Seafood

Brand New: Thai Union, Suntory, Nestle India and more big names feature in our round-up

28-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

Thai Union, Suntory, Nestle India and more big names feature in this edition of Brand New.

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.

Blue is the new green: New Thailand policies a boost to ‘Blue Finance’ sustainability sector – Thai Union

24-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

Recent changes in Thailand’s sustainability-linked financing rules are set to deliver a boost to the ‘Blue Finance’ sector, which is good news for firms dabbling in this area such as seafood heavyweight Thai Union.

‘E-commerce not a luxury’: Alibaba and Dubai government project looks to boost Middle East F&B exports

19-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is establishing Dubai’s first e-commerce pavilion on its platform with the backing of local trade authority Dubai Industries and Exports, urging Middle Eastern food firms to hop on board and boost exports to China and...

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.

Expelling excessive packaging: China includes more food categories to slash waste

19-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

China has expanded efforts to eliminate excessive packaging with rules now covering more food categories, in addition to implementing a multi-ministerial governance system to regulate the supply chain.

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.

Towards a green food system: Japan urges food industry cooperation after sluggish sustainability support

05-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

The Japanese government has called on local food businesses and producers to co-operate more closely with local authorities and basic regional sustainability plans so the national Green Food System Strategy will hit its 2030 and 2050 targets.

NutraChampion podcast episode 34

Innovation opportunity: Newly crowned NutraChampion sees huge scope to cater to Thailand’s ageing population

03-Oct-2022 By Tingmin Koe

Like several Asian countries, Thailand is experiencing a greying population. While interest in healthy ageing is high, the level of innovation for this category of products remains relatively low.

Weather the storm? Why Asia food MNCs could face major challenges in sustainable packaging conversion

26-Sep-2022 By Pearly Neo

Major food and beverage firms in Asia looking to make the transition to sustainable packaging have their work cut out, not only due to the widely-acknowledged climate challenges, but also hurdles in their current shelf life commitments and supply chain...

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...

Expanding exports: Japan eyes Vietnam as latest major hotspot for food products

21-Sep-2022 By Pearly Neo

Japan has set its sights on Vietnam as a potential major destination for its food exports and has set up a specialised export platform in the country to back existing and would-be traders.

Conscious costing: How Aussie supermarkets can tweak pricing, products and e-commerce strategies to tackle inflation

14-Sep-2022 By Pearly Neo

Major Australian supermarkets have been urged to refocus their pricing, product and e-commerce strategies to fulfil consumer demands for affordable products and convenient shopping, as inflation rockets.

Stepping up safety: CP Foods reveals three new business sustainability strategies

14-Sep-2022 By Pearly Neo

Food and beverage major CP Foods has identified the strengthening of its water management, food safety standards and healthy product innovation as key strategies to help the company with its business sustainability ambitions.

‘There’s going to be a lot of burnt capital…’ Navigating the ‘hand-wringing phase’ of alt meat investment

12-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

The long-term imperative driving meat alternatives is clear: We only have one planet, with a growing population and finite resources, and raising animals to feed them all just takes up too many of them, says Tom Mastrobuoni, chief investment officer at...

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.

Doubling down on duopoly: New Zealand food industry backs move to mandate wholesale negotiations for grocers

05-Sep-2022 By Pearly Neo

The New Zealand food and grocery sector has given a wholehearted welcome to the government’s latest move mandating major supermarkets to negotiate wholesale rates when selling groceries to their competitors.

From zero to US$30m: Thai Union’s high hopes for plant-based OMG Meat over next three years

05-Sep-2022 By Pearly Neo

Thai Union has outlined ambitious goals for its in-house plant-based meat and seafood range OMG Meat over the next three years, including for its alternative protein sector to be bringing in US$30mn of revenue by 2025.

Food fingerprinting future: ProfilePrint targets global food standards provider role after industry heavyweight support

01-Sep-2022 By Pearly Neo

Singapore-based food technology firm ProfilePrint believes it has the capability to establish global standards for the food industry using its digital food fingerprint technology, on the back of partnerships with five of the food and beverage industry's...

Plant power: Asian plant-based start-up scene expected to grow 25% by 2025

31-Aug-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

The Asian plant-based protein start-up scene is geared to grow 25% by 2025 as more Asians look into flexitarian diets and firms region-wide strive to develop products better suited to their palate.

Asian appeal: Bluu Seafood pledges region-specific cultivated fish products

30-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

European cultivated fish product firm Bluu Seafood has highlighted its plans for region-specific product innovation in the Asia Pacific region, in the wake of its first product announcement and bid for regulatory approval in Singapore.

Driving discounts: Major South Korea retailers urged to cooperate with government to stabilise food prices

29-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

Five of South Korea’s biggest retail chains have been urged to cooperate with the government in efforts to stabilise local food prices, with the nation’s biggest festival Chuseok around the corner.

Food supply woes: Japan’s food self-sufficiency goals suffer setback after 2021 rate hits decade-low

24-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

Japan’s longstanding ambitions to boost its food self-sufficiency rates by 2030 has suffered a major setback after government data revealed it has dropped to its lowest value in a decade.

China COVID-19 updates: 'Low-risk’ food imports that test positive for virus allowed, but frozen items still in the cold

23-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

China has relaxed entry rules for ‘low risk’ food and beverage imports that ‘test positive’ for COVID-19, citing the virus’ short survival time on packaging surfaces.

Why COP27 is a ‘critical turning point’ to connect nutrition and climate change

22-Aug-2022 By Katy Askew

The United Nations will host its 27th Climate Change Conference in a matter of months. As leaders gear up for COP27 in Egypt, food industry experts want to see an increased focus on food system resilience and transformation. Here’s why.

Food additive levels in South Korea’s ‘children-preferred’ processed foods at acceptable levels - government study

18-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

A new South Korean government study has concluded that the levels of additives in processed foods designed for kids are safe for consumption.

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.

Watermark for food: Natural Trace looks to solve traditional food traceability issues with in-product tagging tech

17-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

Singapore traceability technology firm Natural Trace believes it has pioneered a world-first category of in-product tagging based on DNA markers integrated directly within food and beverage products, creating a watermark of sorts that could solve traceability...

Hot targets: South Australia food export strategy to focus on seven major APAC markets over next five years

09-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

South Australia’s Food and Beverage Five Year Export Strategy will focus on 10 priority markets over the next five years till 2027, with seven of these centred within the Asia Pacific region.

Big stride: Shiok Meats confirms 2023 commercial launch plans as cultivated shrimp reaches US$50/kg milestone

09-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

Cultivated seafood pioneer Shiok Meats has revealed that its production costs have now dropped to the coveted US$50/kg milestone, bringing it even closer to realising its commercial launch plans by the end of 2023.

Alaskan appeal: Pioneering salmon jerky firm looking to make inroads in Singapore market

03-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

Pioneering premium salmon jerky firm UFisheries has its eye on entering the Singapore market, and is particularly targeting female consumers.

FNA DEEP DIVE: SEAFOOD

Waves of change: Thai Union, CP Foods, Shiok Meats and OmniFoods on meeting Asia’s seafood demand

03-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

From sustainability advances to embracing alternative production methods, major players Thai Union and CP Foods, plus alt-protein pioneers Shiok Meats and OmniFoods have shared their exclusive insights on how the industry can meet Asia’s seemingly insatiable...

Pioneering production: Pilot plants key for APAC cultivated seafood sector to bridge research-manufacturing gap

02-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

Pioneering cultivated seafood firms in the APAC region are now establishing individual pilot production plants to work on bridging the gap between laboratory R&D and manufacturing, in the industry’s next big step towards mass commercialisation.

‘Transforming recycling’: New Zealand food sector pushes for clearer on-pack labelling

01-Aug-2022 By Pearly Neo

The New Zealand food and grocery sector says that clearer on-pack labelling denoting packaging recyclability is crucial if the government’s latest eco initiatives are to succeed.

Colourful cooking for kids: Dumpling 100 aims to fulfil visual and nutritional appeal with MSG-free range

28-Jul-2022 By Pearly Neo

Australian dumpling specialist firm Dumpling 100 has launched a multicoloured, MSG-free children’s range, through which it aims to capture kids’ attention at mealtimes, as well as appealing to parents via its ingredients list.

Securing Indonesia’s food safety: Government tightens rules for heavy metal contamination in processed foods

27-Jul-2022 By Pearly Neo

The Indonesian government has announced new, more rigorous regulations to control heavy metal contamination in processed foods within the local food supply, in response to rising consumer concerns.

Cybercrime in food: Five-step plan for Australian firms to tackle ‘increasingly sophisticated’ security risks

26-Jul-2022 By Pearly Neo

Australian food and beverage firms have been urged to implement a new five-step to-do list endorsed by the National Australian Bank to minimize their risk of financial and data security losses in the light of ‘increasingly sophisticated’ cyberattacks.

Cultivated seafood start-up targets ‘fleshy’ tilapia species for mass disruption: ‘Our cell-based fish will be better than the original’

25-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

E-FISHient Protein is developing raw material for fish cutlets, fish fingers, and fish balls, with plans to do the same for fish fillet, the start-up’s CEO Dana Levin tells FoodNavigator.

‘Pressure to perform’: Thai Union on how it hopes to raise credibility of sustainability initiatives - Exclusive

25-Jul-2022 By Pearly Neo

Seafood major Thai Union has taken the unprecedented step of partnering with NGO Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) and opening up its entire supply chain for auditing under the body’s internationally recognized Seafood Metrics system, to boost the...

Promotion drive: Japan gears up for marketing campaign to promote food products in UK

20-Jul-2022 By Pearly Neo

Japanese food firms in regions affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster will be ‘greatly encouraged’ by the UK’s abolition of all import restrictions, with trade officials now preparing a significant marketing push to promote food and beverage sales.

Tough act: Alternative protein sector must tackle affordability, accessibility to meet global protein demand

06-Jul-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

Price and distribution are the two most prominent challenges the alternative sector will have to overcome if it wants to meet the global protein demand.

Ten-year trends: CP Foods touts convenience, alt protein and safety as key purchase drivers for next decade

04-Jul-2022 By Pearly Neo

Food and beverage MNC Charoen Pokphand Foods (CP Foods) has highlighted food safety, convenience and alternative proteins as major industry trends set drive consumer purchasing decisions in the next decade.

Diversifying sources: Global seafood firm Thai Union on rationale for microalgae omega-3 strategy

23-Jun-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

Global seafood giant Thai Union says it is placing a significant focus on microalgae omega-3, besides its usual marine sources, as it seeks to diversify its ingredients business.

Green is gold: Mondelez on why sustainability leads to economic profitability for food industry

21-Jun-2022 By Pearly Neo

Global snacking giant Mondelez says sustainability in business operations is much more important to food and beverage companies to achieve economic profitability than popular opinion currently dictates, urging firms to think in the long-term.

Mighty mushroom: Mycoprotein touted as future of protein due to flavour, nutrition and sustainability credentials

15-Jun-2022 By Pearly Neo

Asia’s first mycoprotein technology firm Mycovation believes that its products are the true future of alternative protein, with the firm touting its flavour, nutrition and sustainability credentials.

COVID-19 contamination: Frozen food can carry virus, claims Chinese public health authority study

14-Jun-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

Frozen food from meat- and poultry-processing plants or markets can be contaminated with the COVID-19 virus, according to a new paper published by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC).

Double trouble: Asian women bearing the brunt of double burden of malnutrition – The Lancet

14-Jun-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

Women in seven South and South East Asian countries urgently need nutritional intervention and monitoring to battle the double burden of malnutrition (DBM).

Manufacturers pay? Foodstuffs NZ cuts prices to win consumer favour but industry says brands could count the cost

07-Jun-2022 By Pearly Neo

New Zealand’s food and grocery sector says manufacturers could end up footing bill after one of the nation’s largest chains Foodstuffs cuts prices to win back consumer – and likely government – favour.

Safeguarding supplies: Annual food recalls drop from 109 to 80 in Australia in 2021

01-Jun-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

Food recalls in Australia dropped last year from 109 to 80, according to new data released by the regulator Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

Democratising cultured meat: Japan’s Integriculture pushes co-culture tech to reduce costs

01-Jun-2022 By Pearly Neo

Japanese cultured meat firm Integriculture has highlighted its co-culture technology as one of the fastest ways to bring down the cost of cellular agriculture and allow more F&B industry players to become part of the cultured meat sector.