Australia-based plant-based firm Fable Foods says a relentless focuses on greater premiumisation and minimal processing for its shiitake mushroom-based products are enabling it to maintain price parity with conventional meat items.
Australia-based Deliciou has its eye on China and other Asian markets with its market-first shelf-stable plant-based meat products after successful launches in both Australia’s Coles and Woolworths and US’ Whole Foods supermarkets.
In the first ever edition of Alt Protein Watch, we look at news about OmniFoods' latest seafood launch, cell-based IP protection, China's YouKuai and more.
Cultivated product firms with pioneering technology, a wide geographical focus and a strategy involving both short- and long-term revenue gains hold an advantage in terms of securing investments, according to ex-Beyond and Impossible Foods VC fund MD.
China looks likely to be the world’s largest consumer market of cultivated meat due its population size and government support, but a long, arduous journey lies ahead before this becomes a reality, according to an industry expert.
The cultivated meat sector in APAC is calling for the establishment of a non-biased entity to lay down proper industry governance and IP protection to provide a safe, secure environment for firms to share knowledge and collaborate towards scale-up.
Israeli cultured meat firm Future Meat Technologies has its eye on Asia as a major market for its products with China and India as key targets, after notching-up two successes in significantly lowering production costs this year.
Thai plant-based firm Let’s Plant Meat has just launched in its first export market Singapore with the ‘most affordable’ products on the market and a focus on multicultural versatility, according to its CEO.
Japan might have a global reputation for its vending machines, but that’s not going to stop Singapore from putting in a bid to steal its title - this time with wagyu beef.
Government buy-in will be crucial for cultured meat firms looking to hit cost parity for their products by 2030, with experts claiming that it will be an uphill battle go head-to-head with traditional meat products in terms of price by the end of this...
Australian plant-based firm Eighth Day Foods has developed a versatile plant-based meat alternative from sweet lupins, which it claims is ‘ideal for Asia’ via its specialised fermentation process.
Philippines MNC Century Pacific is adopting parallel B2B/B2C retail plans for its new plant-based brand unMEAT, with a focus on simplicity and affordability as it eyes international markets from ASEAN to the Middle East.
The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) is improving the recognition of foreign halal certification bodies by adding on-pack QR codes and new training, moves that come in the wake of a high-profile meat scandal.
Australasian (Guangzhou) Food Co is beginning to import blockchain-backed beef into China from Argentina – and is now on a mission to help at-home consumption grow.
Chinese homegrown plant-based meat firm HERO Protein believes that an emphasis on product taste and versatility is crucial to capturing the local Chinese palate, as it finalises its B2B launch and gears up for B2C product retail launches in Q2 this year.
Indonesia’s first homegrown plant-based meat firm Green Butcher is banking on its localised flavours and spices focus to pique the interest of the nation’s consumers and grow the domestic category.
The Philippines government is currently studying plans to loosen its national COVID-19 lockdown as well as officially hunting down and punishing food product profiteers in an effort to tackle rising rates of food insecurity and poverty in the country.
Plant-based firm and social impact venture Green Monday has recently made major strides into the South East Asian market with product and retail debuts in Singapore and Malaysia, and is now eyeing opportunities to reduce its prices in order to sustain...
About 20% of fish products in Taiwan are mislabelled, with snapper, cod and surimi products found to be the most vulnerable to fraudulent substitution.
Asian seafood giant Thai Union has revealed plans to launch a range of plant-based products comprising both seafood and non-seafood items this year in response to high consumer demand - and believes its longstanding seafood expertise will give it an edge...
A study by researchers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and China has found that the levels of iron, chromium, cadmium and nickel in fish caught from the Red Sea exceeded the levels recommended by various authorities such as the EU, FAO, and WHO.
The South Korean government has laid out its food safety upgrade plans for the first half of 2021, with a great deal of focus centred on meat and meat product imports and processing, in response to consumer concerns.
UAE-based frozen food producer Al Islami Foods has unveiled plans to expand its frozen plant-based product range following the launch of its first vegan burger this month.
Japanese instant noodle manufacturer Nissin Food Products has extended its hugely popular mystery meat cup noodle series with a new kimchi flavour hitting the shelves this month.
A study commissioned by the New Zealand government has revealed that chicken remains the country’s top source of campylobacteriosis, which is in turn the most common foodborne illness in the country – despite national efforts to bring it under control...
From plant-based and cell-based regulations to policies governing alcohol, organic foods and sugar reduction, we bring you eight of the top regulatory updates that the Asia Pacific food and beverage industry can expect in 2021.
Essential oils derived from plants have the potential to replace chemical preservatives in meat and meat products against bacterial contamination, according to latest findings.
We take a look at the six top trends that will have massive impact on the Asia Pacific food and beverage industry’s development in 2021, from alternative protein trends to post-COVID-19 changes, emerging category developments in some of the region’s biggest...
Indian biotechnology firm Myoworks is working on developing a scaffolding that cell-based meat producers will be able to directly buy ‘off the shelf’ in order to speed up the product development process to achieve marketability and commercialisation.
Experts predict that the incoming United States administration of President-elect Joe Biden will mean positive news for the food and beverage industry in the Asia Pacific region, especially when it comes to food-related investments and repairing trade...
Ho Chi Minh-based edible insect firm CricketOne has its eye on becoming a major cricket powder supplier and alternative meat producer in Japan after recently closing a successful fundraising round, calling the East Asian country a ‘hot bed’ for such products.
More studies are emerging of food products as a potential carrier for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing COVID-19, according to new review of the research, but there is no evidence of it leading to transmissions.
China has highlighted local meat and poultry industry self-sufficiency goals for the country, emphasising the need for green technology to overcome challenges such as crisis response and slow industrialisation.
Indian cell-based food technology firm Clear Meat has focused its efforts on developing cell-based chicken mince due to the ‘multi-acceptability’ of the meat and claims to have already hit price parity with the intention of driving price even lower.
Cell-based meat firms looking to enter China would do well to differentiate themselves from plant-based meat and refocus primary messaging away from ethics and sustainability if they aim to gain widespread appeal, according to a local expert.
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 Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) will be focusing on wagyu and rice as two of the major export items to boost via a newly-announced bureau that is expected to be set up next year.
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...
Canada’s Parkland County is looking to attract major food and beverage companies from Asia to set up local processing facilities, banking on its location, investor assistance and the many trade agreements that Canada has in place with nearby countries...
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.
A new plant-based meat report has highlighted the sector’s health merits over conventional processed meats, but stressed they should not replace whole foods such as legumes, vegetables or moderate amounts of meat as staples for a balanced diet.
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.
Scientists have developed a novel active coating containing chitosan, tea and cinnamon extracts to improve the quality of fish fillets during refrigerated storage.
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.
