The Australian meat industry and state research body CSIRO believe that high pressure processing (HPP) tech is the way forward to create truly clean label processed meat products such as sausages and hams, though current high cost hurdles still prevent...
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.
Malaysian jackfruit firm NANKA has developed a range of alternative meat patties using young jackfruit pulp as a base, and is looking to achieve significant penetration in both the hybrid and plant-based meat markets.
Taiwan has updated local food labelling laws to mandate the inclusion of specific information on the ‘minimum sales units’ of prepackaged foods, as well as added provisions to allow for the use of electronic labelling.
Indonesia’s representative palm oil body GAPKI is concerned that it may not be able to produce enough of the commodity this year, given that added demand is expected as economies recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
India’s Ministry of AYUSH has released a statement that advised against the use of ashwagandha leaves in Ayurveda and products for therapeutic purposes.
An Australian online grocery retailer that sources the vast majority of its products is set to expand to Sydney, while also believing the business model could be exported overseas, with Singapore a potential future destination.
The search for the Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods is on and could very likely be coming from Asia, according to an ex-Beyond and Impossible VC fund manager.
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...
Indian plant-based dairy firms have taken to the courts to prevent their products from being delisted over the use of dairy terms, and are warning the battle will be long despite achieving an initial legal reprieve.
The New Zealand food and grocery industry has called for more restrictions to be placed on supermarkets’ private label products given the highly concentrated grocery retail market in the country, citing a potential ‘conflict of interest’ which could result...
Food and beverage brands with plans to expand or export into South East Asia should not be deterred by the region's current COVID-19 woes, as the rewards to be reaped for persistence will be worth the wait, according to experts.
Two-thirds of daigou traders in the nutrition and food space say that business is worse than before the COVID-19 outbreak, but brands are being cautioned not to underestimate the benefits of their endorsements as they rush to sell direct to Chinese consumers...
The Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) is focusing on the Middle Eastern region as a potential major new export market for Malaysian palm oil, and believes that its trans-fat free properties as well as cost advantages can give it an edge over other edible...
The Chinese government has published formal food safety and consumption guidelines for products nearing their expiry dates, after a recently-implemented anti-food waste law increased sales.
The South Korean government is ramping up its efforts to develop the domestic dairy industry after acknowledging a significant drop in self-sufficiency over the past two decades.
The Thai food industry has seen growth in both the manufacturing and export sectors so far in 2021 after overcoming last year’s pandemic slump – but the authorities are urging domestic food firms not to drop their guard yet.
Asia’s aquaculture industry will need to focus on accelerating urbanisation and efficiency to continue to thrive as increasing environmental and disease challenges are threatening to decimate those left behind, according to an APEC expert.
Online wine platform Naked Wines Australia says provenance is overtaking brand status as the key consumer concern and driving the independent wines sector to new heights, with the firm recording a 44% sales jump.
South Korea is implementing new food labelling regulations to mandate the inclusion of food safety instructions on the labels of all packaged fresh food products, in an attempt to prevent further food poisoning outbreaks.
The South Korean government has named domestic food and beverage manufacturing giants CJ Cheiljedang, Hite Jinro and Nongshim as the 2020 national top performers in terms of food production, whilst celebrating an overall increase in output amid COVID-19...
The Japanese government has revamped its national aquaculture strategy to focus on expanding seafood exports and boosting the productivity of select sectors such as shellfish and algae, after acknowledging that domestic demand will continue to drop.
The alcohol industry in India has slammed Delhi’s new liquor excise policy as ‘disruptive’ and argues that new measures risk creating the very ‘cartels’ it aims to prevent.
South Korean plant-based firm The PlantEat has highlighted the pursuit of weight loss, especially amongst the younger generation in the country, as a major driver behind the growth of the local plant-based sector.
The use of palm oil in the Asian food industry has become so vast and commonplace due to its versatile applications in just about every finished food sector that it will be near-impossible to find another edible oil offering all of palm oil’s functionalities,...
Australian online supermarket Geezy Go has big ambitions to reinvent local e-commerce in the country by committing to deliveries within 20 minutes or less, whilst also offering consumers the same product range as conventional supermarkets at more competitive...
Freight costs and marketing challenges have emerged as two of the most major trade hurdles for food firms exporting to the ASEAN market as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with businesses advised to be extra cautious when selecting on-the-ground distribution...
A new Australian government report on imported food inspections has revealed that nutritional label errors are the most common issue found amongst foods entering the country, showing a worrying leap year-on-year.
Foreign food companies looking to benefit from South Korea’s e-commerce boom are being advised to prioritise localisation to maximise reach, with the nation’s per capita online transactions having been revealed as the highest worldwide.
Mars Australia has stepped up its use of predictive technology and big data to boost its understanding of post-COVID-19 consumer purchasing behaviour, as well as accelerate its new product development and innovations.
Carlsberg Malaysia has posted a highly cautious outlook for the rest of 2021 despite successfully growing its net profits in the first half of the year, citing ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in Malaysia and impacts from its enforced brewery closure.
Consumers across the food and beverage landscape will simply walk away from brands that merely pay lip service to sustainability concerns, argues Fonterra’s APAC CEO, who believes that many are already ‘voting with their wallets’.
Nestle has revealed that its newly-upgraded R&D centre in Singapore will place heavy focus on areas such as food upcycling and plant-based innovation, while also announcing the launch of a new ASEAN-specific R&D Accelerator.
The New Zealand food industry is calling for an updated national nutrition study to find out accurate folic acid intake levels in order to ensure that the government is not ’flying blind’ in its recent decision to mandate the addition of this to flour.
Its latest report highlights the new 2020 Rainforest Alliance certification programme (which has replaced former Rainforest Alliance and UTZ programmes since July 2021), the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has worked to transform the cocoa...
The Chinese government has published new consumer guidelines focused on sesame oil, in which consumers have been warned to look out for adulterated or blended products over fears of food safety issues.
From genomics to big data, and handheld devices to artificial intelligence, the food industry is awash with new innovations to improve food safety, as the sector seeks to assuage heightened consumer concerns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seafood multinational giant Thai Union is using the principles of forensic science to prevent food fraud, leveraging on DNA technologies to provide traceability and authentication for its seafood products.
Singapore-based Future Ready Food Safety Hub, known as FRESH, will focus on novel foods, aquaculture and agriculture to support the nation’s food security goals and meet the needs of consumers.
The Japanese government is seeking to strengthen its food security measures in the wake of COVID-19 supply constraints to prevent product shortages in a future crisis.
The new executive leadership team at the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) says Asian markets, and not just western countries as has been the norm, are increasingly demanding sustainability improvements in the sector.
Golden Rice will be priced ‘very competitively’ once it hits the market in the Philippines in 2023, after the country recently granted a world-first regulatory approval for commercial propagation.
New Zealand’s only tea estate Zealong Tea is planning its entry strategy into the Asian market with premiumisation, health, traceability and its organic offerings as key components.
Chinese dairy giant Yili has predicted that local consumer demand for value-added and sustainable dairy is likely to increase over the next decade, with the backing of technological innovation to solve local industry challenges.
South Korea has expanded its key food export target destinations to include ‘New Northern’ countries such as Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan after seeing record-setting sales of both fresh and processed food exports take off in the region.
The new leadership team at the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) has revealed plans to increase industry engagement as well as diversify the country’s major export markets beyond China and India.
The South Korean government has stepped up tax and financial support for food companies as part of its overall economic policy for the second half of 2021 in response to rising global grain prices and the domestic reliance on imports.
