The Chinese government has launched a three-month crackdown targeting sellers selling counterfeits or using fake certifications for food and other products via e-commerce platforms, while placing extra onus on the sites to ensure compliance.
The Japanese government’s new sustainability strategy has highlighted organic food production and increasing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to boost manufacturing productivity as major strategies to tackle its ageing workforce issue and hit its...
The New Zealand food and grocery industry has voiced its support for the potential entry of foreign supermarkets to break up the current local retail duopoly held by Foodstuffs and Countdown as suggested by a new Commerce Commission grocery sector report.
Nestle’s recent half-year financial results report revealed slower growth in APAC compared to its other operating regions due to continuing economic difficulties and likely local struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Food and beverage manufacturing firms in the Middle East have been urged by a panel of experts to upgrade their digital capabilities post-haste in the wake of increased industry challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic or risk falling out of the...
The ASEAN-EU palm oil sustainability debate, Nestle Waters' new commitment, Australia's meat carbon neutrality and more feature in this edition of Sustainability Snippets.
There is little chance of food manufacturers covering the costs of palm oil sustainability efforts, despite new research saying it would require just a 2% increase in prices, according to an industry expert.
Australian brands seeking to get an export edge by certifying that their honey is Australian-made could benefit from new DNA tech pioneered by researchers from the nation’s scientific research body, CSIRO.
Indian farm-to-fork startup Superplum is looking to expand its digitised cold chain logistics system to wine and other temperature-sensitive products after successfully making cross-country transportations of fruits previously not deliverable by land.
Pressures brought on by the ongoing climate crisis are predicted to drive the price parity and race towards product launches for high-tech dairy alternatives using cell-based technology and precision fermentation, according to a panel of experts.
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.
Better Meat Co is eyeing Asia as a major market to bring in a whole new category of hybrid, blended meat and plant-based products, citing superior health benefits and price parity as driving factors.
Australia needs to make policy and investment adjustments to prioritise new product development, sustainable packaging and digitalisation in the food and grocery manufacturing to secure growth – otherwise it faces stagnation or decline by 2030.
Alcohol has emerged as the sector with the largest number of counterfeit cases in India in 2020, with experts attributing this to a lack of enforcement as well as high profits available for counterfeiters during the COVID-19 crisis.
Coca-Cola coffee and tea cubes, cup noodle lid innovation, meat transportation packing and more feature in the first-ever edition of Packaging Happenings.
Product localisation, health, taste and affordability have been identified to be amongst the top drivers behind rapid innovation and sector growth for the plant-based industry in Asia, but sustainability must also not be forgotten as its importance continues...
The rapidly growing number of food firms emerging in the cultivated products space in China, along with imminent product launches, is expected to speed-up the regulatory process in the country, according to the national working group.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is taking action against 21 e-commerce websites selling protein bars marketed with ‘fake’ claims, including body fat reduction and muscle strength related statements.
The Australian meat industry has reaffirmed its commitment to its 2030 carbon neutrality goals on the back of new tools and technologies, even amidst the ongoing wider political debate regarding net zero emissions in the country.
The New Zealand food and grocery industry has lashed out against academic claims that the sector has heavily engaged in ‘COVID-washing’, or used the pandemic to promote ‘unhealthy’ products, calling this an example of ‘confirmation bias’ and ‘not based...
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...
Japanese consumers and food firms have gained an increased appreciation for local food products and raw materials as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic with many more looking to ‘support local’ although there are still multiple challenges to be overcome,...
Palm oil and sustainability disagreements have caused ASEAN-EU trade relations to sour even further over the past year with a potential trade war on the line, even as the UK has moved to soften its stance to cement better ASEAN relations post-Brexit.
Nestle Waters’ says it is committed to improving community access to clean water in Asia’s developing nations, as well as detailing a new US$130m commitment to sustainably manage its own water usage.
The South Korean government has warned organic food firms and sellers to ensure the authenticity of product claims made online as a new robotic authentication system will be rolled out in July to intensify fraud detection, and severe penalties lie in...
Suntory has implemented a new Internet of Things (IoT) system at its bottled water plant in Japan’s Nagono Prefecture, which is said to rapidly speed-up troubleshooting procedures.
Cultivated product firms with pioneering technology, a wide geographical focus and a strategy involving both short- and long-term revenue gains hold an advantage in terms of securing investments, according to ex-Beyond and Impossible Foods VC fund MD.
Mt Uncle Distillery has predicted a leap in demand for premium category spirits in Australia as it pledged to maintain its focus on maximising the use of local botanicals after bagging multiple top awards at international spirits competitions.
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.
The edible oil industry in India has lauded the Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI)’s recent enforcement of a ban on blended mustard oils, saying it is crucial to prevent adulteration and drive premiumisation in the category.
Australian retail giants such as Coles and Woolworths are placing increased importance on developing previously sluggish e-commerce operations in the hope of capturing consumer loyalty to cement future growth.
Australian food and beverage firms will need to snap out of pre-COVID-19 thought processes when it comes to supply chains and logistics and embrace more collaborative and tech-focused strategies, according to an industry expert.
New Zealand brand Vince has created dehydrated plant-based mince made entirely from vegetables, touted as a more sustainable plant-based option without the need for a chilled supply chain.
The South Korean government has poured in an investment over US$70mn to create a new ‘Fund of Funds’ aimed at boosting sustainability and digitalisation across the nation’s food system.
UAE healthy ice cream company House of Pops is anticipating a 250% increase in sales this year amid the pandemic, citing its commitment to driving sales across five channels as a key differentiator.
Dole’s newly-minted regional head for fresh foods has explained how exoticism, sustainability and a supply chain focus is key for continued innovation in a post-COVID world, drawing on his experience from having taken over the helm amid the global pandemic.
The cultivated meat sector in APAC is calling for the establishment of a non-biased entity to lay down proper industry governance and IP protection to provide a safe, secure environment for firms to share knowledge and collaborate towards scale-up.
Japan has issued a new set of interministerial guidelines for logistic improvement in its processed food, beverages and liquor sectors, calling for manufacturers, retailers and other stakeholders to implement changes to improve transportation efficiencies.
Malaysian hot sauce brand Molli believes that food product preservation need not be mutually exclusive from consumer health concerns, despite widespread misunderstanding that all preservatives are automatically unhealthy.
China dairy giant Yili has highlighted the use of digital technology all through its supply chain as a key factor for its new product development, having aggressively expanded its dairy portfolio in the past year.
Hong Kong-based IXON Food Technology, which has developed advanced sous-vide aseptic packaging (ASAP) to store fresh meat, fish and seafood at room temperature for up to two years, is building a pilot plant in the United States as part of its plans to...
The algal protein sector in India shows massive potential but still needs to overcome several challenges including regulatory barriers and attracting investments before it can come into its own as a sustainable source of alternative protein to meet local...
Food safety is a business-critical issue. People worry about food safety and security as much as global warming, pollution and poverty, research from confectionery giant Mars reveals. FoodNavigator hears from Dr Guangtao Zhang, director of the Mars Global...
Duo Duo Grocery (DDG), the next day grocery delivery service by China’s largest agriculture platform Pinduoduo (PDD) is seeing strong demand for fresh fruits and vegetables thanks to its patent-pending cold-chain logistics system.
Israeli cultured meat firm Future Meat Technologies has its eye on Asia as a major market for its products with China and India as key targets, after notching-up two successes in significantly lowering production costs this year.
South Korea’s first food upcycling firm RE:Harvest has developed a flour alternative from beer and sikhye byproducts which has a direct claim on carbon emissions, calling this a ‘perfect fit’ for F&B firms looking for options to hit the government’s...
The head of Dole’s packaged foods division has revealed how product affordability and access are at the core of the firm’s strategy in the Asia Pacific region, as it pursues plans to achieve further expansion in major regional markets.
The UAE has witnessed a marked increase in purchases of fresh fruit and vegetables, and dairy and baked foods, according to YouGov’s international FMCG report 2021.
South Korea is looking to expand its premium air-flown foods export target list to include other Asian countries from Hong Kong to Thailand after a successful pilot with strawberry-only export flights to Singapore.
Japan’s food manufacturing sector has been highlighted as the highest contributor to food loss in the country as the government announced its lowest-ever figure of six million tonnes, whilst urging consumers to do more by buying products ‘from the front’...
