The ASEAN-EU palm oil sustainability debate, Nestle Waters' new commitment, Australia's meat carbon neutrality and more feature in this edition of Sustainability Snippets.
Nestle Indonesia has responded to the recent controversy that 60% of its global portfolio is made up of ‘unhealthy’ foods, stressing that reformulation and fortification are key priorities as it seeks to balance ‘nutrition and enjoyment’.
Indian farm-to-fork startup Superplum is looking to expand its digitised cold chain logistics system to wine and other temperature-sensitive products after successfully making cross-country transportations of fruits previously not deliverable by land.
Better Meat Co is eyeing Asia as a major market to bring in a whole new category of hybrid, blended meat and plant-based products, citing superior health benefits and price parity as driving factors.
Australia needs to make policy and investment adjustments to prioritise new product development, sustainable packaging and digitalisation in the food and grocery manufacturing to secure growth – otherwise it faces stagnation or decline by 2030.
Product localisation, health, taste and affordability have been identified to be amongst the top drivers behind rapid innovation and sector growth for the plant-based industry in Asia, but sustainability must also not be forgotten as its importance continues...
The rapidly growing number of food firms emerging in the cultivated products space in China, along with imminent product launches, is expected to speed-up the regulatory process in the country, according to the national working group.
The Australian meat industry has reaffirmed its commitment to its 2030 carbon neutrality goals on the back of new tools and technologies, even amidst the ongoing wider political debate regarding net zero emissions in the country.
Australia-based plant-based firm Fable Foods says a relentless focuses on greater premiumisation and minimal processing for its shiitake mushroom-based products are enabling it to maintain price parity with conventional meat items.
The average Chinese household spend on fruits, dairy and fish is growing at a faster rate than meat and poultry, according to a new report documenting China’s shifting dietary spending habits over two decades.
Japanese consumers and food firms have gained an increased appreciation for local food products and raw materials as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic with many more looking to ‘support local’ although there are still multiple challenges to be overcome,...
Multiple South Korean ministries dealing with food, nutrition and education are seeking to reduce business and consumer confusion be establishing a one-stop information service platform to bring together relevant data currently ‘scattered’ across each...
News on the rise of the current healthy snacking trend to avoid 'Covibesity', better-for-you dessert success and the rise of regenerative foods feature in the first-ever edition of Healthier Choices.
Australian consumers’ appetites for domestic, trustworthy brands is at an all-time high due to COVID-19 and is not expected to disperse any time soon, according to the heads of Australia’s largest independent grocery store Drakes Supermarkets.
Australia-based Deliciou has its eye on China and other Asian markets with its market-first shelf-stable plant-based meat products after successful launches in both Australia’s Coles and Woolworths and US’ Whole Foods supermarkets.
In the first ever edition of Alt Protein Watch, we look at news about OmniFoods' latest seafood launch, cell-based IP protection, China's YouKuai and more.
Meat and poultry spending accounts for the largest proportion in total food spending in Bahrain, and is expected to increase further, according to new report documenting Bahrain’s shifting dietary spending habits over two decades.
The South Korean government has warned organic food firms and sellers to ensure the authenticity of product claims made online as a new robotic authentication system will be rolled out in July to intensify fraud detection, and severe penalties lie in...
Cultivated product firms with pioneering technology, a wide geographical focus and a strategy involving both short- and long-term revenue gains hold an advantage in terms of securing investments, according to ex-Beyond and Impossible Foods VC fund MD.
China looks likely to be the world’s largest consumer market of cultivated meat due its population size and government support, but a long, arduous journey lies ahead before this becomes a reality, according to an industry expert.
Australian retail giants such as Coles and Woolworths are placing increased importance on developing previously sluggish e-commerce operations in the hope of capturing consumer loyalty to cement future growth.
Australian food and beverage firms will need to snap out of pre-COVID-19 thought processes when it comes to supply chains and logistics and embrace more collaborative and tech-focused strategies, according to an industry expert.
The South Korean government has poured in an investment over US$70mn to create a new ‘Fund of Funds’ aimed at boosting sustainability and digitalisation across the nation’s food system.
The cultivated meat sector in APAC is calling for the establishment of a non-biased entity to lay down proper industry governance and IP protection to provide a safe, secure environment for firms to share knowledge and collaborate towards scale-up.
Japan has issued a new set of interministerial guidelines for logistic improvement in its processed food, beverages and liquor sectors, calling for manufacturers, retailers and other stakeholders to implement changes to improve transportation efficiencies.
Hygiene standards, at-home experiences and the vegan and healthy trend are expected to form the post-pandemic future of the food and beverage industry in two of the world’s largest economies, China and India.
Hong Kong-based IXON Food Technology, which has developed advanced sous-vide aseptic packaging (ASAP) to store fresh meat, fish and seafood at room temperature for up to two years, is building a pilot plant in the United States as part of its plans to...
Israeli cultured meat firm Future Meat Technologies has its eye on Asia as a major market for its products with China and India as key targets, after notching-up two successes in significantly lowering production costs this year.
Japan’s food manufacturing sector has been highlighted as the highest contributor to food loss in the country as the government announced its lowest-ever figure of six million tonnes, whilst urging consumers to do more by buying products ‘from the front’...
Thai plant-based firm Let’s Plant Meat has just launched in its first export market Singapore with the ‘most affordable’ products on the market and a focus on multicultural versatility, according to its CEO.
China’s agriculture and grocery retail platform Pinduoduo and the Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) have signed a research project agreement to study the impact of plant-based meats on human health in the Singapore population.
New Zealand hemp-based meat firm Sustainable Foods has revealed plans to scale up exports over the next five years with Asia Pacific countries its main targets, following a complete rebranding for its products and launching its hemp-based chick*n into...
With a young, dynamic population, tremendous agricultural production and business-forward outlook, Vietnam has all the factors to become a halal food powerhouse…apart from that face that very few people are aware of it.
Importer and distributor SandBox has signed exclusive distribution agreements with Filipino brands including Pacquiao coffee and Oh So Healthy snacks to launch products in the UAE and GCC region.
Japan might have a global reputation for its vending machines, but that’s not going to stop Singapore from putting in a bid to steal its title - this time with wagyu beef.
A Singapore agri-food marketplace harbours ambitions of being the halal-tech world’s first unicorn, even though it started off modestly and remains largely bootstrapped.
Vietnam has been singled out its agri-food resilience and strong likelihood to recover from the current coronavirus-inspired chaos thanks to considerable investment in its shrimp, pork and poultry sectors.
ADM is doubling down its focus on plant-based expertise with a new specialist lab within its Singapore innovation centre, which first opened three years ago.
UAE-based agribusiness company Al Dahra wants to disrupt the region’s saturated online grocery market with its latest platform, Food Crowd, which will delivering fresh foods straight from the farm.
Philippines’ and Thailand’s F&B manufacturing sectors shrunk amid the COVID-19 pandemic last year, while Vietnam and Indonesia saw positive growth, according to a new report.
Government buy-in will be crucial for cultured meat firms looking to hit cost parity for their products by 2030, with experts claiming that it will be an uphill battle go head-to-head with traditional meat products in terms of price by the end of this...
Nestle Malaysia has pegged product affordability and versatility as its main plant-based strategies amid the official launch of the firm’s first ever plant-based production facility in the ASEAN region.
South Korea has launched a pilot application dubbed the ‘Imported Food Search Lens’ to enable consumers to check the food safety information of imported products by taking pictures of product labels, even if they are not part of any specific traceability...
Monitoring tests of Japan’s food products after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident showed that drinking water, milk and infant food were within the radioactivity concentration limits after five years, but some samples from the wild animal meat and agricultural...
Australian plant-based firm Eighth Day Foods has developed a versatile plant-based meat alternative from sweet lupins, which it claims is ‘ideal for Asia’ via its specialised fermentation process.
Japan will need to place more focus on processed value-added foods and supply chain development beyond agricultural products if it wishes to hit its food exports target of JPY5tn (US$45.9bn) by 2030.
The Australian food industry has expressed relief at the government’s announcement of a three-year transition period for firms to comply with the new Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL) requirements, saying this is critical to mitigate cost impacts...
Philippines MNC Century Pacific is adopting parallel B2B/B2C retail plans for its new plant-based brand unMEAT, with a focus on simplicity and affordability as it eyes international markets from ASEAN to the Middle East.
Japanese supermarkets need to rapidly embrace contactless transactions and other measures to limit physical contact and maximise COVID-19 prevention, with consumers increasingly factoring in such services when choosing where to shop, say industry insiders...