Convenience foods and snacks

Plant-based progress? Japan’s NEXT MEATS touts cleaner labels but better texture and taste

25-Apr-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Tokyo-based NEXT MEATS’s latest innovation claims to offer several advantages over existing plant-based products, including improved taste and texture despite minimal use of ingredients, and being ambient storage-friendly.

Fruity feature: Supplements firm Sainhall taps convenience and wellness trends to make healthy snacking comeback

24-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

Singaporean supplements firm Sainhall is making a comeback venture into the healthy snacking category with its DeeFruit fruit snacks range, looking to tap on the rising demands for convenience and well in the region.

FNA InnovATE: Flavours of Asia

Authentic Asia: Thai seasonings brand taps rise of at-home snacking to launch new retail range

24-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

Thai-based spice and seasonings specialist firm Nithi Foods hopes to tap the dual rising consumer demand for authentic Asian flavours and at-home snacking to grow its new range Kitchen Kitchen.

Food ‘refugees’ in Japan: Government survey reveals strong need to improve food access aid for elderly consumers

23-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

Close to 90% of municipalities in Japan need to improve accessibility to food for elderly consumers amid the country’s shift to an ageing population, according to new government data.

MAFRA Minister Exclusive Part I: Fermented and convenience foods to lead ‘Adventurous Table’ export strategy

23-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

The South Korean government’s launch of its national ‘Adventurous Table’ global food export strategy will be led by foods and beverages from the fermented and convenience categories, a senior minister has told FoodNavigator-Asia.

Novel foods and GM products enter Singapore regulatory spotlight to ‘formalise responsibility’

17-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is seeking public comment on draft regulations for the newly-coined ‘defined foods’ category, which will cover novel foods, genetically modified foods and insect-related foods.

Singapore-Saudi food bridge: Industry experts’ top tips for gaining entry and growing food business in the Middle East

16-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

Singapore food businesses looking to expand reach to the Middle East must be prepared with next-level persistence and a longer-than-average financial plan to succeed - but the returns can be tenfold, according to industry experts.

Digital development: Food brands play ‘critical role’ in shifting agrifood system towards modernisation and sustainability

15-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

Consumer-facing food and beverage brands play a ‘critical role’ in moving the Asia Pacific agrifood system towards digitalisation, organisation and long-term sustainability by influencing consumer purchasing decisions, say experts.

Snack spotlight: Mondelez survey finds satisfying nutritional needs to be a primary APAC snacking motivation

15-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

The latest edition of Mondelez’s annual State of Snacking report has found that consumers in many markets across APAC are turning to snacks as an important means of fulfilling nutritional needs.

Deforestation unrest: EU policy implementation hangs in the balance after industry pushback

10-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is facing major pushback from ministers and trade organisations within Europe, alongside continued pressure from palm oil producer nations in Asia, casting doubt on hopes for a smooth implementation.

‘Trash meat’ outcry: China regulators consider ready-to-cook foods regulation amid public furore

09-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

China regulators are considering subjecting the local ready-to-cook (RTC) foods category to additional mandatory standards and regulations in response to general public concerns over the food safety and quality.

Collaborative safety: Vietnam completes new digital food safety management system in partnership with South Korea

08-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

Vietnam has completed and recently launched its new digital food safety management system which was developed in partnership with South Korea, with a particular focus on food poisoning outbreak monitoring across the country.

‘Key shortfalls’ need to be addressed to protect children from high fat, salt, and sugar food marketing in India

03-Apr-2024 By Audrey Yow

New analysis of India’s regulatory framework for advertising foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) need to be overhauled to better protect children, academics have argued.

Pricing in trouble: Fonterra predicts volatile year ahead despite stellar China and consumer products performances

03-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra has predicted a volatile year ahead despite stellar performances from its China business and consumer product portfolios in the first half of the year, especially with milk prices expected to rise in the next few months.

Counterfeit countermeasures: Japan taps digital monitoring technology to crack down on fraudulent agri-food exports

02-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

The Japanese government is cracking down on counterfeit agri-food product exports protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) scheme with the use of digital monitoring technology.

Rapid recalls: Philippines to establish electronic recall system for non-compliant pre-packaged foods

01-Apr-2024 By Pearly Neo

The Philippines Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will establish a new electronic recall system for pre-packaged processed food products found to be in violation of domestic food safety regulations.

Bel Group CEO Exclusive Part II: Generational shift and convenience demand in APAC to propel cheese market

27-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

The APAC cheese sector is being driven by a generational shift in consumer demand for nutrition, affordability and convenience, all of which need to be met if the category is to fulfil its potential.

GMG’s frozen foods brand Farm Fresh diversifies into healthy snacking category to capture Zillennials

26-Mar-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

UAE conglomerate Gulf Marketing Group (GMG)’s frozen foods brand Farm Fresh has unveiled its latest growth strategy by shifting its focus to healthy snacks, specifically targeting “older Gen Zs and younger millennials”.

Clear and simple: Taiwan formalises requirements for nutrition claims language for prepackaged foods

26-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

Taiwan has finalised the labelling requirements when making nutrition claims for prepackaged foods, after completing two public consultations across more than two years of deliberation.

Wheat wakening: South Korea launches new strategy to boost domestic self-sufficiency rates

25-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

The South Korean government is implementing a new national strategy to boost wheat self-sufficiency and production capabilities, after several years of supply chain challenges.

Beyond fortification: Yili highlights clean label and high-protein demands from Chinese consumers

21-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

Dairy giant Yili says that clean label and high protein content are now just as important to Chinese consumers as fortification.

Not-so-sweet baby: Philippines congress could ban added sugar in foods for young children

19-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

Members of the Philippines government are calling for regulations that would officially ban manufacturers from using added sugar as an ingredient in foods for young children aged three and below.

New research linking ultra-processed food consumption with adverse health outcomes divides experts in Australia

19-Mar-2024 By Audrey Yow

New research linking ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption with a raft of adverse health outcomes has divided experts in Australia, with some using it to demand immediate policy action against food firms, and others stressing that high quality studies...

Bel Group CEO Exclusive Part I: APAC cheese success requires product innovation to be hyper-localised

18-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

Global cheese giant Bel Group believes that innovation in APAC requires hyper-localised strategies to see success, due to a wide variation in consumption habits across the region.

Sustainability snags: More support needed from APAC retailers to match brand efforts – experts

14-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

Retailers in APAC need to increase the support given to sustainability-focused food and beverage products in order to match brand initiatives and boost consumer awareness, say experts.

Diverse and dynamic: Changing taste and health considerations of Indian consumers driving snack evolution

13-Mar-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

India-based banana chips brand Beyond Snack has observed significant evolution of the branded snacks category in the local market, marked by a “discernible shift” towards health-consciousness, authenticity, and premiumisation.

Future Food Asia 2024

Inclusion and affordability: Why emerging Asian markets risk being sidelined in the sustainability agenda

12-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

Developing markets in Asia and Africa risk being sidelined in the efforts to create a more sustainable food system, unless inclusion and affordability are placed front and centre to improve nutrition.

Elevating efficiency: South Korea expands AI-based food imports screening to cover processed foods

12-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

South Korea is expanding its AI-based screening system SAFE-i24 to include processed food imports, in a bid to maintain food safety and quality while maximising efficiency particularly during peak seasons.

Sustainability and smallholder concerns: Palm oil producing nations question EU’s deforestation ‘workstream model’

12-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

Significant doubts remain as to whether the EU’s new deforestation workstream model will be sufficient to allay fears raised by palm oil producing nations, especially in relation to sustainability and smallholder farmers.

Plain and safe: New Zealand launches new industry food allergen labelling guidebook and checklists

07-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has launched a new food allergen labelling guidebook targeted at food and beverage manufacturers, importers and retailers to ease companies into newly-enforced regulatory requirements.

Misleading marketing: Taiwan sets harsher punishments for food firms violating advertising rules

06-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

Mainstream food and beverage firms flouting Taiwan advertising rules and regulations will now be subject to harsher punishments, with repeat offenders warned their businesses could be closed down.

Surimi sensation: Singapore’s DoDo pursues diversification beyond fishballs with snacking products

05-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

Singaporean surimi brand Dodo is looking to expand and diversify beyond its successful frozen foods business with the launch of its first surimi snacks range, which it believes has long-term mainstream potential.

Hassle-free healthy eating: Australia’s v2food eyes new avenues of growth through acquisition of ready meals brand

04-Mar-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Australia’s plant-based pioneer v2food is aiming to strengthen its position in the category through the acquisition of ready meals brand Soulara, with portfolio expansion and broadening sales channels as growth drivers.

Food safety investments: South Korea looks to boost local HACCP advancement

04-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

The South Korean government has plans to significantly boost the level of food safety assurance in the local food system by investing into facility and technological improvements for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) advancement.

Dual strategies: Nestle Malaysia hopes ‘core brand strength’ and local production can beat ‘subdued’ consumer sentiment

04-Mar-2024 By Pearly Neo

Nestle Malaysia believes that the strength of its core brands such as KitKat and Maggi, as well as the advantages of its large local production operations, will serve it well in overcoming current ‘subdued’ consumer sentiment in the country.

Dessert dive: India’s Epigamia bets on rising local demand for individuality to launch new single-serve RTE range

29-Feb-2024 By Pearly Neo

Indian dairy brand Epigamia believes that its new single-serve, ready-to-eat (RTE) desserts range will tap on rising local consumer demand for choice and individual preferences when it comes to sweet treats.

FNA InnovATE: Cleaner snacking

Smashing it: How Freshcourt is tapping health and RTE trends for avocado boom in Asia and Middle East

28-Feb-2024 By Pearly Neo

Increasing demand for heathier products coupled with manufacturing advances is giving pre-packaged avocado firm Freshcourt optimism to expand across Asia and the Middle East.

Pushing past pricing: Nestle targets premium and healthy ageing innovations to boost performance

27-Feb-2024 By Pearly Neo

Global food and beverage giant Nestle has its eye on expanding its premium and healthy ageing product portfolios as it seeks to return to ‘normalised’ growth.

News

Manufacturers remain optimistic in the face of cost pressures

26-Feb-2024 By Gwen Ridler

More than two thirds (68%) of food and drink businesses are optimistic about future growth, despite costs continuing to be a significant challenge, according to a survey by accountancy and business advisory firm Johnston Carmichael.

House of Pops touts portfolio extension, bigger market presence and contract manufacturing as key drivers for new stage of growth

26-Feb-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Dubai-based frozen desserts brand House of Pops has identified three key drivers to propel its next stage of growth, namely expansion of product line-up, increasing market presence, and offering of private label services.

‘No longer a niche’: Hunter Foods expands product line-up to meet healthy snacking demands while eyeing threefold growth

26-Feb-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Middle Eastern snacks firm Hunter Foods has expanded its product range and repackaged its best-sellers amid booming consumer demand, in a bid to stay ahead of rising competition in the category.

Removing labels: Nestlé urges a ‘more modest approach’ and greater focus on taste to spur plant-based development

22-Feb-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Food and beverage major Nestlé Professional claims there is a need to move away from marketing keywords such as “plant-based” and focus on elevating the taste of alternative protein products to boost “natural” uptake and sector growth.

Stricter and safer: China proposes new pre-packaged labelling standards mandating clearer ingredient and origin information

21-Feb-2024 By Pearly Neo

The Chinese government’s new draft regulations governing the labelling of pre-packaged foods and beverages contains stricter guidelines, including mandating manufacturers to include clearer information on compound ingredients as well as more country of...

‘Best year ever’: Mondelez sees cocoa inflation, political tensions as ongoing major challenges despite record profits

20-Feb-2024 By Pearly Neo

Confectionary giant Mondelez believes that inflation affecting cocoa and sugar, as well as ongoing political tensions in the Middle East are major challenges that it will need to overcome this year, despite having announced ‘record’ profits fror 2023.

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