The Chinese government has stepped up its anti-waste agenda with firms across the supply chain being required to prevent food waste and conserve food through its so-called ‘Food Conservation Action Plan’.
The Indonesian palm oil sector has urged the European Union to ensure that its final regulatory approach to imported commodities does not discriminate against palm oil, warning that efforts to replace it as an ingredient could lead to even ‘bigger problems’...
Taiwan is seeking to approve new regulations that will enforce tougher nutritional labelling regulations for all packaged foods in the country once implemented, in a bid to prevent ‘hidden’ or ‘implied’ messages from manufacturers regarding calorific...
Japan has urged all local food and beverage brands to ensure that processes are in place to transition to new origin of raw material rules, in order to keep operations running smoothly and avoid ‘disturbances’.
Sixty per cent of packaged non-alcoholic beverages (NABs) sold on the Singapore market contain high amounts of sugar and would be assigned under Grade C or D in the soon-to-be-implemented Nutri-Grade system.
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.
Regulators across Asia Pacific are paying more attention to the rapidly growing probiotic market and have introduced new policies to keep up with the category’s development, said regulatory specialists on the third day of our Probiota Asia digital summit.
Employing the use of Codex standards is crucial to achieving consensus for food safety standards harmonisation within the South East Asian region, according to a food safety expert from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO).
South Korea has unveiled new rules for using recycled material to make food packaging in an attempt to ‘prevent harm to the public’, while simultaneously pushing towards its 2030 plastic waste reduction goals.
Japan has laid out regulations for the labelling of plant-based products, with observers suggesting they are industry-friendly and should not pose problems for brands.
China has issued new, stricter packaging regulations covering food and cosmetics products to prevent what has been dubbed the ‘excessive packaging’ phenomenon, citing a need to prevent unnecessary extra costs to consumers and impacts on the environment.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has highlighted that nutrition has emerged as one of the most pressing post-COVID-19 challenges to overcome for member nations to hit the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
South Korea has announced new, tighter standards for food firms looking to label their products as being reduced or lower in sodium or sugar, starting with the nation’s most-consumed food product, ramen.
Japanese F&B giants Ajinomoto and Meiji have called for more harmonised food regulations planned in collaboration with the food industry address local malnutrition problems as well as ‘big gaps’ with international standards.
China has proposed new changes to its management of Foods for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs), such as prioritising the assessment and registration of products catered to patients suffering from rare diseases, as well as reducing the duration of product...
Taiwan has updated local food labelling laws to mandate the inclusion of specific information on the ‘minimum sales units’ of prepackaged foods, as well as added provisions to allow for the use of electronic labelling.
India’s Ministry of AYUSH has released a statement that advised against the use of ashwagandha leaves in Ayurveda and products for therapeutic purposes.
Indian plant-based dairy firms have taken to the courts to prevent their products from being delisted over the use of dairy terms, and are warning the battle will be long despite achieving an initial legal reprieve.
The New Zealand food and grocery industry has called for more restrictions to be placed on supermarkets’ private label products given the highly concentrated grocery retail market in the country, citing a potential ‘conflict of interest’ which could result...
The Chinese government has published formal food safety and consumption guidelines for products nearing their expiry dates, after a recently-implemented anti-food waste law increased sales.
South Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is stemming the advertising of fermented milk as products with health benefits, such as improving intestinal and immune health, in its latest crackdown on probiotic-related products.
The Japanese government has revamped its national aquaculture strategy to focus on expanding seafood exports and boosting the productivity of select sectors such as shellfish and algae, after acknowledging that domestic demand will continue to drop.
The plant-based industry in India is set for a further blow after it was confirmed the Food Safety and Standards Authority India’s (FSSAI) recent order for online platforms to delist all plant-based products using dairy terms will apply to products being...
The alcohol industry in India has slammed Delhi’s new liquor excise policy as ‘disruptive’ and argues that new measures risk creating the very ‘cartels’ it aims to prevent.
The FDA has approved an aqueous extract of the blue petals of butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea) – a plant native to Southeast Asia – as a color additive exempt from certification following a petition from Sensient Technologies, which described...
The nutraceutical industry has lamented a lack of clarity over a new factory registration rule that the Chinese authorities will be implementing from January 1, 2022.
The New Zealand food industry is calling for an updated national nutrition study to find out accurate folic acid intake levels in order to ensure that the government is not ’flying blind’ in its recent decision to mandate the addition of this to flour.
The Japanese government is seeking to strengthen its food security measures in the wake of COVID-19 supply constraints to prevent product shortages in a future crisis.
Food firms looking to enter China have been urged to pay closer attention to Chinese legal requirements and work with local authorities to ensure trademark protection of their products, following Zespri’s ongoing challenges with illegal gold kiwifruit...
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has again amended its rules on Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals, a matter of weeks after originally publishing updated regulations.
Novel food product development is rapidly outpacing regulation and consumer understanding, with experts calling for better communication and policy advances to ensure innovation leads to commercialisation.
South Korea has expanded its key food export target destinations to include ‘New Northern’ countries such as Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan after seeing record-setting sales of both fresh and processed food exports take off in the region.
The Australian government’s public inquiry into plant-based product labelling has drawn heated debate over the use of terms and livestock images linked to traditional animal meat.
The South Korean government has stepped up tax and financial support for food companies as part of its overall economic policy for the second half of 2021 in response to rising global grain prices and the domestic reliance on imports.
Researchers have highlighted the need for a healthier and sustainable diet to alleviate food insecurity in Lebanon, on the back of deteriorating economic conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has published new rules on the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals which will come into force from July 1, 2023, with increases in the RDA of calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin...
Australia needs to make policy and investment adjustments to prioritise new product development, sustainable packaging and digitalisation in the food and grocery manufacturing to secure growth – otherwise it faces stagnation or decline by 2030.
The rapidly growing number of food firms emerging in the cultivated products space in China, along with imminent product launches, is expected to speed-up the regulatory process in the country, according to the national working group.
Multiple South Korean ministries dealing with food, nutrition and education are seeking to reduce business and consumer confusion be establishing a one-stop information service platform to bring together relevant data currently ‘scattered’ across each...
The South Korean government has warned organic food firms and sellers to ensure the authenticity of product claims made online as a new robotic authentication system will be rolled out in July to intensify fraud detection, and severe penalties lie in...
The edible oil industry in India has lauded the Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI)’s recent enforcement of a ban on blended mustard oils, saying it is crucial to prevent adulteration and drive premiumisation in the category.
The South Korean government has poured in an investment over US$70mn to create a new ‘Fund of Funds’ aimed at boosting sustainability and digitalisation across the nation’s food system.
The cultivated meat sector in APAC is calling for the establishment of a non-biased entity to lay down proper industry governance and IP protection to provide a safe, secure environment for firms to share knowledge and collaborate towards scale-up.
Japan has issued a new set of interministerial guidelines for logistic improvement in its processed food, beverages and liquor sectors, calling for manufacturers, retailers and other stakeholders to implement changes to improve transportation efficiencies.
As the UK government launches a new mentorship programme to encourage more food and beverage producers to boost their exports, British companies have a golden opportunity to expand overseas, companies say.
This edition of FoodNavigator-Asia's Policy Picks features updates on radioactive fears in South Korea, more calls for the Australian government to rethink the Health Star Rating for fresh fruit juices, Japan's focus on processed food contamination...
