Sixty per cent of packaged non-alcoholic beverages (NABs) sold on the Singapore market contain high amounts of sugar and would be assigned under Grade C or D in the soon-to-be-implemented Nutri-Grade system.
New Zealand-based Zeffer Cider is looking to increase appeal with a broad audience by rolling out various innovations including unique flavours as well as seltzers and non-alcoholic options.
South Korea has announced new, tighter standards for food firms looking to label their products as being reduced or lower in sodium or sugar, starting with the nation’s most-consumed food product, ramen.
The global ingredients specialist has opened a $2m Technical Application Centre in Dubai, designed to help local producers in the bakery, dairy, beverage, sauce and dressing categories to develop formulations that address growing consumers demand in the...
Fruit product heavyweight Dole has revealed that it is focusing heavily on the use of new technologies and collaborations to overcome sugar reduction challenges for its packaged products portfolio, in hopes of reaching its 2025 zero processed sugar sustainability...
Philippines cocoa and chocolate firm Cacao Culture is riding the rising consumer demand for healthier products to draw younger consumers to the traditional local drink tablea, also dubbed the ‘healthiest form of hot chocolate available’.
Beverage giant Coca-Cola has observed a rise in demand for beverages with zero-sugar and reduced-sugar formulations in the South East Asian region, which became even more pronounced after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
The increase of online ‘junk food’ marketing to children since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic poses a long term-health risk and has become a major public health concern, claim experts.
Nestle Indonesia has responded to the recent controversy that 60% of its global portfolio is made up of ‘unhealthy’ foods, stressing that reformulation and fortification are key priorities as it seeks to balance ‘nutrition and enjoyment’.
Convenience, nutrition and meeting localised needs have been identified by experts as the three top drivers that food firms looking to innovate in the healthy snacking space in Asia need to take note of in a post-COVID-19 world.
Food, beverage and nutrition solutions to aid digestive and metabolic health are becoming increasingly popular as Asia’s population rapidly ages, but future NPD needs to make these “effective solutions the easy solutions,” according to experts at the...
China’s first plant-based coconut yoghurt brand Yeyo has highlighted the importance of novelty, premiumisation and brand building in capturing the holy grail of middle-class consumers in the country after successfully launching its first flagship store...
The Asia Pacific juice industry is striving to be more than just an alternative to carbonated soft drinks by responding to increasing demands for functional, value-added and better-for-you products in the region.
Afternoon snacking has emerged as a rising trend in the Asia Pacific region driven by pandemic-induced habits, which is in turn acting as a boon for healthier snack options with consumers are increasingly wary of COVID-linked obesity or ‘Covibesity’.
Ingredient suppliers have identified four key trends that are driving beverage innovation in Asia-Pacific, namely non-dairy, low sugar, functional and sustainability.
A Malaysian firm that built a niche for itself within the country’s billion-dollar sweetened condensed milk market as the first product of its kind to use stevia instead of sugar has now set its sights on a major expansion drive.
DSM’s new venture Hologram Sciences plans to run a blood sugar management trial in Singapore to study how personalised approaches can help address pre-diabetes concerns, we can exclusively reveal.
Australia’s Famous Soda Co is embarking on plans to expand its better-for-you product portfolio beyond beverages to confectionery, as well as setting its sights on expansion into the ASEAN market.
The Australian beverages industry has expressed hopes that the government will reconsider its current stance on Health Star Ratings (HSR) for no added sugar juices after the sector emerged as the sole soft drinks growth category in the last quarter of...
Malaysian matcha specialist firm CEIT Spreads is honing its marketing and product development efforts on capturing consumers in search of the authentic real deal in matcha products, with a strong focus on providing the ‘real tea aroma’ in their spreads.
Food and beverage manufacturers in Asia have been urged to utilize two or more GI-reduction strategies when conducting product reformulation to maximise effectiveness and feasibility, according to Singapore food experts.
India-based Habbit Health and Nutrition has launched a range of what it claims to be ‘the healthiest ice creams on the planet’ dubbed Wise Creams, containing zero sugar, low fat content and no more than 50 calories per serving.
Singapore’s beverage sector is seeking increased industry engagement and a more holistic approach to sugar reduction, after the government opened public consultations for its proposed ‘Nutri-Grade’ sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) labelling scheme.
Turkish organic and natural foods firm Polenkoy, which focuses on healthier food products such as spreads, honey and oils, has its eye on solidifying business expansion in the Asia Pacific region by mirroring its success in offline channels in the digital...
Malaysian bak kwa company Oloiya (Chinese:我来也) is banking on flavour innovation to capture the younger market, as it bids to disrupt the century-old industry.
Yoghurt giant Chobani believes that versatility is the name of the game for the industry whether it comes to flavours, formats or ingredients, and has adapted its portfolio to offer products suitable for consumption occasions far beyond just breakfast.
Kerry is preparing to ramp-up promotion of its plant-based innovation service to brands in APAC and the Middle East, while also doubling down on emerging taste trends and better-for-you product innovation.
Singapore F&B heavyweight Yeo Hiap Seng (Yeo’s) is making plans to reformulate as many products as it can within its beverage portfolio to both keep up with consumer trends, as well as fall in line with upcoming government standards.
Researchers have consolidated the glycaemic index (GI) of 940 common Asian and Middle Eastern food items such as nasi lemak, chapati, dim sum, dates and habba hamra in a review article published in the Nutrition and Diabetes journal.
In this episode of our Food and Beverage Trailblazers podcast, we speak to the CEO of Singapore-based sugar innovation firm Nutrition Innovation Matthew Godfrey about the challenges he faced when moving from an MNC to a start-up, and why he believes sugar...
Bakery heavyweight Julie’s has forecasted a positive outlook for the biscuits market in South East Asia, amidst its complete brand makeover efforts and plans to dive deeper into various existing markets.
Australian kombucha specialist firm Bucha of Byron is looking beyond its traditional health conscious clientele to also target consumers seeking alcoholic beverages with a better-for-you twist.
Seafood giant Thai Union has revealed how it is looking to broaden its healthier products portfolio including ready-to-eat (RTE) meals, on the back of significant investment in Singapore low-GI firm Alchemy Foodtech.
Singapore-based ice cream firm Kelato Dolce plans to first build up its market with health-conscious dessert lovers, before expanding to cater to more niche areas with products offering more functional benefits.
The yoghurt industry in the Asia Pacific region has highlighted continuous innovation, particularly in terms of flavours and formats, as the key driver to remaining relevant in the eyes of local consumers - despite the sector being one of the oldest in...
Singapore-based foodtech firm Nutrition Innovation is bringing its sugar reduction technology Nucane Life to Malaysia in partnership with local sugar giant CSR, offering local food manufacturers a clean label option for reformulation with added functional...
Almond milk is rapidly gaining in demand in India’s plant-based sector, according to local traditional and plant-based dairy firm Epigamia, which says its research showed this topped the list among consumer demands for product innovation.
Australian retail giant Woolworths is eyeing a major boost in plant-based and healthier reformulated product options to be part of its portfolio as part of its sustainability plan to be implemented over the next five years until 2025.
Despite the many challenges COVID-19 pandemic has brought for the food and beverage industry in 2020, growth has remained top-of-mind for most food firms. Here we bring you some of the 2021 market priorities for three major brands…
A Thai energy drink brand is introducing healthier versions of its products as it enters the domestic market, including less sugar and a higher nutrient content, to attract the growing skilled work force in the country.
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.
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...
Malaysia-based and Australia-listed food tech firm Holista Colltech has set its sights on marketing its low-GI bread premix in several APAC markets after a successful partnership in the United States with bakery manufacturer Costanzo’s.
New research has criticised the rapid rise in ultra-processed food consumption in Asia over public health concerns, urging total avoidance of these foods, but others are urging further research into the area in the name of food security before such an...
Thai seafood giant Thai Union has opened a South East Asian operation in Singapore dedicated to food tech ventures, citing the excellent opportunities to make good regional collaborations as a major deciding factor for choosing the city-state to set up...
Food product reformulation and fortification efforts still need to maintain good taste in order to ensure consumer acceptance so that these efforts don’t go to waste - even with the health and wellness trend growing in APAC, according to a panel of industry...
Local governments in Australia need to play a bigger role in developing areas such as boosting food product reformulation and limiting the marketing of unhealthy food products if the country is to create a truly comprehensive healthy food environment...
Cross-country food innovation team Swiftlet has developed what it believes to be the world’s first sugar replacement blend with a combination of multiple benefits ranging from zero-GI and zero calories to gut health value owing to added prebiotics.
