Focusing on flexitarians and doubling down on the perceived health benefits of consuming less meat and dairy is the best way for APAC’s sluggish plant-based sector to secure significant growth.
Nissin has committed to further product development plans for instant noodles using alternative proteins, after a first launch featuring plant-based ‘eel’ was well received in Japan.
Price premiums, unsatisfactory taste, and a persistent perception of over-processed products are the most common barriers to plant-based meat consumption in Asian markets.
Singapore start-up Hegg has launched its eggless Japanese mayonnaise in the domestic market and is looking to capitalise on growth opportunities across Asia with ‘localised flavours.’
Plant-based, better-for-you alternatives, and functional snacks dominate the latest accelerator cohort in Australia led by a Woolworths-backed accelerator.
NZ-based Off-Piste Provisions has outlined how consumer demands for healthy convenience food and a ‘chewing experience’ are key drivers guiding its product development strategy amidst plans for Australia and United States expansion.
Malaysian brand Amazin’ Graze’s says the addition of probiotics into its protein powder line-up has provided a more ‘complete nutritional profile’ as consumers look for a wider range of health benefits.
Danone has launched a dairy and plant milk powder blend designed for infants and toddlers in Australia and New Zealand – the first of its kind that the firm has introduced in Asia Pacific.
The China plant-based sector has lost ‘some of its hype’ and is far from a ‘quick win’, claims one of the category’s pioneers in the country, which has recently announced a significant new distribution deal.
Singapore food tech firm SoiLabs says it aims to launch finished products made from soy waste (okara) within the next year, and has partnered with Sanyo Chemical to accelerate commercialisation of upcycled foods in Japan.
Minimal processing and healthier formulation is key to achieving plant-based success in Asia, where health drivers trump sustainability concerns, according to a Thai brand that is blazing a trail in the category.
China plant-based meat brand Haofood believes that the versatility and affordability of its peanut-based products, as well as its clean labels, are key to attracting domestic consumers to the category.
The booming plant-based sector requires further scientific, technological and regulatory improvements in order to address consumer concerns and increase its commercial sustainability, say researchers in China and the US.
A sustainable and plant-based diet is key to mitigate climate change, enhance food security and improve peoples’ health in the GCC, but guidelines need to be grounded in realism, a new report claims.
Chinese plant-based yoghurt Jooma has detailed plans to expand to more tier one and two cities in the county, as well co-branding opportunities and a product range extension to grow the business.
Alternative protein company WTH Foods is launching an R&D facility in the Philippines in Q1 2022 to develop products better catered to consumers in the country and the wider South East Asia region.
Australian children's nutrition company Sprout Organic has launched its latest product, a junior plant protein shake, which has sold close to 2,000 units in the first four days of pre-sales.
The CEO of Eat Just has revealed how the firm is gearing up to expand its plant-based egg and cultivated meat business in the Middle East, in an exclusive interview following its recent announcement to establish a hub in Qatar.
Industry players are increasingly tailoring plant-based products to cater to the taste, texture, nutrition needs of consumers in Asia, with consumer awareness and demand showing no signs of slowing.
Scientists have found plant-based meats are digested differently from animal-based meats in a human gut model and suggest that these findings may facilitate the formulation of a new generation of plant-based meat analogues with improved quality and nutritional...
Diets with novel plant-based products tend to fall below the daily requirements for calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B12, while often exceeding saturated fat, sodium and sugar levels, according to a new study.
The UAE’s largest soda firm International Beverage and Filling Industries (IBFI) has expanded its beverage portfolio with a premium soda range as it strives to compete with global players.
UAE-based milk company Koita is aggressively expanding its online and offline presence in Singapore, with a recent launch into one major supermarket chain, and a listings in the works for a global e-commerce player.
New Zealand start-up LILO Desserts is gearing up to launch its plant-based cheesecake range in the country this September, and is also eyeing Hong Kong and Singapore as its first export markets.
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.
China’s agriculture and grocery retail platform Pinduoduo and the Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) have signed a research project agreement to study the impact of plant-based meats on human health in the Singapore population.
Sprout Organic, the maker of Australia’s first plant-based and organic certified infant and toddler formulas, says it is enjoying strong e-commerce pre-sales both domestically and internationally.
Thailand’s Tipco Foods is diversifying into the herbal dietary supplements and plant-based protein, as it seeks new growth engines amid a shrinking fruit juice market in the domestic market, its CEO told us.
Singapore’s thriving food eco-system in addition to its ambitious food security goals were key factors behind Givaudan and Buhler’s decision to open a joint Protein Innovation Centre in help businesses and researchers develop plant-based foods.
Plant-based meat firms in Australia need to overcome production hurdles and increase volumes in order to achieve price parity with traditional meat products and better appeal to cost-conscious Asian markets.
Nestlé has announced news of a 100% cocoa fruit chocolate bar made under its Les Recettes de L’Atelier brand, available for now in France and the Netherlands with other European markets to follow.
Ingredient suppliers are innovating in the delivery of mouthfeel and texture in plant-based products such as milk, snacks and meat, as interest in flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan diets continue to grow across APAC.
Plant-based foods formulated with more wheat gluten was found to exhibit softer and less chewy texture compared to commercial tofu, mock meat and animal meat products.
China plant-based meat start-up Hey Maet is working to switch its production strategy to ‘next gen’ high moisture extrusion, which could help reduce the number of ingredients in its products.
Singapore's first locally-made meat-free brand ALTN, manufactured by Tee Yih Jia (TYJ) Food Manufacturing, is eyeing exports to Asia, EU, Oceania and US by Q2 of this year, as well as launching in its domestic retail market.
Chinese start-up Starfield Food Science & Technology expects to launch its first plant-based retail product in the country by June, after two years of operations in the foodservice sector.
Kerry is preparing to ramp-up promotion of its plant-based innovation service to brands in APAC and the Middle East, while also doubling down on emerging taste trends and better-for-you product innovation.
Singapore plant-based meat start-up Shandi Global is preparing to launch five plant-based chicken products using its unique protein isolation method to convert amino acids into flavour, at a price point said to be one quarter of many competitors.
UAE-based frozen food producer Al Islami Foods has unveiled plans to expand its frozen plant-based product range following the launch of its first vegan burger this month.
China-based manufacturer Angel Yeast is set to open a new R&D centre in Yichang, Hubei Province this year to accelerate product innovation, with a particular focus on the plant-based sector and sports nutrition.
Thailand-based Sesamilk Foods is eyeing China and Taiwan as part of its global expansion strategy to increase export business from 30% to 80% in just two years.
A food tech firm headed by the execs who pioneered plant-based sausages in Germany and propelled Impossible Foods’ launch into Singapore are now looking for manufacturing partners globally for their new plant-based chicken.
The plant-based food trend is booming in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, but one Middle East industry expert predicts the Gulf will be the next boom market on the back of heightened consumer education and policy measures.
Chobani Australia has made its first venture out of the dairy yoghurt category with its first plant-based oat milk launch, with plans to develop a range of oat-based products in the pipeline.