Stronger government regulatory support and the ‘debunking’ of myths surrounding hemp are still at a ‘crucial’ stage in Asia, the success of which is key to unlocking its active nutrition potential.
Australia’s Kommunity Brew believes that hemp has the potential to feature more widely in its NPD and innovation strategies, amidst the addition of more local acquisitions to its healthier beverage portfolio.
Hemp Foods Australia hopes to create higher value products in the functional food space, as well as targets expansion in New Zealand, Japan, and the United States.
The Thai government has announced new regulatory edicts specifying tighter regulatory control over the use of hemp and CBD in food and seasonings, just three months after announcing the decriminalisation of cannabis in the country.
Australian researchers have been awarded $530,543 to develop hemp varieties of high nutritional value that are best-suited to local conditions, in order to boost opportunities across functional foods and nutraceuticals.
India’s hemp industry is predicting a wave of product innovation, from protein bars to flavoured powders and snacks, in the wake of recent regulatory advances that will see hemp seed, oil and flour products classed as food for the first time.
Global food MNC Thai Union has revealed that it is eyeing several major business opportunities to be found in the hemp and CBD sector, from alternative proteins to supplements.
India’s Health Horizons has launched what it claims are the country’s first second-generation hemp-based products - a protein bar and a chocolate powder, with the firm remaining optimistic about growth despite slow-moving regulatory progress.
One of India’s pioneering hemp companies, India Hemp Organics (IHO), is gearing up to export its nutritional, medical and skin care products containing hemp and CBD products this year.
New Zealand hemp-based meat firm Sustainable Foods has revealed plans to scale up exports over the next five years with Asia Pacific countries its main targets, following a complete rebranding for its products and launching its hemp-based chick*n into...
A number of Thai companies, including CP Foods and DOD Biotech, have stated their intentions in developing new food, supplement and beverages containing hemp, as new regulatory developments unfold in the country.
Upcoming hemp regulations set by the Food Safety and Security Authority of India (FSSAI) will be a crucial turning point for the local hemp and cannabis sector, unlocking its potential for use in the ‘next wave’ food and beverage products.
APAC’s cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp sector is expected to progress rapidly over the coming years, especially in India, China and Australia where they are approved for food use, although many other nations are still wary of granting the regulatory go-ahead.
South Korea has established CBD content limits for hemp foods in the country, as well as established meal kits as an individual new food category under regulatory governance after consumer demand for these soared during COVID-19.
The New Zealand Hemp Industry Association (NZHIA) believes that the country “will miss the bus” if it does not start to quickly develop its cannabidiol (CBD) sector, after a new report suggesting it could become an NZD2bn industry was quickly followed...
China’s well thought out regulatory policies for its hemp and CBD industry have been key to establishing a controlled, and growing, open market for downstream consumer products such as food and cosmetics, according to an expert panel.
New Zealand alternative protein firm Sustainable Foods is planning a 2021 launch for its hemp-based meat analogues, which will be made will locally-grown hemp and processed using a private hydroelectric power plant.
New Zealand’s Movers in Hemp Innovation (MIHI) has received a $100,000 Māori Food & Beverage Development Grant from the High-Value Nutrition (HVN) National Science Challenge to boost the commercial prospects of the sector in the country.
With the Asia Pacific food and beverage food industry growing at a rapid rate over the past few years, and even more advancement predicted to come, we bring you three of the most significant emerging categories showing strong potential for growth moving...
In this episode of our Food and Beverage Trailblazers podcast, we speak to the co-founder of two hemp product specialist companies Georgia Branch about her unwavering belief in the ingredient as the way forward for the food and beverage industry, and...
Australian hemp snacks company Soul Seed has launched its first convenience-based snack into local supermarkets, which it claims to hit multiple major trends driving the healthy snack industry in the country today.
Coca-Cola Japan has set its sights on the local ‘relaxation drink’ market with a recent investment in newly-established beverage company Endian and its unique hemp-containing drink Chill Out.
New Zealand peanut butter firm Fix & Fogg has hedged its bets on high quality, healthier nuts and creative, New Zealand-themed product variations in an attempt to expand further in the Asia Pacific region.
Melbourne-based The Cannabis Company has released what it calls the ‘world’s first ever gin distilled using cannabis terpenes’, which sold out its first batch within just three days.
New Zealand Maori trust Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki nui-a-Rua Trust has partnered with Chinese hemp specialists Jinzhou Qiaopai Biotech with an eye on the New Zealand hemp market.
Hemp seeds in New Zealand can now be treated as ‘any other edible seed’ as new legislation changes allow for it to be sold as food, said New Zealand Food Safety Minister Damien O’Connor.
A new wave of products containing hemp are starting to filter into Australian and New Zealand markets, after the long-banned product was finally permitted for food and nutritional use.
Last month’s decision to allow the sale of hemp seed for human consumption might have delighted Australian manufacturers that had hitherto been unable to stock their products on grocery food aisles, but the move has brought far less elation on the other...
When he heard the news that a council of antipodean ministers had decided to permit the sale of hemp seed as a food last month, Harry Youngman thought: “At last, they’ve finally seen reason.”
On Friday, April 28, Australia—and to some extent New Zealand—witnessed the birth of a brand new industry segment, when a council of ministers agreed finally to permit the consumption of hemp seeds by humans as food.
Retail sales of hemp food, CBD, and supplements posted $285.3 million in sales in 2016, according to data by retail research firm SPINS and Vote Hemp, a non-profit advocating a freer market for industrial hemp.
Currently consigned to pet food aisles, or products branded “for external use only”, hemp may soon be sold as a food in Australia, which in turn is on the cusp of a chia-style healthy-food revolution.
Australian consumers are initially skeptical about new superfoods but still consume them for a bit of "extra insurance" for their health, according to research.
Bursting with nutrients and boasting an impressive growth rate, the future of hemp seed is bright– but what’s the best way for manufacturers to cash in on a product that is connected – mistakenly but understandably – with an illegal drug?
Late last month, a forum of Australian and New Zealand ministers met in Auckland to discuss a number of proposed and recently implemented changes and additions to the countries’ food regulations. Once again, they voted against allowing hemp as a legal...
Even though a council of antipodean ministers has rejected calls to allow the use of hemp seed oil as a food, Tasmania’s government is planning to introduce legislation that will encourage growth of the state’s hemp industry.
Australia and New Zealand’s health and food lawmakers do not appear to be backing down in their opposition to the use of low-THC hemp as a food following a meeting of ministers in Auckland.
China might be one of the world’s biggest producers of hemp, but the quality of the crop is low compared to Australian imports, according to one of the first hemp farmers Down Under.
Food made from hemp has great potential for Australia’s economy, according to the Complementary Healthcare Council, which is urging the country’s regulators to recognise the plant as a legitimate source of food.
The decision by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to approve the use of hemp products containing low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the production of food has received widespread approval since its announcement earlier this month.
Australia and New Zealand stand on the verge of legalising hemp as a food source after the head of the countries’ bilateral food agency backed its entry into the food chain.
