Seafood

What duopoly? NZ’s Foodstuffs promises positive reforms as it slates ‘factual inaccuracies’ in national supermarket study

22-Dec-2021 By Pearly Neo

New Zealand’s Foodstuffs is fighting back against what it has deemed ‘factual inaccuracies’ in the national Commerce Commission’s recent finding that there is supermarket duopoly in the country, and has also promised to make several positive reforms.

Time for change: AI firm targets Japan’s ‘traditional’ seafood sector with traceability tech

21-Dec-2021 By Guan Yu Lim

Amid dire warnings for the future of Japan’s ‘traditional’ seafood industry, a Canadian artificial intelligence firm is seeking to launch its traceability tech in the country after winning a coveted trade contest.

Workers’ rights, climate change, food waste: Thai Union says still a long way to go in sustainability crusade

21-Dec-2021 By Pearly Neo

Seafood giant Thai Union has unveiled a raft of new sustainability initiatives, spanning employee rights, climate change and food loss, as it pledges to build on the high scores it received in the international Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

Permission to enter: Indonesia looks to tighten processed food import controls

15-Dec-2021 By Pearly Neo

Indonesia is looking to introduce new trade controls on imported processed foods including a revised application process subject to government approval as well as stricter mandatory shelf-life requirements.

Calling to the heart: How Nestle and Yeo’s ‘emotional’ digital strategies secured success

15-Dec-2021 By Pearly Neo

Branding experts spearheading successful Nestle and Yeo’s marketing campaigns amidst the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance for food and beverage brands to fulfil consumers’ emotional needs via digital strategies in order to ensure continued...

Be a ‘good ancestor’: Why tech alone won’t help Asia achieve food supply chain sustainability – APEC expert panel

08-Dec-2021 By Pearly Neo

New technology alone is not enough to improve APAC’s food supply chain, and sustainable solutions will only be found if both micro and small businesses, as well as ‘marginalised communities’ across the region, are brought into the fold.

‘Curbing an unhealthy trend’: China steps up anti-waste drive by turning attention to food firms as well as consumers

06-Dec-2021 By Pearly Neo

The Chinese government has stepped up its anti-waste agenda with firms across the supply chain being required to prevent food waste and conserve food through its so-called ‘Food Conservation Action Plan’.

MSG for plant-based products? Ajinomoto touts salt reduction and flavour enhancing abilities

06-Dec-2021 By Pearly Neo

Japan flavouring giant Ajinomoto believes that major growth opportunities lie ahead for the firm within the plant-based meat alternatives and ready-to-eat product sectors, where it believes MSG and other glutamate solutions can provide the required flavours...

Scrutinising imports: China launches mandatory overseas food manufacturer registration platform to tighten food safety

29-Nov-2021 By Pearly Neo

China recently launched its new online overseas food manufacturer registration platform, which is mandatory for all firms looking to export into the country from January, as official seek to improve monitoring and surveillance to ensure food safety.

Food trade in a post-COVID-19 world: More digitalisation and fewer trade barriers demanded by experts

24-Nov-2021 By Pearly Neo

An expert panel convened at the Asia Pacific Economic Council (APEC) has highlighted the need to help all firms, both large and small, to embrace digitalisation to ensure survival, and also called upon nations to ‘unwind’ on trade restrictions as soon...

‘Systematic switch’: Japan urges food manufacturers to finalise raw material origins labelling transition

23-Nov-2021 By Pearly Neo

Japan has urged all local food and beverage brands to ensure that processes are in place to transition to new origin of raw material rules, in order to keep operations running smoothly and avoid ‘disturbances’.

Food supply chain recovery: Sector crucial for economies to get back on track after pandemic pressures - APEC ministers

17-Nov-2021 By Pearly Neo

Top-ranking ministers from the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) have underlined that food supply chains and open trade in the region are crucial to boosting economic revival post-pandemic – but huge challenges persist around tariffs, protectionist...

From Coca-Cola to coffee: How food and beverage brands are using Bilibili to attract Gen Z consumers

15-Nov-2021 By Guan Yu Lim

Food and beverage brands are increasingly turning to Chinese video platform Bilibili to develop videos better catered to the country’s Gen Z audience, with many securing millions of views.

COVID-19 and imports: Sharp pricing and localisation strategies key for F&B brands to gain ASEAN entry

15-Nov-2021 By Pearly Neo

International food and beverage brands looking to gain a foothold in the ASEAN market via local distributors need to step up their game when pitching pricing and localisation strategies, as a new survey has revealed waning interest in new product launches.

That’s a wrap: Australia’s Dumpling 100 revamps decades-old recipe to tap Australia’s ‘trendy’ frozen foods sector

11-Nov-2021 By Pearly Neo

Australia-based Asian-style dumpling specialist firm Dumpling 100 has incorporated premiumisation and localisation trends into its decades-old traditional recipe to increase its appeal to consumers in the frozen food sector.

ASEAN food safety harmonisation: Codex standards best way forward for region to reach consensus – UNFAO expert

09-Nov-2021 By Pearly Neo

Employing the use of Codex standards is crucial to achieving consensus for food safety standards harmonisation within the South East Asian region, according to a food safety expert from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO).

‘Preventing harm’: South Korea treads fine line between meeting plastic waste goals and food safety fears

08-Nov-2021 By Pearly Neo

South Korea has unveiled new rules for using recycled material to make food packaging in an attempt to ‘prevent harm to the public’, while simultaneously pushing towards its 2030 plastic waste reduction goals.

‘Shackles off’: Japan lays out plant-based labelling rules for meat, dairy, egg and seafood alternatives

03-Nov-2021 By Pearly Neo

Japan has laid out regulations for the labelling of plant-based products, with observers suggesting they are industry-friendly and should not pose problems for brands.

Consumers calling: NZ government told to fix ‘broken’ supermarket system as parallels drawn to telecoms monopoly

02-Nov-2021 By Pearly Neo

The New Zealand government is under increased pressure to fix the country’s ‘broken’ supermarket system from both the food industry and consumer associations, both of which are demanding that the current duopoly be abolished and the market opened up in...

Shaving off the excess: China mandates food and cosmetics firms to limit excessive packaging and lower prices

02-Nov-2021 By Pearly Neo

China has issued new, stricter packaging regulations covering food and cosmetics products to prevent what has been dubbed the ‘excessive packaging’ phenomenon, citing a need to prevent unnecessary extra costs to consumers and impacts on the environment.

Insufficient speed and scale: Why nutrition shortcomings put United Nations’ 2030 sustainability goals at risk

01-Nov-2021 By Pearly Neo

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has highlighted that nutrition has emerged as one of the most pressing post-COVID-19 challenges to overcome for member nations to hit the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Encouraging reformulation: South Korea tightens food labelling standards for products with reduced sodium and sugar

27-Oct-2021 By Pearly Neo

South Korea has announced new, tighter standards for food firms looking to label their products as being reduced or lower in sodium or sugar, starting with the nation’s most-consumed food product, ramen.

One small step to space food production: Japan seeks firms to develop regenerative food supply system for space exploration

26-Oct-2021 By Pearly Neo

The Japanese government is searching for food firms and other institutions with the technology and insights to develop a regenerative food supply system for astronauts participating in the upcoming international space exploration program, the Artemis...

‘Big gap’ to address: Ajinomoto and Meiji call for harmonised and collaborative food regulations to tackle malnutrition

26-Oct-2021 By Pearly Neo

Japanese F&B giants Ajinomoto and Meiji have called for more harmonised food regulations planned in collaboration with the food industry address local malnutrition problems as well as ‘big gaps’ with international standards.

Tiny but mighty: Taiwan updates mandatory food labelling regulations down to smallest permitted pack sizes

25-Oct-2021 By Pearly Neo

Taiwan has updated local food labelling laws to mandate the inclusion of specific information on the ‘minimum sales units’ of prepackaged foods, as well as added provisions to allow for the use of electronic labelling.

Palm oil supply pain: Fears Indonesian output may not meet global demand as economies recover

25-Oct-2021 By Pearly Neo

Indonesia’s representative palm oil body GAPKI is concerned that it may not be able to produce enough of the commodity this year, given that added demand is expected as economies recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Salt reformulation struggles: China tops list for sodium levels in processed fish and meat products – new data

20-Oct-2021 By Gary Scattergood

China has topped the charts for the levels of salt (sodium) in processed meat and fish products in a five-country study, followed by the USA, South Africa, Australia and the UK.

‘Conflict of interest’: NZ food and grocery sector calls for restrictions on private label products

12-Oct-2021 By Pearly Neo

The New Zealand food and grocery industry has called for more restrictions to be placed on supermarkets’ private label products given the highly concentrated grocery retail market in the country, citing a potential ‘conflict of interest’ which could result...

‘Don’t be deterred’: Why South East Asia should be a food export priority, even as COVID-19 cases rise

11-Oct-2021 By Pearly Neo

Food and beverage brands with plans to expand or export into South East Asia should not be deterred by the region's current COVID-19 woes, as the rewards to be reaped for persistence will be worth the wait, according to experts.

Food safety first: China issues guidelines for near-expired foods after anti-waste law boosts sales

06-Oct-2021 By Pearly Neo

The Chinese government has published formal food safety and consumption guidelines for products nearing their expiry dates, after a recently-implemented anti-food waste law increased sales.

Making a comeback: Thailand hails food industry growth after COVID-19 slump – but urges firms to maintain vigilance

04-Oct-2021 By Pearly Neo

The Thai food industry has seen growth in both the manufacturing and export sectors so far in 2021 after overcoming last year’s pandemic slump – but the authorities are urging domestic food firms not to drop their guard yet.

Environmental decimation: Asia’s aquaculture industry needs to prioritise urbanisation and efficiency to avoid catastrophe

30-Sep-2021 By Pearly Neo

Asia’s aquaculture industry will need to focus on accelerating urbanisation and efficiency to continue to thrive as increasing environmental and disease challenges are threatening to decimate those left behind, according to an APEC expert.

Allergens and food poisoning fears: Is Australia’s food system as safe as the government’s reassurances?

27-Sep-2021 By Pearly Neo

The Australian food system is touted to be one of the safest in the world, but continued reports on major safety issues such as allergens and microbial contaminations are raising questions over whether more needs to be done to protect consumers.

Stellar production: South Korea’s CJ CheilJedang, Hite Jinro and Nongshim top national list for food manufacturing performance

21-Sep-2021 By Pearly Neo

The South Korean government has named domestic food and beverage manufacturing giants CJ Cheiljedang, Hite Jinro and Nongshim as the 2020 national top performers in terms of food production, whilst celebrating an overall increase in output amid COVID-19...

Domestic demand drop: Japan updates aquaculture strategy to focus on expanding exports and productivity

20-Sep-2021 By Pearly Neo

The Japanese government has revamped its national aquaculture strategy to focus on expanding seafood exports and boosting the productivity of select sectors such as shellfish and algae, after acknowledging that domestic demand will continue to drop.

‘Matchless versatility’: Why palm oil’s widespread prevalence in Asian food industry makes it irreplaceable for now

13-Sep-2021 By Pearly Neo

The use of palm oil in the Asian food industry has become so vast and commonplace due to its versatile applications in just about every finished food sector that it will be near-impossible to find another edible oil offering all of palm oil’s functionalities,...

‘Speed is everything’: Australian e-grocery looks to reinvent local e-commerce with 20-minute delivery promise

08-Sep-2021 By Pearly Neo

Australian online supermarket Geezy Go has big ambitions to reinvent local e-commerce in the country by committing to deliveries within 20 minutes or less, whilst also offering consumers the same product range as conventional supermarkets at more competitive...

Post-COVID-19 export challenges: Freight and marketing the biggest hurdles for food firms exporting into ASEAN

06-Sep-2021 By Pearly Neo

Freight costs and marketing challenges have emerged as two of the most major trade hurdles for food firms exporting to the ASEAN market as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with businesses advised to be extra cautious when selecting on-the-ground distribution...

Middle East Focus: IBFI's Star Signature premium soda, Emirati Coffee retail, food safety in Egypt and more feature in our round-up

31-Aug-2021 By Pearly Neo

IBFI's Star Signature premium soda, Emirati Coffee retail, food safety in Egypt and more feature in this edition of Middle East Focus

‘Per capita leader’: International food firms targeting South Korea’s booming e-commerce sector urged to localise

31-Aug-2021 By Pearly Neo

Foreign food companies looking to benefit from South Korea’s e-commerce boom are being advised to prioritise localisation to maximise reach, with the nation’s per capita online transactions having been revealed as the highest worldwide.

‘Voting with wallets’: Fonterra CEO urges industry to wise up to sustainability demands or consumers will walk away

30-Aug-2021 By Pearly Neo

Consumers across the food and beverage landscape will simply walk away from brands that merely pay lip service to sustainability concerns, argues Fonterra’s APAC CEO, who believes that many are already ‘voting with their wallets’.

Plant-based label war Down Under: Labelling battle heats up as alt protein and meat sectors clash over research

24-Aug-2021 By Pearly Neo

The battle over plant-based labelling in Australia is heating up with representatives from both the plant-based sector and the traditional meat sector coming up with their own research to prove their points.

FNA DEEP DIVE: FOOD SAFETY

Post-pandemic food safety: Mars, UN and Singapore government-backed body on strategies for success

20-Aug-2021 By Pearly Neo

From genomics to big data, and handheld devices to artificial intelligence, the food industry is awash with new innovations to improve food safety, as the sector seeks to assuage heightened consumer concerns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CSI seafood: Thai Union tapping DNA forensics for fish traceability and authentication

19-Aug-2021 By Pearly Neo

Seafood multinational giant Thai Union is using the principles of forensic science to prevent food fraud, leveraging on DNA technologies to provide traceability and authentication for its seafood products.

Science of safety: Singapore’s Future Ready Food Safety Hub outlines novel foods, agriculture and aquaculture focus

19-Aug-2021 By Guan Yu Lim

Singapore-based Future Ready Food Safety Hub, known as FRESH, will focus on novel foods, aquaculture and agriculture to support the nation’s food security goals and meet the needs of consumers.

Cell-based disruption: How many factories, and at what capacity, are required to supply 10% of the meat market?

13-Aug-2021 By Flora Southey

If the cultivated meat industry were to set the ambitious target of supplying 10% of the global meat market, how much product would be required? How many factories, containing how many bioreactors, would need to be built? And where?

Keep up: Novel food innovation outpacing regulatory frameworks and consumer communication

10-Aug-2021 By Guan Yu Lim

Novel food product development is rapidly outpacing regulation and consumer understanding, with experts calling for better communication and policy advances to ensure innovation leads to commercialisation.

‘New Northern’ targets: South Korea sets sights on Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan after record rise in food exports

10-Aug-2021 By Pearly Neo

South Korea has expanded its key food export target destinations to include ‘New Northern’ countries such as Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan after seeing record-setting sales of both fresh and processed food exports take off in the region.

Cost benefits not cutting through: Australians still not switching to healthier diets despite price benefits

09-Aug-2021 By Pearly Neo

Australian consumers are not shifting to more healthy diets, even when it is cheaper to do so, with a lack of time and ‘unhealthy food promotions’ the two main obstacles.

Healthier Choices: Plant-based and meat hybrid products, healthy snacking in Asia, China's first plant-based yoghurt brand and more feature in our round-up

05-Aug-2021 By Pearly Neo

Plant-based and meat hybrid products, healthy snacking in Asia, China's first plant-based yoghurt brand and more feature in this edition of Healthier Choices.