Precision fermentation firms in the Asia Pacific region need to move beyond a technology focus to prioritise scaling up and commercialisation or risk facing major ‘bottleneck’ challenges when demand increases.
World-first liquid shio koji brand Hanamaruki has big plans to ride on the growing umami and wellness trends in South East Asia, after seeing success in western and East Asian markets.
Chinese 3D food printing firm MOODLES believes that this technology needs to be efficiently incorporated into the production of personalised nutrient-rich staple foods that consumers will eat on a daily basis if the sector wants to grow locally.
The Chinese government has published guide for food firms trying to meet its new excessive packaging regulations, urging industry players to ensure they are fully compliant in the next six months.
The Netherlands-based food tech company Meatable says it has managed to reduce costs and raise production efficiency of its cultivated meat products, which are on course to be launched in Singapore by next year.
Korean cultivated meat player Seawith says that collaboration needs to be balanced with competition to deliver a ‘great product’ for the market, as it outlines its partnership strategy on both B2B and B2C fronts.
3D printed cultivated meat firm Steakholder Foods is targeting cost parity with conventional products by 2028, while also exploring new partnerships to boost its 3D printing capabilities, which it hopes to fully commercialise next year.
Korean start-up TissenBioFarm highlighted greater enthusiasm among local governments to push for regulations and support for the cultivated meat industry, and has set a ‘realistic expectation’ to bring cultivated meat to Korean market by 2025.
Dutch-based plant-based meat and seafood firm PLNT believes that its sodium-balanced, high-digestibility alternative protein products are well-placed to gain it entry into APAC and Middle Eastern markets.
Cell-based meat? Cultivated meat? Differing views have been put forward by the FAO, WHO and industry players in APAC in defining the product, even though everyone seems to acknowledge that a common language is key for consumer education.
Singapore-based Vitality Foods has developed a range of plant-based stocks to address current flavour-related challenges in the alternative meat industry.
The Indonesian government has its eye on expanding meat exports to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where it hopes its halal certifications will appeal to consumers on pilgrimages.
Taking protein supplementation with resistance exercise training has shown to shorten the time needed to acquire normal speed walking speed in elderly suffering from knee osteoarthritis and sarcopenia, according to findings from a 12-week study.
UAE major conglomerate Gulf Marketing Group (GMG) has returned to its food manufacturing roots with the rebranding of its Farm Fresh meat and launch of its new Saporo spice brands, hoping to tap on the growing local cooking convenience market.
The FAO and WHO have debunked four key misconceptions and concerns surrounding cell-based meat, spanning tumour risk to a negative impact on the microbiome.
Australian cultivated meat start-up has detailed how it has been engaging with regulator Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) as it looking to roll out its first product down under by 2024.
Japan has moved to lift the restrictions for several food items that have been in place since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, but testing on one item in particular – wild boar meat – has dashed hopes of a clean slate.
Thailand-based food giant CP Foods has committed to further improve its food safety and sustainability initiatives in 2023 on the back of a successful 2022 financial year, but also plans to proceed with more caution due to ongoing challenges spanning...
As another country, Japan, announces plans to develop a market for cellular foods, we ask stakeholders how Europe can remain competitive in the global race to develop cultivated meat.
Consumer demand for alternate proteins is unlikely to end up growing at a uniform rate due to local dietary differences, much of which will still prioritise animal protein in the long run, according to an expert panel.
Plant-based brands in South East Asia need to step up their game by integrating unique health and localisation features to stand out in the increasingly crowded market, according to a Philippines brand blazing a trail in the sector.
The plant-based space is nowhere near hitting the premium space yet, with affordability fundamental in driving demand amid deepening consumer economic concerns, says Thai Union.
Koreans who consume diets dominated by noodles, dumplings and red meat have a significantly higher risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) compared to those who eat more vegetables, fish and soy products, new data from almost 45,000 people aged...
Thailand-based protein multinational CP Foods is targeting the full integration of blockchain technology for all products, after a successful introduction for pork and chicken.
Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has granted a world-first regulatory approval to GOOD Meat for the use of serum-free media in the production of cultivated meat.
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.
Cultivated meat pioneers GOOD Meat believes a stronger ecosystem and more collaboration is needed to convince the wider industry and consumers of its transformative potential.
China is ramping up its efforts to move past the immense impacts COVID-19 has had on the country over the past three years, including removing all requirements for nucleic acid testing on frozen food imports and reducing tariffs.
New Zealand’s Opo Bio is seeking to help cultivated meat firms cut out a large portion of the initial legwork needed to procure and develop suitable cell lines, believing that this will take help encourage commercialisation and target the mainstream market.
Cultivated meat pioneer Mosa Meat says it is still working to get full regulatory approvals to retail its cultivated meat in Singapore, despite the signing of a manufacturing agreement with Esco Aster for production in the Asian trade hub.
More studies are required before lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bacteriocins can be commercialised as a natural alternative to antibiotics and chemical preservatives in meat, say researchers in India and Spain.
The cultivated products sector still has a long road ahead in many markets in terms of regulatory processes, but this thorough vetting will lay a strong foundation of food safety and quality that will eventually yield benefits in terms of consumer trust...
Rising affluence is driving premiumisation and innovation in the meat sector in South East Asia (SEA), but there is still ample space for NPD, not least in the snacking category.
Increasingly challenging consumer demands for products that can satisfy both taste and convenience needs are accelerating format and flavour innovation within the ready-to-cook (RTC) foods sector, according to Tyson’s APAC VP.
Eating cultivated seafood will become a “more efficient” way to consume protein by slashing waste, while also removing fears over the intake of microplastics, according to Singapore-based firm Avant.
The ability to accurately convert consumer demands and preferences into real, technical product concepts remains a key challenge for the plant-based sector in the APAC region, according to industry experts at Roquette.
FNA DEEP DIVE: CULTIVATED MEAT & FERMENTATION TECH
Novel protein production technologies such as cultivated meat and precision fermentation are seeing consumer acceptance soar in APAC, but are still some way off achieving price parity for the everyday consumer due to challenges with regulations and scale.
Two US-based precision fermentation startups making real dairy ingredients using microbes instead of cows have announced significant developments as they gear up to launch next year in the emerging ‘animal-free dairy’ category.
Offering plant-based meat in a wider range of formats and targeting new demographics such as toddlers is key to attract new and loyal consumers, according to Kerry.
Malaysian plant-based protein firm the Ultimeat Group plans to tailor its formulation and packaging to every market it intends to enter from 2023 to 2024.
Insect protein-based foods in the Asia Pacific region have a distinct advantage in terms of production costs and are ahead of the curve when it comes to technology, but market readiness still remains the main bottleneck for the sector to fully thrive...
China’s plant-based and cultured meat market is getting increasingly competitive, but industry collaboration and product localisation are going to be crucial if it is to become more ‘relevant’ to consumers.
Disease outbreaks, such as swine flu affecting pork quality and the COVID-19 pandemic hitting supply chains, have raised the profile of plant-based products among lower-income consumers in Thailand, according to a brand CEO.
Food and beverage major CP Foods has identified the strengthening of its water management, food safety standards and healthy product innovation as key strategies to help the company with its business sustainability ambitions.
The expertise of global food corporations and VC firms is urgently needed to drive the Thai foodtech system and help build a regulatory framework for novel foods, while also offering more support to start-ups.
The long-term imperative driving meat alternatives is clear: We only have one planet, with a growing population and finite resources, and raising animals to feed them all just takes up too many of them, says Tom Mastrobuoni, chief investment officer at...
Thai Union has outlined ambitious goals for its in-house plant-based meat and seafood range OMG Meat over the next three years, including for its alternative protein sector to be bringing in US$30mn of revenue by 2025.
