The man behind Australian sugar-free candies firm Sugarless Confectionery Jacques Aubry has detailed how he plans to expand in Singapore, and launch in new markets including Canada and Zambia.
Rabobank has announced the 15 finalists – food and ag entrepreneurs spanning everything from edible spoons to plant-based eggs - who will compete in its livestreamed FoodBytes! Pitch competition on December 2.
Australian beverage firm Remedy Drinks is eyeing Vietnam as the next big market for its kombucha, banking on a rising health and wellness awareness trend and product ability to be transported without refrigeration.
Reduced-sugar and sugar-free candy and sweet options have been trending in APAC due to a rise in consumer demand for healthier options even in their indulgences – but is there really such a thing as a ‘healthy’ sweet?
Asia food firms with leading innovations in the areas of low GI and plant-based products are amongst the Top 45 finalists in the FoodBytes! Pitch 2020 competition vying for a US$10,000 prize and global recognition.
Public health researchers have pushed for governments to develop policies and guidelines targeting ultra-processed foods (UPFs) as a whole, instead of focusing on individual nutrients such as salt and sugar, based on the findings of a new study report.
Malaysian kefir specialist firm MayKef says it is proudly taking a ‘health over taste’ approach to its production and marketing as it seeks to extol the virtues of goat’s milk and coconut milk kefir over traditional dairy.
Stevia firm SweeGen is eyeing China as a major new market due to the local government’s Healthy China 2030 public health goal, which looks to significantly reduce sugar consumption in the country.
Free registration is now open for our six-week new virtual event – Growth Asia 2020 – which will feature experts from major brands Pepsi, Blackmores, Mondelez, Health & Happiness, Eat Just, Herbalife and Life-Space among the participants.
Thailand has emerged at the top scorer amongst all developing countries worldwide in terms of adolescent fast food consumption in a new dietary study, with the researchers attributing this to television and food industry influence in popularising ‘Western-style’...
In this episode of our Food and Beverage Trailblazers podcast, we speak to Dr David Kitchen, CEO of better-for-you energy drink Kanguru about his experience juggling both a full-time medical career as an ophthalmologist alongside his beverage entrepreneurial...
Japan’s Kirin Brewery will launch the country’s first zero-sugar beer this October, with ambitious plans to sell 1.2 million boxes or 150,000 hectoliters by the end of 2020.
APAC public health experts say they are optimistic that the UK’s recent moves to ban TV ‘junk food’ ads before 9pm will encourage governments in the region to adopt similar measures – but also want more comprehensive restrictions that cover digital media.
Singapore healthier sugar firm Nutrition Innovation is riding on consumer demand for healthier, less-refined products, especially post-COVID-19, to launch in several new markets as well as push a new commercial sugar variety.
Singapore food technology firm Alchemy Foodtech has its eye on China as a potential major market opportunity after the successful local launch of its GI-lowering Alchemy Fibre, with a variety of other GI-lowering products to follow.
Fortified, plant-based, and better-for-you packaged foods will continue to soar in APAC post-pandemic, with preventive health, wellness and nutrition now firmly ingrained in the conscience of consumers, an expert panel claims.
Researchers in Thailand have called for the government to pursue more aggressive public health policies in addition to imposing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes in the country after an advanced simulation model revealed that this would have little...
Australian flavour and ingredient company The Product Makers (TPM) has used its sugarcane extract (Saccharum officinarum) to create a gold coloured chocolate product, citing potential for its use as a colouring agent and as an ingredient for healthier...
The UAE’s hot climate, young cosmopolitan population, and rising health awareness has driven The Brooklyn Creamery to launch and manufacture its ice cream products in the Emirates.
Researchers in New Zealand have revealed that a mint product can control sugar cravings by suppressing the sweet taste receptors on the tongue, leading to an overall decrease in desire to consume sweet foods.
Sugar taxation has remained the most effective for of food taxation when it comes to reducing diet-related diseases as compared to taxes on salt, saturated fat and junk food, according to a recent New Zealand study.
Dark chocolate has emerged as a rising favourite for Indian consumers and one of the key drivers for new product development, along with other rising local trends such as sugar reduction, smaller packaging sizes and unique flavours.
The Singapore firm behind a brand of low fat and low sugar ice cream is now turning its attention to reducing sugar levels in Asian condiment and sauces.
The Singapore Food Manufacturers' Association (SFMA) has launched a new Sugar Smart Challenge 2020, a year-long project which aims to develop and commercialised reduced sugar or sugar substitute ingredients as well as finished products.
Foods and beverages sweetened with miraculin, brazzein and curculin - proteins found in exotic fruits that can be produced far more efficiently via microbial fermentation - could hit the US market in less than two years, offering formulators intriguing...
Energy drink giant Red Bull believes that product localisation and development of the premium segment are logical next steps for the market in Asia Pacific, even as its original formulation continues to dominate sales.
Australia’s implementation of the revised Health Star Ratings (HSR) system is on track with a focus on sugar and sodium reduction via a new nutrient calculator, as well as plans for 70% of industry uptake, the Australian Department of Health has confirmed.
Snacking has evolved from being a convenient and comforting experience before Covid-19 to a more food conscious and healthy activity during the pandemic, two market experts claim.
Tate & Lyle has completed its first clinical study on the consumption of its soluble corn fibre (SCF) on the glucose response in an Asian population, with the research suggesting it can offer significant benefits.
New Zealand firm Kiwi Kai has huge ambitions to expand its Maori-based beverage range Atutahi into Asia within the next four to six months, despite the range being just three-months old and facing several regulatory challenges.
Many big food and beverage companies in Malaysia have made commitments to improve product and population nutrition, but researchers have found these to be ‘weak’, ‘non-specific’ and lacking in comprehensiveness.
Both the APAC soft drinks and energy drinks markets are amongst the largest worldwide, but rising health and sugar reduction trends within the industry have dealt mighty blows to both beverage categories. In this edition of the FNA Deep Dive, we take...
The Philippines is considering implementing higher sugar taxes as well as new taxes on ‘junk food’ high in sodium and trans fat to offset the costs incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak this year.
Energy drink brands are striving to develop products that are clean, healthier and with greater functionality beyond providing an energy boost to meet growing consumer demands in Asia-Pacific.
Volume sales of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) have declined over the past 22 years in Australia by almost one-third despite the country's ongoing obesity problem, with industry leaders claiming this calls into question repeated calls for a sugar...
Researchers at universities across the world have not found any link between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and dementia based on results from the world’s first ethnic-Chinese specific study.
Malaysia-based biotech firm Holista CollTech has developed a new sugar formulation which is more intense, low-calorie and low-GI in hope of helping F&B companies reformulate products more effectively, especially in Singapore and Malaysia where government...
Singapore’s introduction of its new sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) labelling system Nutri-Grade has received a lukewarm response from consumers, with 68% of public sentiment remaining ‘neutral’ or ‘unsure’ about the policy.
Sugar reduction has caught up to become just as important as price promotion in the eyes of Singaporean consumers when it comes to making beverage purchases, according to a new report from Nielsen.
Singapore has announced a colour-coded labelling scheme for pre-packaged sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) based on sugar content by volume – a move that has already drawn dissent from the local food and beverage industry.
The food and beverage industry in Indonesia has voiced disapproval over the government’s suggestion to tax sugar-sweetened beverages in the country, citing a lack of efficacy data and evidence.
Legislations and government programmes to combat lifestyle diseases are driving demand for fibre-enriched products, reduced sugar and fat goods, and vegan dairy-alternatives across the Middle East.
Coca-Cola Amatil will renew its focus in the areas of healthier product reformulation and sustainability in its key markets of Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand.
Chinese tea brand, Nayuki is betting on consumers’ increasing health awareness to drive the sales of its ‘healthier’ sugar-free and fruit tea series in China.
Food and beverage companies in Indonesia have cited government regulations as the major factor for reformulation, in a country where 28% of the adult population is overweight, 22% is obese, and 35% of deaths are caused by cardiovascular disease.
APAC’s chocolate market is forecast to achieve solid growth in the first half of this decade, with sustainability commitments, bean-to-bar production and taste innovation set to propel the sector, as we reveal in detail in our latest FNA Deep Dive multimedia...
Coca-Cola New Zealand have announced a goal to reduce the amount of sugar in its beverages by 20% by 2025, including Sprite, Fanta, Powerade, Kiwi Blue water, Pump, Keri Juice as well as its Coca-Cola range.
Many APAC governments have explored sugar taxes to some extent over the past few years, but experts now say that although on the surface these appear to have been effective in driving reformulation, consumer behaviour and not taxation is likely to be...
