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 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.
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.
New evidence suggests that brands and government need to scrap altruistic messaging about climate change and focus on health and culture to promote sustainable eating in Asia.
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.
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.
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.
The cultivated meat sector looks to be in for a long term of funding and growth uncertainty amidst a global ‘funding winter’, even in Singapore which many start-ups in the industry considered ‘the place to be’ from a regulatory and financial.
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.
Improved traceability procedures and an updated regulatory labelling system are urgently needed in China to prevent seafood fraud, according to new research
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.
Japanese officials and seafood exporters have joined forces to explore new overseas markets, with the sector still reeling from China’s import ban in the wake of the Fukushima wastewater release last year.
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.
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.
South Korea is to increase inspections and analysis of shellfish and egg products in order to cut down the risks of food poisoning outbreaks, most notably of norovirus and salmonella.
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.
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.
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...
The government of Vietnam has its eye on increasing food trade across various product categories with China, citing huge population demand for meat as well as ongoing successful fruit and vegetable trade relationships as notable drivers.
China-based Evergreen Food has developed a huge portfolio of convenience-focused ready-to-use seafood products in a bid to expedite exports of local seafood dishes that would usually be too complicated to prepare without expertise.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has highlighted that cultivated meat still needs to meet a ‘more rigorous’ set of requirements to be halal-certified, even though it has been deemed potentially permissible for halal consumption.
Digitalisation in seafood needs to be implemented consistently across the entire supply chain, and not just aquaculture, in order to avoid the risks of lopsided growth and diminished efficiency, according to industry experts.
Food industry experts in Thailand remain optimistic over the potential of plant-based meat in the country despite slower-than-expected uptake, citing hybrid innovation as one of the growth opportunities.
The Indonesian government is revising food packaging regulations in response to consumer and academic concerns over the presence of dangerous chemicals entering the food supply chain.
Brands in South Korea have been compelled to submit product nutritional information, which the government has used to update its national food database for processed goods.
Major Japanese brands Ajinomoto and Meiji have highlighted how efficient inventory management will be key to reduce food waste throughout their supply chains, as part of their commitment to the national Food Loss Reduction Declaration.
We take a closer look at five of the top trends that look set to shape the Asia Pacific food and beverage industry in 2024, from the newly-emerged ‘premium affordability’ to the evolution of plant-based protein, the rise of RTD beverages and more.
From the hotly-debated EU Deforestation Regulation to increasing governmental scrutiny over pre-packaged and processed food nutritional labelling and packaging, FoodNavigator-Asia brings you five of this year’s need-to-know regulatory updates for 2024.
A plant-based diet may have the potential to lower the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during pregnancy, according to researchers in Fujian Province, China.
The food and beverage sector will need to focus on making more ‘immediate’ changes beyond just creating a novel protein supply in order to address sustainability and overall supply chain challenges, according to industry experts.
Japan has set up a physical anti-counterfeit consultation desk in Thailand to fight against a rising number of food and agriculture products claiming to be of Japanese origin.
Insights from Tokyo Toyosu Wholesale Market have helped form a comprehensive study on how COVID-19 affected seafood prices in Japan, providing implications for future policies during a pandemic.
There is an urgent need for real-time global monitoring of food fraud in order to protect public health and the global economy, say experts in Thailand.
Italy’s government has announced the passing of a bill banning the production and marketing of cultivated meat. The measures, which also restrict labelling for plant-based products, aim to protect Italy’s traditional food culture.
Middle Eastern food and beverage heavyweight Agthia has pledged to focus more investment into the digitalisation of its business as well as the creation of new snacking innovations in order to sustain the positive growth and profitability seen in the...
The Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) has launched a new version of its food safety platform in the local Hindi language in an effort to increase domestic food firm understanding and compliance of local regulations.
Affordability and accessibility are just as important as product innovation if food firms are going to help meets Asia’s nutritional needs, in a region that is still beset by childhood stunting and rising rates of obesity and diabetes.
New Japanese government data has revealed that the country could be close to achieving its goal of having 80% of the population simultaneously aware of, and taking action against, food waste.
Precision fermentation firms in the Asia Pacific region need to move beyond a technology focus to prioritise scaling up and commercialisation or risk facing major ‘bottleneck’ challenges when demand increases.
World-first liquid shio koji brand Hanamaruki has big plans to ride on the growing umami and wellness trends in South East Asia, after seeing success in western and East Asian markets.
Grocery e-commerce platform giant RedMart is seeing health and sustainability trends increasingly driving the purchasing decisions of consumers in Singapore, inspiring the firm to focus its own in-house product innovations on these factors.
The South Korean government has set its sights on partnerships with the ministries of multiple Latin American countries to establish the region as its next major trade partner in terms of food exports.
The nutritional value of plant-based meats is limited by lack of key micronutrients, although they contain significantly less saturated fat, indicates an assessment of products on the Hong Kong market.
Although efforts show progress on plastic pollution is possible, the world is ‘not on course’ to eliminating plastic waste and pollution, stresses the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Asia Pacific consumers are increasingly demanding a combination of affordability, health and tastiness when making their food and beverage purchasing decisions, driving the rise of what is known as the ‘and’ consumer.
Japan’s decision to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear disaster could have far-reaching impacts for the APAC seafood sector, especially in terms of negative consumer perception and overall confusion.
Chinese 3D food printing firm MOODLES believes that this technology needs to be efficiently incorporated into the production of personalised nutrient-rich staple foods that consumers will eat on a daily basis if the sector wants to grow locally.
Hybrid innovation with meat and plant-based ingredients, affordability and a focus on the needs of flexitarians is needed to boost the protein sector in APAC over the long-term.