Avantium has signed an agreement with Mitsui & Co. (Mitsui), to commercialize 100% biobased chemicals FDCA (Furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid) and PEF (polyethylene furanoate) in Asia.
Japanese media have reported that the European Union may no longer require radiation screening for some food products imported into the bloc from the beginning of next year.
In a move to placate farmers worried about the impact of increased imports as a result of the recently agreed Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement, Japan will be allowed to return its beef and pork tariffs to previous levels if imports jump.
Japanese consumers are eating more dark chocolate at the expense of milk varieties as interest grows in cocoa polyphenols, says leading domestic chocolatier Meiji.
New product launches containing collagen – the majority with a “beauty from within” positioning – have grown an eye-watering 250% in just four years, with Japan offering plenty of delivery and formulations lessons for Western companies.
Edible oil manufacturer Fuji will use its first research centre outside of Japan to focus on products formulated for the Asian market, the company said at its ceremony in Singapore.
Japanese conglomerate Nagase has revealed its predictions of country’s top food trends for 2015. Its choices are based on the anticipated changes to Japanese claims regulations, as well as consumer interest in new food experiences and ethnic flavours.
By Shane Starling at Health Ingredients-Japan in Tokyo
Japan’s innovative but restricted €25bn functional foods and food supplements sector is about to be handed a set of game-changing marketing keys by the government, industry players told us at Health Ingredients-Japan in Tokyo today.
Japan has a reputation for food innovation, and a new initiative by Nestlé will transform one of its iconic chocolate bars into currency for train travel while at the same time promoting a crisis-hit part of the country.
Granola has boomed in Japan because of its health promise and versatility and Western cereal firms could cash in further by playing up the trendy aspect, says a Datamonitor Consumer analyst.
The new Japan-Australia Partnership Agreement (JAEPA), agreed on 8 April, allows unprecedented access to Japanese markets, but it is not necessarily only the Australian meat producers who will profit.
Cargill says that chocolate manufacturers can now make the switch from soy lecithin to the “more sustainable” sunflower lecithin after Japan became the last country to approve the emulsifier.
Japan offers packaging companies an opportunity to develop more attractive products, with the importance of aesthetics built into its culture, according to market research agency Canadean.
More than 1,700 people have reported health problems in Japan after eating frozen chicken nuggets and pizza that could have been contaminated with pesticides, according to public Japanese broadcaster NHK.
In South Korea, more than 75 tonnes of US beef was passed off as coming from other countries over the first eight months of this year. It is said the illegal practice is to bypass restrictions that are meant to prevent the sale of meat containing a banned...
Prunes hold bakery promise in Japan because they are fashionable and highly regarded for digestive health properties, but there are challenges in the US given the fruit’s image problem, says Sunsweet Ingredients.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) lifted a ban imposed after the Fukushima disaster on food imports from seven prefectures in Japan.
A great deal has changed in Japanese society since Nestlé opened the doors to its Far East division for the first time 100 years ago. And as the company moves into its second century, Japan now faces a raft of issue brought about by a chronically ageing...
Australia exported a record amount of beef last year despite tough trading conditions, according to figures released by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).
The European Union’s (EU) meat industry federation believes a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with Japan, whose talks were authorised last week (Thursday), could safeguard and could even increase Europe’s share of the Japanese pork market.
Australia’s meat industry has warned that it is now “critical” that the Australia-South Korea free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations are concluded rapidly.
Changing trends in traditional key export markets are presenting both hurdles and opportunities for Australia's boxed-beef exporters, according to a recently released industry report.
Reuters reports that Japanese drink maker Yakult Honsha has confirmed it has agreed with Danone SA to continue talks on the possibility of the French food company to take a bigger stake in Yakult.
Japan’s second biggest confectioner Meiji Holdings has reported a steep decline in its first quarter (Q1) confectionery profits as its chocolate sales fall and it suffers from a “shrinking” gum market.
An oatmeal product, manufactured in and imported from Japan, has been found to contain low levels of radioactivity by food safety authorities in Hong Kong.
Demand for bread and ramen noodle products made with domestic wheat varieties is growing in Japan but the country needs to invest in its weak local production of the grain, government institute says.
Givaudan’s sturdy presence in China and Japan has helped secure strong Q1 results for its flavour division; with a 9.4% sales increase in Asia Pacific markets.
UK-based ABF Ingredients is manufacturing yeast extracts in China and targeting the enzyme market, as it has superior growth rates in these two specialities, according to the CEO of the company.
Japan’s functional food manufacturers have recently shifted activities towards the global market amid a shrinking population and declining domestic demand, claims an industry expert.
