Beverage giant Asahi has seen a resurgence of consumer interest in beer in Japan, but believes that some challenges are upcoming for other segments including low-alcohol and non-alcoholic products.
Qatari dairy giant Baladna is looking at more markets in South East Asia to bring its sustainable dairy self-sufficiency model to, after successfully securing and setting up its joint venture in Malaysia.
Nestle has highlighted its Australian business as the next major market to implement its sustainability plans in the APAC region, with a focus on regeneration and carbon footprint reduction.
Localisation strategies are crucial in order to achieve the ‘holy grail’ of food innovation in the Asia Pacific region, by combining health, taste and convenience, according to Olam outfit ofi.
Rising awareness amongst Thai consumers regarding the potential unhealthy connotations associated with long expiry dates is a key factor driving up the demand for clean label food ingredients in the country, according to leading industry experts.
The interest in cleaner and better-for-you snacks shown by big food and beverage brands, including Mondelez, Nestle and Vitasoy, is paving the way for a new specialised area of plant-based proteins to enter the market, namely the RuBisCo leaf protein.
Increasingly challenging consumer demands for products that can satisfy both taste and convenience needs are accelerating format and flavour innovation within the ready-to-cook (RTC) foods sector, according to Tyson’s APAC VP.
The Japanese government has implemented tighter regulations for organic food imports, with firms required to appoint specific personnel and use standard organic certification labels to avoid being rejected.
Emphasising the healthy benefit functions and innovating in a variety of formats is crucial for the success of probiotics, prebiotics and microbiome-related products, more so than promoting specific strains and ingredients, according to an expert panel.
Seafood heavyweight Thai Union has called for more big brands dealing in protein to hop into the alternative protein sector – but stressed that the motivation for this needs to be more centered on food security than profit margins.
The Philippines government has announced a ban on all prepackaged processed foods containing high trans-fats levels as part of its objective to completely eliminate their presence by 2023.
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), the company’s India arm, has attributed its move to reduce tea prices to its successful ‘Winning in Many Indias’ business model as well as a rare drop in commodity pricing for tea.
The ability to accurately convert consumer demands and preferences into real, technical product concepts remains a key challenge for the plant-based sector in the APAC region, according to industry experts at Roquette.
FNA DEEP DIVE: CULTIVATED MEAT & FERMENTATION TECH
Novel protein production technologies such as cultivated meat and precision fermentation are seeing consumer acceptance soar in APAC, but are still some way off achieving price parity for the everyday consumer due to challenges with regulations and scale.
The Indonesian government is to establish what will become the nation’s largest sugar company by 2028, aiming to seize control of the local sugar market in the same way it dominates the palm oil sector.
Social media e-commerce marketing is emerging as a crucial marketing platform for health products such as supplements to appeal to consumers in China in the post-COVID-19 era, while the role of daigou in Chinese cross-border e-commerce has drastically...
Both indulgence and affordability are emerging as major APAC consumer demands for food and beverages today, leaving a manufacturers with a paradoxical challenge that can only be solved using innovation.
Indonesia has decided to push ahead with plans to tighten regulations governing imported processed foods by introducing a risk-based assessment system.
F&B multinational Nestle has highlighted major coffee producer markets in Asia as being key links in its newly launched Nescafe Plan 2030, a sustainability strategy with an emphasis on regenerative agriculture.
The oversupply of infant formulas by various brands has led to a slowdown in revenue growth for Australian organic goat milk specialist Bubs, and the firm foresees that the situation will continue to include the upcoming Double 11 shopping festival.
Chinese dairy giant Yili has highlighted the vital, science-backed role that dairy is playing in improving consumer nutrition and public health in the country, by combining both Eastern and Western technologies.
Convenience for parents and guaranteed food safety for children are the primary drivers of growth for the kids’ snacking market in India today, with the category evolving to become an increasingly important dietary occasion in the country.
Vietnam-based fruit multinational Les Vergers du Mekong is banking on its centralised production location and fresh fruit-only guarantee to expand its presence in retail markets across Asia, on the back of a successful leap from HORECA to modern trade...
Nestle Malaysia saw its profits for the third quarter take a hit year-on-year due to rising commodity costs and poor exchange rates, with firm predicting that this challenging situation will not abate any time soon.
Regulatory pressure from Asian governments will drive food and beverage firms to use natural colours, with it rapidly becoming less of a trend and more of a necessity.
Global and regional plant-based protein brands should be prepared to face a reticent crowd should they plan to enter Japan at this juncture, according to the CEO and co-founder of alternative egg firm UMAMI United, Hiroto Yamazaki.
Snacking heavyweight Mondelez Australia believes that soft plastic packaging should not be viewed at as the enemy, but more should instead be done to boost its recyclability of this resource if the nation’s 2025 targets are to be achieved.
The Quaker Oats, Frito-Lay and Pringles maker has launched a series of videos showcasing how it is working with farmers in Thailand, Greece, India and Brazil to help them adapt to climate change.
Guaranteeing the supply chain stability of natural colours to ensure manufacturers can be assured of product consistency has taken on extra importance in the post-COVID-19 era, claims GNT.
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is establishing Dubai’s first e-commerce pavilion on its platform with the backing of local trade authority Dubai Industries and Exports, urging Middle Eastern food firms to hop on board and boost exports to China and...
Indonesian food and beverage firms have been urged to accelerate their new product innovation and digital adaptation to keep up with consumer demands, especially with multiple post-COVID-19 challenges still dampening the local economy.
China has expanded efforts to eliminate excessive packaging with rules now covering more food categories, in addition to implementing a multi-ministerial governance system to regulate the supply chain.
Beverage giant Suntory believes that a focus on ‘forward-looking’ sugar reduction will remain crucial for firms to overcome the risk of sugar taxes and achieve significant, long-term growth in the region over the coming few years.
Economic growth and rising health awareness are being tipped to propel nut-based products to be come household staples in Vietnam over the next decade.
China’s egg industry is preparing to make a significant switch to more cage-free eggs production in light of growing demand from domestic consumers and food manufacturers.
The Japanese government has found no evidence of genetically modified (GM) food ingredient crops posing any risk to surrounding biodiversity in its latest nation-wide study, seemingly further supporting the case for GM foods to be granted wider berth...
The winner of NutraIngredients-Asia Awards 2022 Start-Up prize believes its flagship product – a prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides juice extracted from yacon – could follow in the footsteps of Manuka Honey and become New Zealand’s next big exports success.
Thailand’s Chiangmai Bioveggie is focusing on exports for its single-ingredients frozen lime juice product, banking on the culinary heritage of limes in many Asian and Middle East markets, coupled with shelf-life benefits, for success.
Plant-based brands in China aiming to be listed in mainstream supermarkets and convenience stores are still having to educate retailers about the category, as well as extol the virtues of their own products.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has proposed changes to the scheduling of melatonin and green tea extract, with new dosage indications for the former and a completely new entry into the Poisons Standard for the latter.
Consumers in the Asia Pacific region will continue to be strongly driven by products with clean label and positive nutrition claims moving into the new year, with food and beverage brands also set to boost innovation to meet these demands.
The EU’s recent approval of its controversial deforestation regulation is expected to drive up the cost of palm oil and other affected commodities, and thus food and beverage prices, amid ongoing inflationary pressures that have already affected a majority...
Singapore spirits firm Proof & Company believes that its ‘world-first’ alcohol refill kiosk technology will lead the industry into a sustainable, circular economy future, in addition to fulfilling consumer hopes for lower prices.
Major Australian beverage firms including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have increased their sugar reduction commitments for non-alcoholic beverage products in a further push to demonstrate the efficacy of industry-led initiatives over taxation.
EU-proposed due-diligence legislation has been criticised for triggering unintended consequences across the supply chain, which begs the question: will such a law actually promote climate smart food?
Malaysian plant-based protein firm the Ultimeat Group plans to tailor its formulation and packaging to every market it intends to enter from 2023 to 2024.
The Japanese government has called on local food businesses and producers to co-operate more closely with local authorities and basic regional sustainability plans so the national Green Food System Strategy will hit its 2030 and 2050 targets.
Yili believes that the onus is on dairy companies worldwide to integrate sustainability into processes and product innovation if international carbon neutrality and sustainable development goals are to be met.
