spicing up the market: Borneo Hot Sauce amplifies marketing efforts to become household name in Singapore

19-Apr-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Chilli sauce producer Borneo Hot Sauce aims to raise its brand recognition in Singapore, following a promising debut which saw it sell 10,000 bottles in six months.

Premium olive oil opportunity: Laconiko pressing partnerships to tap on Asia’s ‘virgin market’

04-Apr-2023 By Si Ying Thian

Greek-US producer Laconiko is weighing up expansion plans in Asia, believing there is an opportunity to incorporate regional flavours into its premium olive oil and balsamic products.

Veggie powder power: Australia’s Nutri V eyes snacking space to take upcycled foods mainstream

28-Mar-2023 By Si Ying Thian

Australian upcycling firm Nutri V – a partnership between vegetable producer Fresh Select and Australia’s national science agency CSIRO – has taken its first steps into the B2C snacking space, with its CEO stating there is more product innovation on the...

Making leaps: White Rabbit ice-cream brand reveals expansion strategy for South East Asia

27-Mar-2023 By Si Ying Thian

The Singapore distributor of the iconic Chinese brand White Rabbit’s ice cream is looking for partnerships to provide a marketing boost in South East Asia, while also aiming for expansion across the region, providing its quality control objectives can...

Food in the Metaverse: Why APAC F&B brands need to keep up with Web 3.0 to accelerate growth

07-Feb-2023 By Pearly Neo

Food and beverage brands in the Asia Pacific region would do well to stay up-to-date with worldwide Web 3.0 transformations to accelerate business growth, especially when it comes to capturing younger consumers in the Metaverse.

Kerry’s 2023 Taste & Nutrition charts explore sriracha’s rise & guava, sesame, dulce de leche growth

01-Feb-2023 By Ryan Daily

After nearly two decades of first appearing in fast-food restaurants across the US and becoming a go-to favorite for spicy aficionados, sriracha today is not only an established flavor that many consumers love, but according to Kerry’s Taste & Nutrition...

Riding the Fourth Wave: NO HARM DONE’s eco-friendly coffee capsules blending tradition with innovation

30-Jan-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Singapore eco-friendly coffee capsule brand NO HARM DONE says its newly introduced local-inspired coffee capsules, including Gula Melaka Kopi and Choco Kopi flavours, have been a hit with the domestic market, as it now seeks regional expansion.

Combo craze: ‘Contradictory’ flavour combinations rising in popularity among younger APAC consumers

10-Jan-2023 By Pearly Neo

Younger consumers in APAC are increasingly seeking out food and beverage products that offer a combination of ‘contradictory’ flavours, according to experts in the region.

‘Not a shiny new toy’: How ofi’s new Singapore site will lead to ‘holy grail’ localised innovation

22-Nov-2022 By Pearly Neo

Localisation strategies are crucial in order to achieve the ‘holy grail’ of food innovation in the Asia Pacific region, by combining health, taste and convenience, according to Olam outfit ofi.

Shelf-life and salt: Taste remains greatest barrier for sodium-reduced food products to move out of premium category

21-Nov-2022 By Pearly Neo

Getting the taste right in sodium-reduced food products remains the biggest barrier to overcome in reformulation efforts, according to industry experts.

Safety over shelf-life: Thai consumer concerns over long expiry dates driving demand for clean label ingredients

16-Nov-2022 By Pearly Neo

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.

Paradoxical pressures: APAC consumers demanding both food indulgence and cost-savings

03-Nov-2022 By Pearly Neo

Both indulgence and affordability are emerging as major APAC consumer demands for food and beverages today, leaving a manufacturers with a paradoxical challenge that can only be solved using innovation.

Limited access: Indonesia drafts new risk-based rules for imported processed foods

02-Nov-2022 By Pearly Neo

Indonesia has decided to push ahead with plans to tighten regulations governing imported processed foods by introducing a risk-based assessment system.

Beyond just a trend: Policy measures further pushing Asian food colouring sector towards natural

27-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

Regulatory pressure from Asian governments will drive food and beverage firms to use natural colours, with it rapidly becoming less of a trend and more of a necessity.

Post-COVID-19 supply assurance: Stable natural colours crucial to guarantee consistent high-quality products

24-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

Guaranteeing the supply chain stability of natural colours to ensure manufacturers can be assured of product consistency has taken on extra importance in the post-COVID-19 era, claims GNT.

Trend tracking: Indonesian food firms need to accelerate product innovation and digital adaptation

19-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

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.

Entering the lime-light: Chiangmai Bioveggie eyes wider ASEAN and Middle East with frozen juice

13-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

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.

2023 healthy food trends: Clean label and positive nutrition claims crucial for consumers

11-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

Consumers in the Asia Pacific region will continue to be strongly driven by products with clean label and positive nutrition claims moving into the new year, with food and beverage brands also set to boost innovation to meet these demands.

Bringing the heat: McCormick reveals spicy innovation key to snacking growth in Indonesia

04-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

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.

Spread bet: Singapore nut butter brand EATNUF aims for China, Malaysia markets in 2023

03-Oct-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

Singapore natural nut butter brand EATNUF aims to enter China and Malaysia, besides diversifying its product portfolio, in 2023.

White beetle inspired natural pigment offers replacement for titanium dioxide

28-Sep-2022 By Nicola Gordon-Seymour

Cambridge-based biotech start-up, Impossible Materials, has developed a sustainable cellulose-derived white pigment to replace “unsafe” titanium dioxide (TiO2) across food and pharma industries.

APAC stevia trends: Dairy, traditional snacks providing growth alongside beverages

28-Sep-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

Reformulation and new production development of dairy products, dried foods, bakery and snacks, along with beverages, are driving stevia growth in China and the wider Asia Pacific region, claims global ingredient firm Tate & Lyle.

Germinating growth: China alt protein scene increasingly competitive, but localisation key to success

26-Sep-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

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.

Aliga Microalgae purchases new facility to scale chlorella

22-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

Food technology company Aliga Microalgae progresses its plans to scale the microalgae ingredient, chlorella, as an alternative protein after buying an existing production facility in Holland.

Going green: Flavour enhancement products need to be both ‘clean label and clean energy’ for China and Middle East

21-Sep-2022 By Pearly Neo

Flavour enhancement products today need to not only cater to consumers’ clean label demands, but also be made using clean energy if firms wish to capitalise on the current wellness and sustainability trends that are on the rise in the China and Middle...

‘Beyond peanuts’: Olam seeks to improve low consumer awareness of alternative nut butters

12-Sep-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

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.

Free trade failure: APAC leaders decline to prevent food export bans amid Russia-Ukraine crisis

12-Sep-2022 By Pearly Neo

APAC Ministers responsible for food security have failed to reach an agreement to prohibit countries from imposing food export bans, as the region continues to battle economic and supply uncertainties resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war.

Drink risk: Higher intake of sweetened beverages linked to increased CVD mortality in younger adults – Study

22-Aug-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

Daily consumption of two or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages has been linked to a 50% increase in cardiovascular disease mortality among younger adults aged 20 to 39.

Got your back: APAC consumers increasingly turning to ingredient lists first - ofi

18-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

Asia Pacific consumers are increasingly turning to the back of food packaging to check ingredient lists, before considering any front-of-pack health claims, with interest in clean label products seemingly gathering pace.

Scrapping ‘melting pot’ mentality: Flavour innovation in APAC food firms increasingly driven by culture and localisation

21-Jul-2022 By Pearly Neo

The flavour innovation process for brands in the APAC region is being increasingly driven by culture and localisation, with many of the region’s bigger food firms already grasping the importance of this trend.

Novel entry: Singapore white honey brand Al Honey targets South East Asia, Australia after Saudi backing

11-Jul-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

Singapore brand Al Honey is planning its expansion in South East Asia and Australia over the next two years with its novel white honey product.

Diageo acquires flavor matching tech company Vivanda

05-Jul-2022 By Rachel Arthur

Diageo has acquired Vivanda, the owner of the technology behind Diageo’s digital ‘What’s Your Whisky’ online platform as well as the ‘Journey of Flavour’ experience at Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh.

Flavored spirits: a big commercial opportunity - or could there be a catch?

23-Jun-2022 By Mike Spurling, co-founder, Barfly

Flavored spirits add a new dimension to the category - but could there be a catch? Mike Spurling, co-founder of drinks consultancy Barfly, looks at the category.

Local flavour, global appeal: Singapore’s Melvados aims to expand with fusion snack offerings

16-May-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

Consumers are increasingly demanding more information about ingredients and traceability in the booming East-West fusion food category, that spans everything from pandan nuts to kaya ice cream.

Securing Singapore? Scale of city state’s food security 2030 challenge underlined by new data

04-May-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

The scale of Singapore’s challenge to achieve 30% food self-sufficiency by 2030 has been underlined by new data released by the city state’s national food agency.