The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has assured food firms dealing in ‘vegan by default’ products that they do not need to have the new national vegan logo displayed on their products and need not undergo the certification process...
Thailand-based food giant CP Foods has committed to further improve its food safety and sustainability initiatives in 2023 on the back of a successful 2022 financial year, but also plans to proceed with more caution due to ongoing challenges spanning...
New Zealand’s market for pea protein will grow 10-fold in the next decade, with key sectors being sports nutrition, infant formula, and plant-based dairy and meat alternatives, according to a report from trade officials.
Japanese food tech company DAIZ is accelerating efforts to broaden its portfolio of meat-alternative applications, which have already been adopted by a number of high-profile domestic players.
Consumer demand for alternate proteins is unlikely to end up growing at a uniform rate due to local dietary differences, much of which will still prioritise animal protein in the long run, according to an expert panel.
Food and beverage packaging giant Tetra Pak has highlighted the areas of value-added dairy and sustainable innovation as major drivers for its business growth in Oceania in the coming year.
Aleph Farms aims to become the world’s first halal-certified cultivated meat producer, as it ramps up production capabilities for the commercial launch of its cultivated steak in Asia this year, while also laying eyes on global expansion.
Plant-based brands in South East Asia need to step up their game by integrating unique health and localisation features to stand out in the increasingly crowded market, according to a Philippines brand blazing a trail in the sector.
Creating a sustainable food supply to meet population demands will require more than just a focus on growing the alternative proteins sector despite its current hype, according to industry experts.
Hemp Foods Australia hopes to create higher value products in the functional food space, as well as targets expansion in New Zealand, Japan, and the United States.
The plant-based space is nowhere near hitting the premium space yet, with affordability fundamental in driving demand amid deepening consumer economic concerns, says Thai Union.
Organisers of the Future Food Asia (FFA) Awards 2023 have revealed a whole new awards track targeting start-ups based outside APAC, hoping that this will bring more expertise and technologies into the region.
Manufacturers of plant-based seafood need to ensure they get the sensory experience right if the sector hopes to reach the scope and consumer acceptance that other plant-based meat alternatives have achieved, according to Thai Union.
Singapore plant-based egg firm OnlyEg believes that 2023 will be the year for the plant-based egg sector to shine in APAC given the technological advances that have been made, as well as the food safety and nutritional benefits.
South Korea has emerged as the latest Asian market looking at the development of food standards to govern the alternative protein products sector, proposing specific requirements to ensure food safety and quality management during manufacturing.
Minimal processing and healthier formulation is key to achieving plant-based success in Asia, where health drivers trump sustainability concerns, according to a Thai brand that is blazing a trail in the category.
Singapore firm Nurasa is seeking to drive innovation in alternative proteins and nutritional options available to the seniors on the back of an ageing population in Singapore.
Brands manufacturing plant-based products in the APAC region have highlighted format innovation as a crucial factor in bringing down costs to a level that can satisfy local consumer demands in the short-to-mid term.
Perfect Day is teaming up with big players like Nestle and Unilever to broaden the applications of its whey protein, while leading new innovations through precision fermentation.
China plant-based meat brand Haofood believes that the versatility and affordability of its peanut-based products, as well as its clean labels, are key to attracting domestic consumers to the category.
Cultivated meat pioneers GOOD Meat believes a stronger ecosystem and more collaboration is needed to convince the wider industry and consumers of its transformative potential.
New Zealand’s Opo Bio is seeking to help cultivated meat firms cut out a large portion of the initial legwork needed to procure and develop suitable cell lines, believing that this will take help encourage commercialisation and target the mainstream market.
Beverage giant Vitasoy believes that oat milk is set to be an important avenue of growth for the company across multiple APAC markets including China, Oceania and the Philippines.
Cultivated meat pioneer Mosa Meat says it is still working to get full regulatory approvals to retail its cultivated meat in Singapore, despite the signing of a manufacturing agreement with Esco Aster for production in the Asian trade hub.
The cultivated products sector still has a long road ahead in many markets in terms of regulatory processes, but this thorough vetting will lay a strong foundation of food safety and quality that will eventually yield benefits in terms of consumer trust...
Precision fermentation specialist Perfect Day has completed its acquisition of Indian firm Sterling Biotech Limited (SBL) – which will double its production capability in the near-term - and secured the green light from the Food Safety and Standards Authority...
Plant-based brands need to slash salt levels by adopting a similar ‘reduce and replace’ strategy used by the sugar-sweetened beverage sector in order to ensure that consumers can reap health benefits of the trend, according to a nutrition expert.
If you’re making cultivated meat in a bioreactor instead of a living, breathing animal, and you want to introduce it to consumers for the first time, what’s the best launch vehicle? A chicken nugget or fillet, a thin beef steak, a high-value item such...
Plant-based beverages must be able to still provide a creamy mouthfeel in order to successfully convert consumers over to healthier, low-sugar options for the long-term in Indonesia, especially when these are priced at a higher tier than traditional dairy...
Rising awareness amongst Thai consumers regarding the potential unhealthy connotations associated with long expiry dates is a key factor driving up the demand for clean label food ingredients in the country, according to leading industry experts.
Cultivated meat pioneers GOOD Meat says that consumer awareness of such products is still relatively low in the Middle East, but that there is significant interest to purchase once they have been exposed to the concept.
The interest in cleaner and better-for-you snacks shown by big food and beverage brands, including Mondelez, Nestle and Vitasoy, is paving the way for a new specialised area of plant-based proteins to enter the market, namely the RuBisCo leaf protein.
Oatly has unveiled a cost-cutting plan after posting another disappointing set of results, with a $107.9m net loss on net revenues up 7% to $183m in the third quarter (+16.7% to $199.7m on a constant currency basis), with gross profit margins of just...
Nutrient quality in plant-based beverages should be considered on a par with sustainability credentials, researchers say as they assessed the quality as well as quantity of micronutrients in common plant-based drinks.
Seafood heavyweight Thai Union has called for more big brands dealing in protein to hop into the alternative protein sector – but stressed that the motivation for this needs to be more centered on food security than profit margins.
The ability to accurately convert consumer demands and preferences into real, technical product concepts remains a key challenge for the plant-based sector in the APAC region, according to industry experts at Roquette.
FNA DEEP DIVE: CULTIVATED MEAT & FERMENTATION TECH
Novel protein production technologies such as cultivated meat and precision fermentation are seeing consumer acceptance soar in APAC, but are still some way off achieving price parity for the everyday consumer due to challenges with regulations and scale.
Two US-based precision fermentation startups making real dairy ingredients using microbes instead of cows have announced significant developments as they gear up to launch next year in the emerging ‘animal-free dairy’ category.
Offering plant-based meat in a wider range of formats and targeting new demographics such as toddlers is key to attract new and loyal consumers, according to Kerry.
Global and regional plant-based protein brands should be prepared to face a reticent crowd should they plan to enter Japan at this juncture, according to the CEO and co-founder of alternative egg firm UMAMI United, Hiroto Yamazaki.
The Quaker Oats, Frito-Lay and Pringles maker has launched a series of videos showcasing how it is working with farmers in Thailand, Greece, India and Brazil to help them adapt to climate change.
Plant-based brands in China aiming to be listed in mainstream supermarkets and convenience stores are still having to educate retailers about the category, as well as extol the virtues of their own products.
Malaysian plant-based protein firm the Ultimeat Group plans to tailor its formulation and packaging to every market it intends to enter from 2023 to 2024.
Insect protein-based foods in the Asia Pacific region have a distinct advantage in terms of production costs and are ahead of the curve when it comes to technology, but market readiness still remains the main bottleneck for the sector to fully thrive...
Japanese food giant Ajinomoto has highlighted alternative proteins and frozen foods as two of the firm’s key growth strategies, in its first public report issued since its new leadership took over office earlier this year.
China’s plant-based and cultured meat market is getting increasingly competitive, but industry collaboration and product localisation are going to be crucial if it is to become more ‘relevant’ to consumers.
