Functional foods and drinks

Kickstarting kale: Chinese trend for ‘punk nutrition’ lifestyle opens major functional food innovation opportunities

28-Nov-2023 By Pearly Neo

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.

FNA InnovATE: Better-for-you Snacking

Better-for-you munch: Why APAC healthier snacks sector must step up functionality and freshness to ensure growth

22-Nov-2023 By Pearly Neo

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.

Supply focus: Bone broth concentrate demand outstrips supply in Australia, says Melrose Health

21-Nov-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Melrose Health Group is beefing up the production of its bone broth concentrate as demand outstrips supply in Australia.

Vitafoods Asia 2023

Postbiotic traction: Morinaga targets Thai market growth after FDA approval for use in foods and beverages

21-Nov-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Morinaga says its postbiotic, marketed under the brand LAC-Shield, has been added into Thailand’s positive list of ingredients that could be used in general foods and beverages, opening new opportunities for functional foods development in the South East...

‘Make immune care a habit’: Kirin’s LC-Plasma sales held up in spring and summer, gears up for winter launches

20-Nov-2023 By Tingmin Koe

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.

Demand for high-protein products on the rise amid booming active nutrition and healthy ageing categories in Middle East

15-Nov-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Consumers in the Middle East are increasingly looking for protein-rich products to fulfil various needs, with claims ranging from sports performance to age-related muscle support.

Beauty-from-within Interactive Broadcast

Beauty-from-within space sees higher demand for multi-benefit products spanning gut and mental support – expert panel

15-Nov-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Asia-Pacific’s beauty-from-within category is seeing rising demand for products that address not only beauty concerns, but also those that provide multiple benefits spanning gut health and mental support, says a panel involving experts from Haleon, Blackmores,...

Versatility and stability: How Kirin’s Kyowa Hakko has ridden immunity wave post pandemic – WATCH

14-Nov-2023 By Pearly Neo

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.

Growth Asia Summit 2023

Caffeine’s role in sports: Timing of intake subject to significant debate - researcher

07-Nov-2023 By Tingmin Koe

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.

“All-round nutrition”: Nestle launching new infant formula in Hong Kong for gut, bone, cognitive health

06-Nov-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Nestle is debuting a new infant formula containing a proprietary blend in Hong Kong in November 2023. The blend is said to be an “all-round” nutrition for supporting multiple growth areas, including digestive, bone, and cognitive health.

Demand driver: Satisfying Gen Y’s appetite for premium sports and active nutrition products key to sector growth – Growth Asia Summit

31-Oct-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Asian millennial consumers’ demand for novel and higher-value sports and active nutrition products could play instrumental role in accelerating growth of the sector, insights from GlobalData reveal.

Growth Asia Summit 2023

Nestle on personalised nutrition: Innovators need to consider the whole ecosystem, not just products

30-Oct-2023 By Tingmin Koe

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.

‘Not all DHA is equal’: Concentration of specific sn-2 variant could play key role in infant formula efficacy – Junlebao

25-Oct-2023 By Pearly Neo

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...

FNA InnovATE: ENERGY DRINKS

Bull fighters: How Thailand’s Hippo Energy Drink is taking on the big-name competition

25-Oct-2023 By Pearly Neo

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.

Pedal power: Food-derived oligopeptides shown to benefit lipid metabolism in young male cyclists

24-Oct-2023 By Shali S

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.

Double boost: Omega-3 supplementation positively affects CVD patients and could save costs - Korean data

23-Oct-2023 By Shali S

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.

User-friendly guidelines: Opportunity for industry to help Indonesian consumers fulfil breakfast needs

19-Oct-2023 By Shali S.

Further research is needed to translate nutrient-based breakfast guidelines into more user-friendly, food-based recommendations that consumers can easily understand and implement in their daily lives, says a study conducted in Indonesia.

Choline concern: Only one-in-four pregnant Aussie women meeting guidelines

18-Oct-2023 By Shali S

Only 23% of pregnant women are meeting daily choline intake recommendations of 440mg/day, says an Australian study, despite its crucial role in cognitive development prenatal infants.

Improving outcomes: Vitamin, probiotic supplementation pre-conception has major potential to boost long-term infant health

17-Oct-2023 By Pearly Neo

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.

Synbiotic supplementation combined with increased dietary fibre intake could amplify weight loss effects – Hong Kong RCT

16-Oct-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

A high-fibre diet combined with synbiotic supplementation is effective in tackling obesity and reducing risk of metabolic syndrome, say Hong Kong researchers.

FREE Beauty-From-Within APAC broadcast: Check out our latest speakers and register for free today

16-Oct-2023 By Gary Scattergood

Our FREE Beauty-From-Within APAC interactive broadcast takes place in just two weeks, and today we can reveal the full line-up of expert speakers.

Is personalised nutrition truly the future? Suntory on the challenging journey to ‘full personalisation’

16-Oct-2023 By Pearly Neo

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.

Asian skin health innovation: Heliocare’s new supplement to combat hyperpigmentation via multiple pathways

11-Oct-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Heliocare has launched a new supplement that claims to target multiple pathways of melanogenesis, which the brand believes is crucial in addressing skin hyperpigmentation effectively.

India iced tea innovation: Shark Tank-backed Beyond Water launches first RTD products with strong health focus

10-Oct-2023 By Si Ying Thian

India’s Beyond Water has launched its first ready-to-drink (RTD) iced tea in India, tapping on high-quality tea sourcing and consumers demand for healthier beverages.

Vitafoods Asia 2023

Top of the pops: Guangdong firm makes vitamin C, probiotics in popping candy

10-Oct-2023 By Tingmin Koe

A Guangdong-based company which traditionally manufactures popping candy as general food is now using the technique to make candy containing vitamin C and probiotics, specifically Bifidobacterium.

Promotion and formulation: Blackmores eyes China and Indonesia boost, plus NPD with Kirin’s flagship ingredients

09-Oct-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Blackmores is set to ramp up advertising to boost brand awareness in China and Indonesia, while also formulating new products with Kirin’s ingredients post the Japanese giants acquisition of the firm.

FIT-ter KIDS: Fortified products key to addressing APAC micronutrient gaps – Nestle at Growth Asia Summit

04-Oct-2023 By Pearly Neo

New Nestle data has revealed the major micronutrient gaps faced by many toddlers and school-age children in the Asia Pacific region, as well as the important role that fortified foods and beverages can play in addressing these needs.

Women’s woes: Targeted supplementation for different life stages crucial to tackle unmet needs – Growth Asia Summit

04-Oct-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

The unique health and nutritional needs of women throughout their life span, which remain a significant gap to fill, could be addressed with science-backed ingredients and targeted supplementation.

Vitamin D deficiency linked with higher COVID-19 mortality and severity of symptoms – China study

04-Oct-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Vitamin D status could predict COVID-19 mortality rate and the severity of symptoms in the acute infection stage, suggests a new observational study in China.

Vitafoods Asia 2023

Postbiotic approval: Kirin subsidiary’s ingredient approved for use in foods, supplements in India

03-Oct-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Kyowa Hakko Bio, a subsidiary firm of Kirin, says its postbiotics is now approved for use in general foods and health supplements in India.

‘Revive with exports’: Japanese associations gearing up for functional foods export opportunities

02-Oct-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Several Japan health foods associations are gearing up for export opportunities for Foods with Function Claims (FFC), such as providing export consultation services and establishing networks with regional dietary supplement associations.

And the winners are…Check out who took the top prizes at the NutraIngredients-Asia Awards 2023

26-Sep-2023 By Gary Scattergood

We have announced the winners of the 2023 NutraIngredients-Asia Awards, held to recognise the brightest and best products, ingredients and initiatives across the nutrition industry.

Lactoferrin shown to support immune health via pDC activity – Morinaga-funded 12-week study

26-Sep-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Taking 200mg of lactoferrin daily for 12 weeks has been shown to support immune function in healthy adults, a new study funded by Japanese firm Morinaga found.

Agtech firm Sustenir steps into functional foods space to seize opportunities in gut health, mental well-being

25-Sep-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Singapore’s Sustenir has expanded its business portfolio to include functional food products, such as ready-to-drink smoothies, to support what it believes is a long-term growth opportunity.

Fermenting growth: Kirin’s start-up fund to focus on strengthening capabilities in health sciences

25-Sep-2023 By Si Ying Thian

Kirin is looking to back innovations in metabolic health, immunity and brain function, fermentation and microbiota control, and consumer health data technology through its startup innovation fund.

Lactoferrin for sports: TurtleTree to commercialise precision fermentation ingredient in Singapore, US

19-Sep-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Singapore-headquartered TurtleTree is targeting sports nutrition success with its lactoferrin ingredient, with commercialisation in the US and Singapore expected this year and next year respectively.

Business boost: Optimising nutritional profiles offer scope for China infant and performance growth

19-Sep-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Infant and performance nutrition “still offer massive opportunities” in the next phase of development in China, claim industry players.

Post-COVID impact: South Korea's health functional food imports decline for first time in four years

12-Sep-2023 By Tingmin Koe

South Korea’s imports of Health Functional Foods (HFF) saw a decline for the first time in four years, with volumes shrinking 9.5 per cent in the first six months of this year.

Last box to check: Regulatory approval delay remains final hurdle for commercialisation – Singapore cricket-protein manufacturer

06-Sep-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Singapore start-up Altimate Nutrition has developed a range of cricket-based products that are ready for mass manufacturing and distribution, except that it continues to be hindered by regulatory approval delays.

Beyond Chinese diaspora: TCM firm Eu Yan Sang pursues new audience in North America’s health and wellness market

06-Sep-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Singapore-headquartered Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) company Eu Yan Sang is actively pursuing growth in North America’s health and wellness market by targeting not just the Chinese diaspora, but also those who are willing to give the category a...

Dietary deficits: South Korea warns of vitamin A, C, calcium and iron deficiency from poor eating habits

05-Sep-2023 By Tingmin Koe

There is a lack of vitamin A, C, calcium, and iron dietary intake among adolescents and adults in South Korea due to poor dietary habits, warns the country’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).

‘Too big a gamble’: EastRoc pledges continued use of sugar in energy drinks despite cost hikes and market trends

04-Sep-2023 By Pearly Neo

China energy beverage giant EastRoc will continue to use sugar as a primary ingredient in its best-selling products despite rising costs and a rapidly growing sugar-free trend in major cities.

Educational objective: Driving healthcare practitioner awareness of the microbiome crucial for success – Biome Australia

04-Sep-2023 By Si Ying Thian

Precision probiotics firm Biome Australia says that giving practitioners a foundational understanding of microbiome modulation, before reinforcing efficacy via clinical trials, will be key to its ongoing growth objectives in the market.

Halal-friendly postbiotics: Malaysia firm makes products solely from plant-derived bacteria and non heat-killed tech

29-Aug-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Malaysian newcomer postbiotic firm My Myracle has commercialised a series of postbiotics using solely bacteria from plants instead of other common sources, such as faeces of healthy individuals or animals. It says that using plant-derived bacteria is...

Singapore’s REVIT looks to carve a niche with gummies amid rising competition in anti-hangover category

28-Aug-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Singapore-based REVIT is eyeing a bigger market share in the anti-hangover category with its gummy product, on the back of sales numbers that have been tripling month-on-month since its launch in January this year.

Collagen boost: +PW sets sights on ‘huge’ China market with single serve RTD beverages

23-Aug-2023 By Pearly Neo

Functional beverage specialist firm +PW has set its sights on the ‘huge’ China market for its collagen-enriched RTD drinks, planning to bank on its convenient consumption format and unique flavour formulation to overcome market challenges.

a2 milk financials: Sales in China up 8%, firm to focus on growth in lower tier cities and CBEC

23-Aug-2023 By Tingmin Koe

The a2 Milk Company (a2MC) said its infant milk formula business in China grew 8.4 per cent for the financial year ending on June 2023 and that it would focus on growing its cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) and lower tier cities presence.

Korean Red Ginseng shown to reduce the production of stress hormone – Eight-week trial

22-Aug-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Supplementation with Korean Red Ginseng could reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol, according to the findings of an eight-week RCT conducted among 90 men who reported being under stress.

Growth Asia 2023: International expert to reveal how to harness the hallmarks of ageing for healthspan extension

21-Aug-2023 By Gary Scattergood

A leading biotechnologist, futurist, author, and pharmacologist will deliver a keynote talk at oiur Growth Asia Summit 2023 on harnessing the hallmarks of ageing for healthspan extension.

Grape King Bio to focus on growing healthy ageing and women’s health markets in China

21-Aug-2023 By Tingmin Koe

Grape King Bio will focus on its healthy ageing and women’s health nutrition portfolios in China, which it believes are two sectors poised for growth in the country.