Malaysian brand Jobbie Nut Butter has sought to clear the air after being accused of using the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak as a ‘sympathy ploy’ to boost sales.
Ministers in charge of trade for countries within the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) regional forum have highlighted ‘remedying economic challenges’, including the restarting of food and agriculture supply chains, as a key focus even though...
Investments in China’s eGrocery start-up sector continues to soar with funding reaching USD2.1 billion in 2019, a 25% increase from 2018, new data reveals.
The F&B industry in Malaysia has called for food businesses in all states nationwide to ‘concurrently resume’ as per the government’s recent loosening of COVID-19 related lockdown restrictions, but has hit a snag with seven of the nation’s 14 states...
F&B industry group Food South Australia has turned to technology to help businesses in the region highlight and tackle the impacts of COVID-19 in the region, with its Chief Executive Officer citing three new tools.
Coca-Coca Amatil has been hit with plummeting sales volumes in Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia amidst COVID-19 lockdowns being implemented by all three countries, but remains positive that its strong foundations will tide it through the crisis.
Last week we revealed that the NutraIngredients’ teams worldwide were to host the first ever co-ordinated series of webinars looking at immunity, and now we can reveal the stellar line-up for the first APAC event which will focus on clinical research.
Thailand's retraction of a nationwide blanket ban on alcohol sales, which led to panic-buying and fears of a fresh wave of COVID-19 infections, has been defended by industry leaders who claim alcohol and social gatherings don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand.
Consumers in Saudi Arabia have drastically ramped-up their online purchases of food products in the the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, new data reveals.
Qatar says it has enough stock of food and consumer goods to meet demand for at least one year, as the Middle East continues to battle the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Australia and New Zealand are still actively seeking to widen the range of genetically modified (GM) foods accepted in the region despite related amendments to the food code being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.
Health authorities should reassess the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of key micronutrients such as vitamin C and D to support the immune system, said a group of researchers.
Japan is still in the early adoption phase of sustainable confectionery, but there is plenty of potential for it to go mainstream, according to consumer research from Barry Callebaut.
China’s online purchasing patterns throughout the country’s COVID-19 lockdown thus far have revealed a shift towards food products for home-cooking, a pattern that is expected to continue even beyond current restrictions.
As the two countries engage in an increasingly hostile war of words over the COVID-19 outbreak, could the Australian supplement industry’s huge export success to China now be under threat? Editor-in-Chief Gary Scattergood assesses the risk of collateral...
The durian industry in Malaysia has been hit hard by a drastic drop in demand and lack of manpower due to the COVID-19 outbreak, a sharp downturn for one of the country’s most popular exports.
Many Singaporean consumers have shifted their purchasing behavior from offline to online shopping as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts predict that this shift will be a long-lasting one with effects long past the outbreak.
South Korea has seen an increase of over 90% in online food product transactions during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, but continues to face trade-related challenges even as the country has moved to relax some social-distancing regulations.
Indonesia has seen export volumes for its palm oil, its top agricultural commodity, drop drastically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, with even bigger slumps set to come.
Fresh produce experts in Australia and New Zealand have denounced the merits of directly disinfecting fruits and vegetables as has been advocated via a viral video and mainstream news, calling this a ‘dangerous’ food safety hazard.
Country leaders of all the member states comprising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) reaffirmed commitments to ensure food security and smooth regional food trade in the recent ASEAN Special Summit on COVID-19.
UAE’s fresh food markets, food trading outlets and selected confectionery stores in shopping malls have gradually reopened, following shutdowns due to COVID-19.
Ingredion will double the capacity at its Shandong modified starch facility by 2022, to tap into China’s growing hunger for innovative textures in foods.
Japan has temporarily relaxed its traditionally strict food labelling regulations to help accommodate food manufacturing firms that need to make adjustments to production processes or raw materials in their production chains as a result of the COVID-19...
The flour industry in Pakistan has requested the government to exempt or at least subsidise all flour mills from taxes that would normally have to be paid in light of the sector’s significant contributions to food stability throughout the COVID-19 pandemic...
Lockdowns and trade barriers across Asia due to the COVID-19 pandemic have thrust rice - one of the region’s largest agricultural commodities – firmly into the spotlight potential volatility in both supply and cost.
Many countries have experienced mass panic buying of food and beverages amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the UAE seems to have been spared the worse of irrational consumer behaviour.
UAE vertical farming pioneers Madar Farms is selling its ‘microgreens’ direct to consumers for the first time, after enjoying initial success with the food service and hotel industries (HORECA).
Chinese’s premium baijiu brand Rong Tai He Moutai (RTH) Maotaijiu is planning to expand into Japan, South Korea, ASEAN and the US with its high-end spirit this year.
Researchers from Asia, the Middle East, and the West are now trialling omega-3, honey, and even potato resistant starch, on top of vitamins and zinc, as they race to find products that could contribute to the fight against COVID-19 and its symptoms.
Foshan Haitian, China’s largest seasoning and soy sauce manufacturer, recorded profits of RMB5.3 billion (US$750 million) in FY19, up 22.64% from the year before, and insists it is on target to top that by RMB1 billion (US$140mn) this year despite the...
Japanese F&B firms in Japan such as Nissin, Ajinomoto, Sapporo, Asahi, Kirin, Kewpie, Hotei Foods, and Megmilk Snow Brand say they are battling to provide 'business as usual', despite the state of emergency in the country due to the COVID-19...
Australia-based The Lupin Co has seen a five to six times increase in demand for products such as its prebiotic-rich lupin flakes, flours, protein bars and cereals over the past 12 weeks.
Sales of alcohol and fresh foods on e-commerce in China have surged during the COVID-19 epidemic, with market analysts predicting that the changes in consumer buying habits are here to stay.
The COVID-19 pandemic risks causing widespread disruption to Asia’s commodities production, with wheat and rice set to be especially hard hit, according to a regional agricultural expert.
India’s Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) is aiming to put a stop to false claims for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 by setting up a task force to evaluate products and practices.
Several countries in the South East Asian region have moved to impose extended lockdowns, export bans and other heightened trade barriers in response to continued widespread COVID-19 infection rates within the region, posing a very real risk for food...
Food safety and export continuity have emerged as the biggest concerns for the food industries in Australia and New Zealand as lockdowns in the region continue, with the various food sectors attempting to allay public concerns.
Experts claim to have successfully deployed artificial intelligence (AI) technology to predict consumer purchasing trends in Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, and found them to skew heavily towards foods and beverages that are related to immunity...
The Ministry of Economy in UAE has stated that it has enough food to meet the needs of its citizens for at least six months, amidst concerns of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak which is showing no signs of slowing in the region.
The Chinese government has been pushing for a ‘return to normalcy’ for what it deems ‘low-risk’ COVID-19-affected areas within the country, but faces multiple challenges in the form of public anxiety over food security and relaxed control measures.
The huge demand for vitamin C has sent stocks running low for retailers and the situation is further complicated by longer delivery times and more expensive freight costs.
Single-use, disposable food packaging appears to have made a comeback rising on the coattails of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many consumers believe this to be safer and/or more hygienic – but are these beliefs truly warranted?
