Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has highlighted it will be proceeding cautiously in managing its food business for the rest of the year despite positive results in Q2FY2023, citing continued volatile climate changes and inflationary pressures.
Thailand-based snacks firm Food Onwards believes it has a strong shot at revitalising the fish skin snack category via a localised take on its product manufacturing process and flavour selection.
Thailand’s Eatvolution has developed a chickpea rice alternative that is richer in nutrients and lower in carbohydrates as it seeks to entice increasingly health-conscious consumers as well as diabetic patients.
Food and beverage business leaders in Asia need to issue clear and committed directives for supply chain resilience and secure alternative sourcing regimes to mitigate future disruption risks.
China’s Tidetron Bioworks believes that synthetic bio-manufacturing is growing to be a crucial component of the food and beverage industry based rising demand for sustainable raw materials both in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.
Nestle has voiced support for the continued use of palm oil in the food and beverage sector amid intense debate surrounding the recently-enacted EU Deforestation Regulation, while also striving to guarantee its supply chain sustainability using advance...
After more than a year of development and 13 versions of the prototype, Singapore’s Moom Health has completed the formulation of a new supplement that is specifically targeted at relieving premenstrual symptoms (PMS) and painful period cramps.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) and India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) have officially agreed to collaboratively boost millet consumption at the government level, starting with the nation’s armed forces.
Chinese food and beverage heavyweight Jinmailang has highlighted five key factors that it believes should lay the foundation for innovation food firms’ innovations strategies to ensure that new products are practical, realistic and sustainable.
More Chinese consumers have been taking krill oil supplementation in the past two to three years, with anti-ageing as one of the most common reasons, says CEO of krill oil supplier firm Aker BioMarine.
Healthier snacking brand Hey! Chips is looking to overcome the dominance of ultra-processed snacks in the market by innovating with whole ingredients to make scalable clean label products.
Nestle Malaysia says extensive format and flavour innovations in its product development have helped d drive healthy Q2FY2023 business growth, giving the firm renewed confidence in its ability to secure a profitable rest of the year.
A new RCT reports that a supplement combining vitamin C with glutathione (GSK) improved markers of metabolic, cardiac, and oxidative health in middle-aged triathlon athletes, following sub-maximal exercise.
Ukraine’s Nemiroff Vodka is banking on its premium vodka offerings made via a combination of multiple filtration stages and high-quality wheat to expand its progress into major targets in the Asia Pacific region.
Lebanese chocolatier Patchi has entered the Singaporean market via local partner FJ Benjamin, and the brand has revealed strict supply chain and storage management as crucial to maintaining the premium quality of its chocolates.
Food and beverage firms in China need to ensure that practicality and business sustainability are kept at the top of their agenda in order to avoid the ‘trap’ of easy brand building in the world’s most populous market.
Thai fish sauce firm Squid Brand says innovation within the category is its priority to keep up with evolving trends, rather than diversifying into other product segments.
Global packaging heavyweight Tetra Pak has revealed the importance of considering cultural contexts and integrating localisation strategies into packaging innovation in APAC.
Singapore-based OnlyEg has rapidly grown its presence in various markets across the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions with a focus on the taste and texture of its ‘no sacrifice’ plant-based eggs, available in a multitude of ready-to-eat (RTE) formats.
Thai homegrown bakery specialist Fershay has grown its packaged product portfolio to encompass a variety of sweet flavours with an emphasis on its signature soft fluffy texture.
Amino acid specialist firm Ajinomoto has lauded the findings of a new Japanese study which highlighted the potential of umami ingredients, such as the various glutamate-based substances, to reduce consumer salt intake and improve public health.
Malaysian brand Amazin’ Graze’s says the addition of probiotics into its protein powder line-up has provided a more ‘complete nutritional profile’ as consumers look for a wider range of health benefits.
Indonesian specialty coffee brand JJ Royal Coffee is looking to balance the authenticity of Indonesian coffee with localization trends to make its specialty products more accessible, as it eyes expansion in China, Japan, and South Korea.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have been found to have beneficial effects on inflammatory markers, metabolic dysregulation, and depressive symptoms.
Halal sauce brand Mahsuri believes it will soon have the ‘first ever automated soy sauce making system,’ in Malaysia, as it plans to accelerate R&D to tap on consumer trends around convenience, health, and plant-based alternatives.
Gin specialist Crafter’s has created a unique edible ‘gin spray’ to circumvent the challenges arising from consumer reluctance to participate in product sampling after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Premium chocolatier brand Guylian has moved to streamline its portfolio to ‘improve focus’, while simultaneously expanding its dark chocolate offerings.
Instant noodles and premium products led strong growth in China’s packaged food sector throughout 2022 - but significant inflationary price hikes mean that this continuous growth is unlikely for 2023, according to a new local report.
A 12-week RCT conducted in Japan has showed that the supplementation of a yam-derived bioactive could improve muscle quality and reduce glycated haemoglobin among middle-aged adults.
Nestle China’s is looking to capitalise on consumer confidence in its longstanding brand as well as its capabilities to overcome the challenges faced by its dairy business.
Thai research team is embarking on a long-term journey to commercialise a herbal tea that has been shown to boost breast milk production in a clinical trial.
Alcohol heavyweight Diageo believes that the rising demand for premiumisation in APAC, and in particular economic growth in China, is placing the category in a strong position.
The sports performance-enhancing properties of tempeh should be further explored for application in functional foods such as sports drinks, say researchers.
The APAC snacking category is seeing a dominance of savoury and spicy flavours as well as consumer preferences for familiar products, while better-for-you options are also clearly gaining in popularity, according to major industry players.
Amway China has revealed plans to reduce the use of artificial colouring, preservatives, and sweeteners in its dietary supplement range as part of its sustainability efforts.
Thailand’s Brownie House believes that the local snacking sector is still strongly dominated by indulgence and premiumisation, making an overly-strong focus on healthier options difficult.
Candy specialist Ricola is benefitting from the growing popularity of sugar-free candies in APAC after ‘quietly’ undergoing a significant reformulation process and despite not shouting about it from the rooftops.
Indonesia has recently launched the latest version of its master regulation governing food categories in the country with an increased focus on fermented beverages and the wider supply chain.
Vietnam has moved to implement regulations that will mandate the display of nutritional labelling according to national standards on all qualifying food and beverage products in the country, progressing from its previous voluntary labelling system.
The supplementation of vitamin B12 and folic acid in toddlers has reduced their plasma concentrations of fasting total homocysteine (tHcy) – an amino acid that is linked to cardiometabolic diseases when in elevated levels.
Singapore’s Shandi Global has developed a range of plant-based products that it says are equally, if not more, nutritious than regular chicken meat, which will soon be brought to market both locally and overseas.
Delhi-based digital retailer Wellversed says evolving from a distributor model to now also creating its own products has been key to gaining a more holistic understanding of the Indian consumer, as it outlines plans to expand its brand portfolio.
Nestle has stressed that a range of regenerative agricultural strategies will be crucial to tackle coffee production and sustainability challenges in South East Asia.
Singapore start-up Jungle Kitchen is targeting growing interest in sustainable eating and indigenous ingredients, with ambitions to bring its vegan ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products beyond Asia.
Seaweed snack giant Taokaenoi has launched several new format innovations of its products to capitalise on rising consumer demand for convenience and flavour intensification in its various target markets.
The precision fermentation sector needs to clearly demonstrate the scalability and credibility of the technology if it is going to outlast the significant hype that surrounds the sector.
Thai plant-based firm Mantra is positioning itself as a viable alternative for seafood allergy sufferers, while also hoping to change consumer perception of “high-sodium” alt-protein products with its MSG-free offerings.
Chocolate specialist Ritter Sport believes that a focus on prominent packaging and experiential textures is important to overcome the challenge of lower chocolate consumption rates in the Asia Pacific region.
Philippines-based plant-based firm WTH Foods is in the process of expanding into both the European and South East Asian markets with its new low-sodium, clean label plant-based seafood products.
