Singapore-based plant-based products firm Thoughtful Food believes that the sector needs to look more closely at dry and ambient innovation as a key driver, particularly for brands seeking to solve ultra-processing challenges or go more clean label.
Experts from the New Zealand food and beverage industry and academia have expressed mixed reactions to Fonterra’s recently-announced Climate Roadmap, simultaneously urging for farmer-level collaboration to be prioritised over novel tech.
Middle Eastern giant Baladna is refocusing investments into projects targeting food security in more overseas markets as well as its new cheese production operation, marking a strategic shift despite positive financial results for FY2023 to date.
Artificial intelligence has been cited as a crucial component of efforts to transform APAC’s agrifood sector, but experts believe that this does not spell trouble for jobs in the long run.
As COP28 kicks off, we look at Danone’s partnership with the Global Methane Hub and how effective technical solutions to methane mitigations really are.
Beverage heavyweight Kirin Holdings has outlined plans to implement ‘aggressive measures’ across beer and sugar-free innovation, to recover from the negative impact of cost increases.
The Japanese government is planning to commit approximately US$20mn into projects to expand the use of rice flour across more food product innovations in its latest initiative to improve local self-sufficiency and food security.
Climate conditions in Asian countries are a key driver behind lower production costs and ‘ready-made’ opportunities for the region to emerge as a major insect farming market, providing a more affordable alternative source to the global protein supply.
Chinese consumers’ increasing demands for functional and fortified foods and beverages to support a lifestyle based on ‘punk nutrition’ has opened up massive innovation opportunities for brands across various product categories.
Tofu and beverage brand Vitasoy hopes the performance of its soy milk and tea businesses in Asian will help it bounce back from manufacturing and logistical challenges faced in Oceania over the past six months.
The better-for-you snacks sector in Asia Pacific will need to step up its focus on product functionality and freshness if it is to build on the boom it has enjoyed in recent years.
Morinaga says its postbiotic, marketed under the brand LAC-Shield, has been added into Thailand’s positive list of ingredients that could be used in general foods and beverages, opening new opportunities for functional foods development in the South East...
The use of MSG as a flavouring agent should be reduced, according to researchers who have also emphasised the need for further research into the long-term biochemical effects of human consumption.
Asahi’s star-performing beer product Asahi Super Dry has helped to sustain the firm’s profitability and international growth even amid cost setbacks at its new domestic brewery in Tosu.
Kirin says that revenue from LC-Plasma, its flagship immune health ingredient, has grown significantly even during spring and summer this year, although these are seasons when consumers tend to take fewer precautions against infectious diseases.
Middle Eastern food and beverage heavyweight Agthia has pledged to focus more investment into the digitalisation of its business as well as the creation of new snacking innovations in order to sustain the positive growth and profitability seen in the...
Snacking giant Mondelez has highlighted continued strong demand for its snack brands such as Oreo and Cadbury in emerging markets as key to its Q3 profitability, playing down threats from cheaper supermarket private label products.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) has launched a new version of its food safety platform in the local Hindi language in an effort to increase domestic food firm understanding and compliance of local regulations.
Kirin Holdings’ health science-focused arm Kyowa Hakko says the versatility and stability of its postbiotic ingredient has enabled it to continue to enjoy commercial success beyond the surge of COVID-19.
Affordability and accessibility are just as important as product innovation if food firms are going to help meets Asia’s nutritional needs, in a region that is still beset by childhood stunting and rising rates of obesity and diabetes.
Nestle India has launched a variety of new products focused on millets as a key ingredient this year, in an effort to increase consumer acceptance and awareness via familiar product formats while also aligning with the Indian government’s International...
Precision fermentation firms in the Asia Pacific region need to move beyond a technology focus to prioritise scaling up and commercialisation or risk facing major ‘bottleneck’ challenges when demand increases.
New data from Thailand claims almost all ultra-processed food (UPF) products exceed the recommended daily amount of sodium and lack essential nutrients and minerals.
PepsiCo has highlighted collaborations with entrepreneurs as a ‘vital’ part of its strategy to achieve sustainable operations in the APAC region, amid the crowning of its regional Greenhouse Accelerator champion.
World-first liquid shio koji brand Hanamaruki has big plans to ride on the growing umami and wellness trends in South East Asia, after seeing success in western and East Asian markets.
Beer heavyweight Carlsberg Malaysia has decided to persist with its portfolio premiumisation strategy and a new Sapporo partnership despite concerns over ‘weak’ consumer sentiment and diminished profitability in the third quarter of 2023.
Grocery e-commerce platform giant RedMart is seeing health and sustainability trends increasingly driving the purchasing decisions of consumers in Singapore, inspiring the firm to focus its own in-house product innovations on these factors.
Why do people buy meat alternatives? A new study reveals that values focused on one’s relationship to a group, such as ‘self-transcendence’, are far more likely to influence their decision to buy meat alternatives than ‘self-focused’ values such as a...
The South Korean government has set its sights on partnerships with the ministries of multiple Latin American countries to establish the region as its next major trade partner in terms of food exports.
China dairy giant Yili has secured ‘record high’ financial results in the first nine months of its financial year driven by liquid milk and ice cream category growth.
Nestle is debuting a new infant formula containing a proprietary blend in Hong Kong in November 2023. The blend is said to be an “all-round” nutrition for supporting multiple growth areas, including digestive, bone, and cognitive health.
The nutritional value of plant-based meats is limited by lack of key micronutrients, although they contain significantly less saturated fat, indicates an assessment of products on the Hong Kong market.
The nut butter industry in Asia Pacific is targeting pricing strategies and novel applications as it seeks to achieve mainstream success beyond being ‘just a spread’, according to industry experts.
Food firms need to be increasingly savvy when it comes to meeting growing consumer demands for fortified and reformulated products, in order to remain cost competitive in the current economic environment.
Sunsweet’s ingredients arm is optimistic that stable recovery is incoming for prunes and prune-derived products in Thailand on the back of rising demand after a standstill during the pandemic period.
Saudi Arabian F&B heavyweight Almarai has posted significant growth and profits in the first nine months of 2023 driven by stringent cost management and gains in the poultry category to offset Egyptian currency challenges.
Asia Pacific consumers are increasingly demanding a combination of affordability, health and tastiness when making their food and beverage purchasing decisions, driving the rise of what is known as the ‘and’ consumer.
Personalised nutrition innovators need to better consider the entire ecosystem spanning health data collection and analysis, alongside new products, says an industry expert from Nestle.
China dairy giant Junlebao believes that the concentration of a specific variant of DHA molecules – the sn-2 DHA – plays a crucial role in the absorption and efficacy of infant formulas, and has called for industry collaboration to increase understanding...
Chinese 3D food printing firm MOODLES believes that this technology needs to be efficiently incorporated into the production of personalised nutrient-rich staple foods that consumers will eat on a daily basis if the sector wants to grow locally.
Thailand-based Hippo Energy Drink believes that its combination of health, natural ingredients and low sugar offerings can help it build on its initial success in South East Asia and take on major brand competitors in the category.
olam food ingredients’ (ofi’s) flavour experts share their predictions on how families will tap into this season’s flavour trends to create a ‘Spooktacular’ 31 October.
Consumption of food-derived oligopeptides has been linked with an increased rate of triglyceride breakdown, enhanced the uptake of non-esterified fatty acids, and the promotion of fat oxidation, both during periods of inactivity and exercise among cyclists.
Hybrid innovation with meat and plant-based ingredients, affordability and a focus on the needs of flexitarians is needed to boost the protein sector in APAC over the long-term.
Nestle is hopeful that its new nutritional labelling and marketing strategy will play a strong part in its sales recovery, after seeing a drop in sales across many APAC markets due to ‘historic’ inflation and foreign exchange challenges.
The Chinese government has published guide for food firms trying to meet its new excessive packaging regulations, urging industry players to ensure they are fully compliant in the next six months.
