A new World Economic Forum (WEF) report commissioned for the Chinese government’s research and policy arm has urged the country to employ green technologies to tackle its local food safety, food waste and environmental challenges – but also warned that...
Canadian food manufacturer Top Tier Foods’ recent announcement that it had successfully created a plant-based wagyu has divided opinion among the food industry in Japan, ranging from interest to outrage.
The plant-based industry in Asia faces multiple bureaucratic and policy challenges ahead, but the key to ensuring continued growth lies in ensuring products’ taste, price and nutrition are at least equal, and ideally better, than meat products, according...
The New Zealand Hemp Industry Association (NZHIA) believes that the country “will miss the bus” if it does not start to quickly develop its cannabidiol (CBD) sector, after a new report suggesting it could become an NZD2bn industry was quickly followed...
The South Korean government is planning to develop the local edible insect sector with a series of plans as part of its newly-unveiled 2021 Insect Industry Promotion Support Project, which will cover support for both industrialisation and business advancement.
China alternative protein specialist investment firm Dao Foods believes that cell-based meat is ‘the future’ of protein for the country, but is concentrating on plant-based firms for its first investment fund for now as local consumers are still unable...
The plant-based food trend is booming in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, but one Middle East industry expert predicts the Gulf will be the next boom market on the back of heightened consumer education and policy measures.
PepsiCo, Eat Just, Givaudan and DuPont are confident that the plant-based trend is going to be more than just a passing fad for the APAC food industry, driven by consumer health and wellness demands as well as sustainability concerns.
It’s not sharing launch dates, but Impossible Foods is making progress on developing egg alternatives and a milk that “is better than anything that comes from a cow,” company execs told reporters during a call outlining plans to double the size of the...
Consumers in the plant-based space space are still being driven by ethical and sustainable motivations when making purchases – while criticism is beginning to mount about their possible nutritional benefits.
In this episode of our Food and Beverage Trailblazers podcast, we speak to the CEO and co-founder of Australia-US fermentation technology firm Change Foods about his journey from aerospace engineering to food tech, and the parallels and differences between...
Asia food firms with leading innovations in the areas of low GI and plant-based products are amongst the Top 45 finalists in the FoodBytes! Pitch 2020 competition vying for a US$10,000 prize and global recognition.
Mumbai-based EVO Foods is set to launch its first product in India, a plant-based liquid egg made from legumes by the end of the year with plans to enter the US market next year.
Brisbane plant-based company Fenn Foods is set to release three new products early next year under its vEEF brand, one of which will be the ‘world’s first carbon neutral’ plant-based meat.
Experts in plant-based food and beverages have pointed out the importance of taste, localisation, and NPD as key components for success in the India market, in an exclusive webinar that you can access for free.
Japan-based DAIZ has developed a new form of soybean processing technology that is able to mimic multiple types of conventional meats such as chicken, pork and fish, opening up a new avenue of additive-free plant-based creations for food manufacturers.
Thai plant-based meat firm Let’s Plant Meat jumped from conceptualisation to commercialisation in just 12 months for its plant-based burger patty – and is now determined to make the product 'affordable for the masses' in Asia.
Consumer interest in plant-based diets has led to increased innovation in plant-based beverages in China, as new ingredients overtake soy, and new format opportunities emerge in the form of ready-to-drink.
Malaysian insect-protein firm Ento has opted to shift its food production focus from whole-insect snacks to a ‘proteinisation’ focus in the hope of increasing consumer acceptability and encouraging mass consumption.
India’s newest plant-based food start-up, Imagine Meats is set to launch a meat alternative range comprising kebabs, biryani and curry at the end of this year.
Australia’s Vow is pledging to take the cell-based sector a step further by creating cultured versions of unconventional exotic animals - such as tortoise, yak and lion.
Plant-based cheese firm Grounded has revealed hemp as its main secret ingredient in formulating products ahead of an October launch in the United States, as well as plans to establish an independent supply chain in Australia further down the road.
Alternative protein firm TerViva is establishing the world’s first organic and Fair for Life pongamia bean supply chain in India as it strives to tap into consumer demands for plant-based and sustainable products.
New Zealand-based plant-based meat firm Sunfed Meats’ recent launch of its Boar-Free Bacon in supermarkets nationwide has seen strong success due to its taste, texture and a rising demand for healthy and clean foods by consumers, according to the firm’s...
China’s alternative meat market has grown from its traditional imitation products to a more modern, realistic and meat-tasting profile powered by innovation – and now some of the industry’s biggest names are ploughing in resources to fuel the next wave...
APAC nations are expected to lead the global charge of developing regulatory governance for cell-based meat, despite being home to just a fraction of the world’s cell-based meat firms and facing fundamental ‘chicken-and-egg’ challenges.
Start-ups with a focus on technology related to F&B supply chains and alternative protein product development are in the strongest positions to attract investments in the post-COVID-19 era all across the Asia Pacific region and beyond.
France’s first cultured meat firm Gourmey is looking to bring the country’s traditional duck liver delicacy foie gras to Asia, believing that its animal cruelty-free production technology and competitive prices compared to traditional foie gras will enable...
Singapore harbours major ambitions in becoming more food self-sufficient with novel food technology as one of its key strategies, but a recent study has found that public attitudes towards such tech could seriously hinder the government’s plans.
Insect-based foods firm Bugsolutely is developing a new snack comprising both insect-based and plant-based proteins, aiming to maximise nutritional, cost and consumer benefits.
In this episode of our Food and Beverage Trailblazers podcast, we speak to Carrie Chan, the CEO and co-founder of Hong Kong cell-based start-up Avant Meats, about its pilot product, fish maw, and her experience being a vegan working in the seafood industry.
New Zealand researchers have called for a complete overhaul of the country’s current national agricultural strategy, which is heavily skewed towards dairy and meat, to accommodate a more plant-focused approach.
The use of insects as an alternative protein and food source has been consistently in the limelight in recent years with advocates citing sustainability and health benefits, leading to a plethora of start-ups focusing on the sector, but just how viable...
In this episode of our Food and Beverage Trailblazers podcast, we speak to Lim Jin Yin, the COO and co-founder of Malaysian plant-based pork start-up Phuture Foods about its imminent launch in Singapore, the initial response its product has received from...
PepsiCo-owned Chinese snacks firm Baicaowei is targeting a ‘new era of meat’ with its plant-based sausage snack, claiming that this is unlike any other seen in the country before.
Singaporean agri-food firm Life3 Biotech is setting up the country’s first local plant-based protein production facility backed by the Singaporean Food Agency (SFA), with plans to scale up production later this year.
Focusing innovation away from ‘Western-centric’ plant-based products and enabling faster market entry have been touted as two key priorities for Buhler and Givaudan’s new Singapore-based innovation centre, which will combine technological and flavour...
Consumers in Japan have expressed reluctance to shift to plant-based meats even as meat and fish consumption rates fall in the country, opting for ‘real’ vegetables instead.
TerViva has become the world’s first F&B firm to develop food products from the pongamia tree, opening the doors to a whole new source of plant-based protein and oils for the industry.
Although China may be experiencing an economical setback due to the recent novel coronavirus outbreak, the country still retains enormous potential to conquer the Asia Pacific market for 3D meat printing due to expertise in terms of cost reduction and...
Scientists in Singapore have uncovered a new method and medium for protein production from microalgae, which not only gives higher yield but could also cut costs by some 90%.
Germany’s SENS Foods and it’s Thailand-based farm business, The Cricket Lab, have raised €1.9 million (US$2.1 million) in funding to help further automate and launch new products in the market.
Plant-based products have recently come under fire for potential negative health and environmental effects, but much of this has so far gone more or less unnoticed and/or unmentioned by its proponents, it has been claimed.
While a new cell-based meat company emerges from stealth mode almost every month, the amount of money invested in the embryonic sector to date pales in comparison to the megabucks poured into plant-based meat over the past couple of years. So is slaughter-free...
China is increasingly importing more meat, palm oil and seafood due to the impact of African swine fever (ASF) outbreak, which led to the mass culling of large numbers of its domestic herd.
The dairy industry has been a subject of intense debate in recent years, fuelled by climate change crisis concerns worldwide as well as the advancement of various plant-based alternatives claiming to be more sustainable replacements.
Asia is at the forefront of advances in developing insects for human consumption and will benefit from growing demand for nutrient-dense protein sources for the global marketplace.
