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...
Three years after Singapore officially launched its War on Diabetes campaign, with the aim of ‘mobilising the whole nation’ to tackle the condition, we assess how the food and beverage industry has been a key ally in the battle.
Japanese start-up True Food & Design is developing a healthy, natural, vegan chocolate product that contains zero sugar, sugar alcohol and artificial sweeteners.
We take a look at the five top trends that look set to shape the Asia Pacific food and beverage industry in 2020, from fortification to cell-based development to sustainability and more.
The bioactives from honey could help tackle obesity by curbing appetite and Malaysian researchers are now making a weight controlling dietary supplement on the back of their studies.
By Rachel Arthur, Elaine Watson, Niamh Michail, Gary Scattergood, Flora Southey
Sugar taxes continue to hit the headlines, so we take a spin around the globe to look at some of the markets where taxes have been introduced or are under debate.
F&N’s new Singapore-based facility will house both its ‘future-ready’ factory and its product innovation centre, with a focus on expanding its range of health and wellness-focused products in a sustainable manner.
The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has announced tightened food labelling and advertisement standards in a move to strengthen the country’s Food Labelling and Advertising Act, with sugar and other ‘negative content’ claims receiving...
The New Zealand government has finally responded to the country’s Food and Beverage Industry Taskforce on Addressing Factors Contributing to Obesity’s report and its list of 51 recommendations.
Australia and New Zealand ministers have opted to keep implementation of the Health Star Rating (HSR) system by F&B companies voluntary, although stricter guidelines for the governance of sugar, sodium and dairy will be enforced to ‘increase efficiency’.
The Philippines senate is advocating for the development of the country’s sugarcane industry instead of overall deregulation, in the wake of various setbacks that have battered the sector in recent months.
The Australian non-alcoholic beverage industry has been urged to ‘shift gears’ and up the ante in order to hit its 2025 sugar reduction pledge targets after its latest progress report revealed a ‘significant’ 7% reduction overall.
Asian consumers are moving towards chocolate snack foods that have a typically less sweet flavour profile and are more open to savoury flavours, with darker chocolate flavours proving most popular.
Consumer interest in sugar and calorie reduction is growing in the Middle East, but manufacturers are faced with the double challenge of maintaining sweetness and compensating for the loss of mouthfeel.
The Moroccan Parliament is reviewing its 2020 finance bill including introducing a tax on beverages sweetened with sugar, after cancelling last year’s proposed tax due to pressure from manufacturers.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a set of legislations four years in the making, which would see F&B manufacturers banned from selling or promoting foods high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) in or around school premises.
Stevia producer PureCircle is seeking to ramp-up production for the China market after receiving a patent for its stevia Reb M sweetener in the country.
Nestle’s Australian confectionery brand Allen’s has launched a 25% less sugar range of lollies amidst soaring demand for more natural and healthy ingredients.
Holista CollTech and SunFresh Fruit Hub have entered an R&D collaboration to co-develop healthier ingredients for the bubble tea industry, which are lower GI pearls, sugar syrup, and brown sugar.
Sugar reduction and fortification are replacing salt and trans-fat reduction as reformulation priorities, according to trade association Food Industry Asia (FIA).
The Philippines Senate House Committee on Ways and Means expressed ‘dismay’ over the payout of sugar taxes under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act to the ‘intended beneficiaries’ within the sugar industry, particularly sugar farmers.
A ban on all junk food advertising before 9pm has been recommended in Malaysia, with an obesity prevention experts claiming it will complement the health effects of the country’s recently-implemented sugar tax.
Singapore is set to introduce mandatory colour-coded front-of-pack nutrition label and ban advertising for pre-packaged sugar sweetened beverages (SSB), a move that has caused the industry to voice doubts, while health policy experts have welcomed the...
The Philippines Senate panel has recommended that a bill to increase taxes on alcohol and other ‘sin’ products under Phase 2 of the controversial TRAIN law be passed, amidst government lauding of the first phase’s success.
Food items with lower Health Star Ratings have been found to be discounted more frequently and heavily than their healthier counterparts, a recent Australian study has revealed.
Malaysian start-up Pontonguler’s new low-calorie, diabetic-friendly condensed milk made with stevia could hold the answer to the local government’s concern over the rising rates of chronic diseases in the country, particularly for beverages not covered...
The food and beverage industry in Australia has expressed ‘full support’ for the addition of information about added sugar onto food and beverage labels – but want this to be consistent with the Health Star Rating (HSR) system to avoid negatively affecting...
