The flour industry in Pakistan has requested the government to exempt or at least subsidise all flour mills from taxes that would normally have to be paid in light of the sector’s significant contributions to food stability throughout the COVID-19 pandemic...
Lockdowns and trade barriers across Asia due to the COVID-19 pandemic have thrust rice - one of the region’s largest agricultural commodities – firmly into the spotlight potential volatility in both supply and cost.
Researchers from Asia, the Middle East, and the West are now trialling omega-3, honey, and even potato resistant starch, on top of vitamins and zinc, as they race to find products that could contribute to the fight against COVID-19 and its symptoms.
Foshan Haitian, China’s largest seasoning and soy sauce manufacturer, recorded profits of RMB5.3 billion (US$750 million) in FY19, up 22.64% from the year before, and insists it is on target to top that by RMB1 billion (US$140mn) this year despite the...
Japanese F&B firms in Japan such as Nissin, Ajinomoto, Sapporo, Asahi, Kirin, Kewpie, Hotei Foods, and Megmilk Snow Brand say they are battling to provide 'business as usual', despite the state of emergency in the country due to the COVID-19...
Australia-based The Lupin Co has seen a five to six times increase in demand for products such as its prebiotic-rich lupin flakes, flours, protein bars and cereals over the past 12 weeks.
Sales of alcohol and fresh foods on e-commerce in China have surged during the COVID-19 epidemic, with market analysts predicting that the changes in consumer buying habits are here to stay.
The COVID-19 pandemic risks causing widespread disruption to Asia’s commodities production, with wheat and rice set to be especially hard hit, according to a regional agricultural expert.
Several countries in the South East Asian region have moved to impose extended lockdowns, export bans and other heightened trade barriers in response to continued widespread COVID-19 infection rates within the region, posing a very real risk for food...
Food safety and export continuity have emerged as the biggest concerns for the food industries in Australia and New Zealand as lockdowns in the region continue, with the various food sectors attempting to allay public concerns.
Experts claim to have successfully deployed artificial intelligence (AI) technology to predict consumer purchasing trends in Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, and found them to skew heavily towards foods and beverages that are related to immunity...
The Ministry of Economy in UAE has stated that it has enough food to meet the needs of its citizens for at least six months, amidst concerns of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak which is showing no signs of slowing in the region.
The Chinese government has been pushing for a ‘return to normalcy’ for what it deems ‘low-risk’ COVID-19-affected areas within the country, but faces multiple challenges in the form of public anxiety over food security and relaxed control measures.
The huge demand for vitamin C has sent stocks running low for retailers and the situation is further complicated by longer delivery times and more expensive freight costs.
Single-use, disposable food packaging appears to have made a comeback rising on the coattails of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many consumers believe this to be safer and/or more hygienic – but are these beliefs truly warranted?
Thailand’s food supply preparations to battle the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak have focused heavily on local food productivity, covering both agricultural products and processed foods.
The F&B manufacturing sector has been classified as an ‘essential service’ by many APAC countries in as COVID-19 lockdowns are imposed, enabling factories to continue producing food supplies – but this has not been seen in some places which need the...
Snack-to-soda giant PepsiCo has unveiled a US$45m support package to provide relief to communities ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, including US$7.7m to be donated to European countries.
A lack of collaboration between ASEAN governments and the food industry could risk causing supply shortages across the region as several nations enforce COVID-19 lockdowns.
Hard-hit e-commerce players, including Amazon, saw a slight reprieve in orders last week, but marketing consultants with the collective Right Side Up predict that there will be a resurgence in sales in the coming weeks that will require brands to re-think...
Coca-Cola Philippines has opted to halt all of its commercial advertising activities and turn the original funds for these towards supporting COVID-19 frontliners and vulnerable communities.
The Indonesian National Police and Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have both issued orders to limit the purchases of noodles, rice and other staple food items nationwide in hopes of curbing the hoarding and panic-buying induced by the...
In the wake of India’s nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19, Coca-Cola India, Nestle India and various other big MNCs in the country have called for F&B manufacturing to be made an ‘essential service’ in order to keep shelves stocked and avoid further...
Pakistan’s Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has recently issued a set of COVID-19 guidelines aimed at the food industry in hopes of controlling the outbreak, amid rampant rumours and speculations about the virus in the country.
Singapore’s national regulator for health products, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), has removed a significant number of product listings claiming to prevent or treat COVID-19 from local e-commerce platforms.
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 health situation, FoodNavigator-Asia and NutraIngredients-Asia has rescheduled the Healthy Ageing APAC Summit from July 7-9 to November 10-12, 2020, at the Hilton hotel in Singapore.
The export slowdown of packaging materials from China in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak could exacerbate the shortage of products such as rice, flour, pasta, biscuits, and UHT in Australia caused by the current panic buying, according to the boss of...
New Zealand’s trade with China has suffered some heavy hits since the novel coronavirus outbreak began, with the meat and seafood sectors affected worst of all, although dairy has managed to remain stable.
Malaysia’s announcement that borders of the entire country will be closed for two weeks in an attempt to control the local spread of COVID-19 has led to renewed panic in neighbouring Singapore, which imports large amounts of fresh produce from the country,...
The COVID-19 epidemic has led to a rebound in demand for plant extracts with immune-boosting effects, but a China industry expert has warned there are difficulties in exporting the goods due to logistic supply chain problems.
The Philippines is looking to study virgin coconut oil (VCO) as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) which has since infected more than 80,000 people and killed more than 2,800 worldwide.
Beverage giant Coca-Cola has experienced some delays in its artificial sweetener supply chain from China as a result of the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19).
The a2 Milk Company said revenue from China was “above expectations” in Jan and Feb, but the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak had brought uncertainty to consumer demand and supply chain.