Traditional and staple foods

UK trade body calls for more support on environment

23-May-2012 By Rod Addy

Channels for UK food industry funding for environmental projects could be improved, according to Andrew Kuyk, director of the Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF’s) sustainability and competitiveness division.

Thai food giant to tap West African noodles market

18-May-2012 By Ankush Chibber

In a first, a Thai food major is taking its operations across the Indian Ocean to Africa, hoping to capitalise both on available resources and rising consumption in the region.

Bread and noodle demands outstretch Japan's wheat capabilities: Ministry report

18-May-2012

Demand for bread and ramen noodle products made with domestic wheat varieties is growing in Japan but the country needs to invest in its weak local production of the grain, government institute says.

The GM rice problem: Food fraud from China?

07-May-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Genetic modification is an on-going problem in Asia’s basmati rice network and it is a problem that importers need to be vigilant in curbing, according to an industry expert.

Hot Potato: Acrylamide concerns in New Zealand

02-May-2012 By Ankush Chibber

A New Zealand report has found varied acrylamide concentrations in particular foods, with potato-based foods the worst offenders.

Chinese agricultural firm carves new FMCG product line

30-Apr-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Shanxi-based Deyu Agriculture has developed a new line of MSG-free, easy-cook noodles that will enable it to delve into an unknown yet lucrative fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector in China.

Instant value with healthy, non-MSG noodles in China

23-Apr-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Developing non-MSG, better-for-you instant noodles will surge market value in China’s commoditised market sector, according to Mintel research director.

Natural colours suit Asia’s dietary heritage: CEO of Chr Hansen

19-Apr-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Chr Hansen recorded an 11% surge in sales across Asia Pacific in its H1 results, with natural colours proving strong for business; underpinned by a cultural dietary heritage favouring healthy food choice, according to CEO of the company.

McCain wants to stay local, grow local in India

16-Apr-2012 By Ankush Chibber

Aiming to garner a higher share of the Indian ready-to-eat (RTE), frozen foods markets, McCain Foods is further strengthening its product range to cater to Indian tastes and sensibilities.

Indian state drives first nail in Gutkha’s coffin

06-Apr-2012 By Ankush Chibber

The central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has become the first to ban the sale and manufacture of Gutkha products, the traditional and increasingly controversial form of edible tobacco.

Arrests and crackdown in China over rotten meat-tainted cooking oil

05-Apr-2012 By Kacey Culliney

A vast, gang-led network of illegal cooking oil producers has been cracked by Chinese authorities following a five month investigation, with more than 3,200 tonnes of rotten-animal waste oil seized.

Hindustan Unilever champions India’s push towards CSPO

29-Mar-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Indian food giant Hindustan Unilever (HUL) is driving wider industry take-up and certification of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) via Green Palm certification.

Indian government may remove controls on wheat exports

22-Mar-2012 By Ankush Chibber

India may soon see a final policy move that would lead to the government stepping back and removing its controls on the exports of wheat products, a move that until now has been a utopian dream for local farmers and millers.

Nestlé invests S$5.5m to drive product development in Singapore

20-Mar-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Nestlé will invest S$5.5m in its Singapore R&D centre to expand activities in development of products such as coffee mixes and malted beverages for both the Asian and global markets.

BASF in bid to drive innovative, sustainable food production in Asia

19-Mar-2012 By Kacey Culliney

BASF Crop Protection said it is aiming to solve the supply-demand imbalance as well as boost quality of Asian agriculture by driving use of fungicides, educating farmers and joining forces with food producers in the region.

Bird’s nest exports still not back on track

19-Mar-2012

Malaysia’s efforts to get its lucrative business of edible bird’s nests exports to China back on track has hit a roadblock as very few of the manufacturers registering under the new norms.

Thailand: The new ‘frontier’ of CSPO production

13-Mar-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Malaysia and Indonesia are renowned as strong production players in the certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) market but Thailand is emerging as the new frontier in Asia Pacific, according to the secretary general of RSPO.

Enzymes and yeast extracts strong drivers for ABF Ingredients in China

13-Mar-2012 By Kacey Culliney

UK-based ABF Ingredients is manufacturing yeast extracts in China and targeting the enzyme market, as it has superior growth rates in these two specialities, according to the CEO of the company.

Amazon bans sales of shark, whale and dolphin meat

13-Mar-2012

Amazon has prohibited the sale of shark, whale and dolphin food products from its Japanese site and placed an explicit warning on its main site,  in response to ongoing pressure from environmental groups.

Courts slams Indian regulator over pesticide monitoring

08-Mar-2012 By Ankush Chibber

A top court in India has come down hard on the country’s food safety regulator over its claims that there is a robust system to monitor the presence of pesticides in food products.

China and India targeted to close the supply-demand gap of certified sustainable palm oil

06-Mar-2012 By Kacey Culliney

China and India, the two largest consumer markets for palm oil, will be targeted by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) to take-up certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) in a bid to close the stark gap between the supply and demand of this global...

Gutkha ban imminent in India

27-Feb-2012 By Ankush Chibber

Indian’s health ministry is all set to ban gutkha, pan masala, and other edible forms of tobacco on the basis of a ruling last year by the country’s Supreme Court.

WFP backs Cambodian and Bangladeshi fortified rice programmes

23-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

The World Food Programme (WFP) operates on many fronts, with many initiatives, but it’s core remains the same – to better the nutritional inputs of the world’s neediest people. Significant advances in fortified rice technology are set to see those goals...

Calls for a ban on gutkha in India increase

16-Feb-2012 By Ankush Chibber

Calls for a ban on gutkha in India have intensified after a recent spree of inspections by a food safety watchdog found traces of toxins in samples.

Thai sugar giant secures majority stake in Aussie mill

13-Feb-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Thai sugar company, Mitr Phol, has secured a majority stake of 57.69% in Australian sugar mill MSF for A$300m, racking up the total foreign investment in Australia’s sugar production to over 60%.

Vietnamese rice maker gets organic certification

07-Feb-2012 By Ankush Chibber

A rice maker Vietnam has claimed to become the first such company in the country to receive an organic certification for its rice product.

Water management in India – is it your problem?

06-Feb-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Food and beverage manufacturers will have a key role to play in water management and food security across India as the projected impacts of climate change take hold across agricultural land, finds a new study.

Salt tolerant rice for Tsunami soils ready within two years

23-Jan-2012 By Kacey Culliney

A method for marker-assisted breeding, conceived in 2009 through a collaborative research project between the UK and Japan, is now focused on developing rice breeds tolerant to salt-sodden Japanese soils following the Tsunami last year.

India to reduce trans fats in vanaspati oils

19-Jan-2012 By Ankush Chibber

In an attempt to combat the sharp rise in obesity-related ailments in India, the national government is planning to reduce trans fatty acid (TFA) content in vanaspati oil over the next couple of years.

Malaysia to resume bird’s nest exports to China

16-Jan-2012 By Ankush Chibber

Almost half a year after China banned the import of edible bird’s nests from Malaysia due to nitrite contamination, Malaysian exporters will finally get back to work under new regulations.

Pest plagues drive Asian insecticide marketing crackdown

05-Jan-2012 By Kacey Culliney

Unregulated insecticide marketing in Asia is driving overuse and misuse by farmers leading to widespread pest infestations and damaging millions of tonnes of rice each year, according to industry experts.

Sudan 4 found in India-made chilli powder product

05-Jan-2012 By Ankush Chibber

A chilli spice product manufactured in India and exported to the Middle East has been found to be contaminated with a potentially carcinogenic toxin.

Thailand to help farmers ramp up rice production

08-Dec-2011 By Jennifer Phang

The recent deluge of rain in Thailand will not hamper overall rice production in 2011 as farmers will be aided by the National Science and Technlology Development Agency (NSTDA) to increase rice production with better quality seeds.

Global sustainable rice scheme launched

05-Dec-2011 By Kacey Culliney

An international system has been launched that will establish environmental standards for sustainable rice production in a bid to increase rice yields.

FSANZ body calls for submission on GM corn line application

01-Dec-2011 By Ankush Chibber

The trans-Tasman food standards watchdog has called for submissions on an application to change the Food Standards Code to allow food derived from a genetically modified (GM) corn line to be sold in the region.

Rice shipments halted from Fukushima, Japan

24-Nov-2011 By Kacey Culliney

Distribution of rice cultivated in the Fukushima prefecture has been restricted following the detection of unsafe levels of radioactive contamination found in samples harvested this season.

Indonesia: strongest Southeast Asian food and agribusiness market

21-Nov-2011 By Kacey Culliney

A Rabobank report released last week claims Indonesia will lead Southeast Asian growth over the next decade, based on global demand for key commodities and stable domestic needs.

Thai floods will have minimal impact on global rice market, according to industry expert

18-Oct-2011 By Kacey Culliney

The severe flooding in Thailand is merely a second blow to its already unsteady rice market, an industry expert has said.

McCain going local and affordable with frozen foods in India

06-Oct-2011 By Ankush Chibber

A fast changing Indian market, which is being boosted by rising income levels, has opened up the ready-to-eat, frozen foods segment in the country for players like McCain Foods India.

New product network to take Malaysian foods to Singapore, UAE

27-Sep-2011 By Ankush Chibber

A new Malaysian initiative will set up a new food product network that will take locally made food products to overseas markets, according to Malaysia’s Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA).

Malaysia sets new rules for edible bird's nest exporters after China fiasco

15-Sep-2011 By Ankush Chibber

Malaysia has introduced new regulation to govern the export of edible bird's nests from the country to China, where incidents of contamination were reported last month by quality regulators.

Chinese company targets non-GM markets

12-Sep-2011 By Ankush Chibber

A Chinese food company is betting on a new processing method for non-GM soybeans, to break into new markets in Asia and Europe.

Japanese scientists to breed rice resilient to radioactive cesium

05-Sep-2011 By Kacey Culliney

In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japanese scientists from the Fukushima Agricultural Technology Centre are working towards a potential solution for the future of Japanese rice farmers – a strain of rice resilient to cesium absorption.

Breeding rice for India: Quality, quantity and regional tastes

01-Sep-2011 By Kacey Culliney

Improving rice yields is a major challenge in India today but a high quality grain needs to be a key focus of rice breeding efforts, according to a spokesperson at Bayer CropScience.

Indian rice will have to be certified beetle-free to go to US

29-Aug-2011 By Ankush Chibber

A new regulation in India would mean that exporters of rice products to the US will have to get a new pest-free certification for them, an official at the government's food exports body said.

En route to rice self-sufficiency? Agricultural growth in Philippines up 5.5%

26-Aug-2011 By Kacey Culliney

The Philippines wants to be self-sufficient in rice and corn by 2013 and the 5.5% agricultural growth in the first half of 2011 could mark a positive start, according to the country’s agricultural secretary.

Consumer mistrust in Japan as rice is found with radioactive cesium

25-Aug-2011 By Kacey Culliney

Independent Japanese inspectors have found the first case of radioactive contamination in a sample of rice since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant accident five months ago, on March 11.

China finds nitrite in edible bird's nests from Malaysia

25-Aug-2011 By Ankush Chibber

A new food safety scandal has broken out in China over reports of contamination of edible bird's nests imported from Malaysia.

Petition filed in NZ against tax on food products

25-Aug-2011 By Ankush Chibber

A petition filed in the New Zealand Parliament on August 16 challenges the Goods and Services Tax (GST) levied on food in the country; a tax that was first levied in the 1980s.

Gutkha, tobacco products face ban in India

23-Aug-2011 By Ankush Chibber

The passing of the new food safety act in India earlier this month has knelled a death bell for gutkha and tobacco-chewing products like pan masala and supari in the country after a long drawn out battle in courts.