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.
The food industry in Thailand is calling for the development of a more all-rounded solution to reduce sodium consumption, including product reformulation and innovation, amid continuing talk of a salt tax.
The supplementation of French pine bark extract has shown to increase hair density in women who have undergone menopause, according to a six-month clinical trial conducted in Shanghai.
Australian guilt-free confectionary firm Funday has highlighted its unique gut-friendly ingredient formulation as well as its one-bag-one-serve packaging as major success factors after entering 3,000 retail outlets in the region.
Many South East Asian countries remain cautious and concerned over food insecurity and rising inflationary costs despite having seen stellar post-COVID-19 growth in multiple food categories.
Selenium supplementation may be effective in reducing insulin resistance in those with cardio-metabolic diseases (CMDs), according to a systematic review and meta-analysis by researchers in China.
Younger consumers in APAC are increasingly seeking out food and beverage products that offer a combination of ‘contradictory’ flavours, according to experts in the region.
China is ramping up its efforts to move past the immense impacts COVID-19 has had on the country over the past three years, including removing all requirements for nucleic acid testing on frozen food imports and reducing tariffs.
Town-level efforts to reduce salt intake in China have had mix results, say researchers, who argue that reduction strategies are going to take several years to trickle down.
With South East Asia (SEA) one of the fastest-growing region for e-commerce, we speak to Amazon Singapore and e-commerce enabler firm CREA on the outlook and opportunities for health and nutrition brands in the e-commerce space.
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.
The halal food and beverage sector in Thailand is ramping up its use of technology as a crucial tool to achieve ‘Halal Integrity’, and hopes to establish a halal blockchain platform within the next few years.
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 Chinese government has launched strict draft standards to govern excessive food packaging in the country covering fruit, meat, egg and seafood products, allowing public comments on these until January 2023.
The Indian government appears to be softening its stance as ‘no-GMO’ country in light of ongoing food security and trade disputes – sparking fresh debate in the country.
Kirin’s first human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) production plant has commenced operation and the company anticipates that half of the market will be dominated by China in the future.
Beverage giant Yeo’s has reformulated its portfolio so that all products will contain less than 5% of sugar by 2023, in line with both consumer tastes and upcoming regulatory measures in Singapore.
Plant-based protein consumption could contribute to better muscle health among the elderly population in China, although overall protein-intake recommendations are inadequate in counteracting muscle loss, say researchers.
South Korean beauty and skincare conglomerate Amorepacific has revealed its ambitions in expanding its healthy ageing supplement portfolio, and is developing threonine-rich new products, following positive findings on the amino acid.
Kirin is looking to fast-track meeting its targets in whiskey export sales by the end of this year, given the rapid growth it has already seen for the business in overseas markets.
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...
South Korea-based postbiotic ingredient and finished product firm Bereum is now pursuing growth in overseas markets following steep growth in the domestic market in the past two years.
Nutraceutical firm BodyFirst Wellness Nutrition has opened its first offline retail store in Peddar Road, Mumbai, which it said would kickstart its personalised nutrition service.
Food giant PepsiCo believes that the involvement of major food and beverage brands in palm oil sustainability initiatives is crucial to attract smallholder producers and make a bigger impact.
The South Korean authorities have conducted food safety checks on almost 2,000 kimchi and related ingredient manufacturers ahead of the peak production season, amid public concern about hygiene and adulteration issues.
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.
Frozen foods, canned foods and bakery products have emerged as the most popular food categories amongst APAC consumers amidst rising inflation and food cost increases, driven by common themes of affordability, shelf-life and convenience.
The Malaysian palm oil sector believes there is little prospect of seeing market growth in the coming year due to labour, economic and climate challenges.
Beverage giant Asahi has seen a resurgence of consumer interest in beer in Japan, but believes that some challenges are upcoming for other segments including low-alcohol and non-alcoholic products.
Qatari dairy giant Baladna is looking at more markets in South East Asia to bring its sustainable dairy self-sufficiency model to, after successfully securing and setting up its joint venture in Malaysia.
Shock statistics showing that one in five adults in Indonesia is obese is a wake-up call that needs to be urgently addressed through public education via social media, argues the president of the Indonesian Nutrition Association (INA).
Localisation strategies are crucial in order to achieve the ‘holy grail’ of food innovation in the Asia Pacific region, by combining health, taste and convenience, according to Olam outfit ofi.
Nutrition products for gut, liver, eye health and sports have recorded strong growth during this year’s Double 11 shopping festival, says China’s leading e-commerce platform JD Health.
Getting the taste right in sodium-reduced food products remains the biggest barrier to overcome in reformulation efforts, according to industry experts.
Carlsberg Malaysia has retained a cautionary outlook for the company’s overall growth citing concerns over inflationary and taxation pressures, despite announcing year-on-year growth of over 200% in net profits in its Q3FY2022.
Supplement brands in Vietnam are increasingly demanding value-added concepts and ease the pressure of relying on commodity-based products at low prices.
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.
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.
Emphasising the healthy benefit functions and innovating in a variety of formats is crucial for the success of probiotics, prebiotics and microbiome-related products, more so than promoting specific strains and ingredients, according to an expert panel.
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.
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), the company’s India arm, has attributed its move to reduce tea prices to its successful ‘Winning in Many Indias’ business model as well as a rare drop in commodity pricing for tea.
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.
The Thai government has announced new regulatory edicts specifying tighter regulatory control over the use of hemp and CBD in food and seasonings, just three months after announcing the decriminalisation of cannabis in the country.
Social media e-commerce marketing is emerging as a crucial marketing platform for health products such as supplements to appeal to consumers in China in the post-COVID-19 era, while the role of daigou in Chinese cross-border e-commerce has drastically...
Both indulgence and affordability are emerging as major APAC consumer demands for food and beverages today, leaving a manufacturers with a paradoxical challenge that can only be solved using innovation.
F&B multinational Nestle has highlighted major coffee producer markets in Asia as being key links in its newly launched Nescafe Plan 2030, a sustainability strategy with an emphasis on regenerative agriculture.