Food firms need to be increasingly savvy when it comes to meeting growing consumer demands for fortified and reformulated products, in order to remain cost competitive in the current economic environment.
Food and drink firms reported sweeping reductions in sugar in the Government’s Sugar Reduction Programme: Industry progress update, but criticism was levelled against the industry for its inability to meet voluntary targets.
Beverage giant Suntory believes that a focus on ‘forward-looking’ sugar reduction will remain crucial for firms to overcome the risk of sugar taxes and achieve significant, long-term growth in the region over the coming few years.
Major brands across the region are continuing to double down on their reformulation efforts across sugar, salt and fat reduction after COVID-19 led to a rapid increase in consumer awareness and demand for healthier products.
Retailers in Australia should prioritise the sodium reformulation of private label products, which could help prevent over 500 deaths annually, according to a modelling study.
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.
Fruit product heavyweight Dole has revealed that it is focusing heavily on the use of new technologies and collaborations to overcome sugar reduction challenges for its packaged products portfolio, in hopes of reaching its 2025 zero processed sugar sustainability...
Beverage giant Coca-Cola has observed a rise in demand for beverages with zero-sugar and reduced-sugar formulations in the South East Asian region, which became even more pronounced after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Japanese F&B giant Ajinomoto has revealed its nutritional strategy for Asia focused on salt reduction with umami flavour at the heart of its reformulation drive
Food and beverage manufacturers in Asia have been urged to utilize two or more GI-reduction strategies when conducting product reformulation to maximise effectiveness and feasibility, according to Singapore food experts.
People suffering from diabetes or have a family history of chronic diseases were more willing to adopt novel staple foods, compromising on taste and cost, compared to their healthier peers, according to a study conducted in Singapore.
Australian researchers have identified bread, cheese and processed meat products as key dietary contributors of salt requiring sodium reformulation in a new study, urging the government to widen its focus on reformulating these foods to achieve positive...
South Korea-based food technology firm Phyto Corporation (PhytoCo) has doubled the sodium reduction rate of its world-first plant-based salt PhytoSalt - making it the only salt worldwide capable of reducing sodium intake by 40%.
Food and beverage products adopting the voluntary Health Star Rating (HSR) scheme in Australia and New Zealand are more likely to increase their HSR scores overtime, resulting in researchers calling for its mandatory adoption for the greater benefit of...
New research has criticised the rapid rise in ultra-processed food consumption in Asia over public health concerns, urging total avoidance of these foods, but others are urging further research into the area in the name of food security before such an...
Food product reformulation and fortification efforts still need to maintain good taste in order to ensure consumer acceptance so that these efforts don’t go to waste - even with the health and wellness trend growing in APAC, according to a panel of industry...
Local governments in Australia need to play a bigger role in developing areas such as boosting food product reformulation and limiting the marketing of unhealthy food products if the country is to create a truly comprehensive healthy food environment...
Join us live today for the final edition of our free-to-access interactive broadcast series – Growth Asia 2020 – as we focus on the topics of reformulation and fortification with a host of major brands and international experts.
Fortified, plant-based, and better-for-you packaged foods will continue to soar in APAC post-pandemic, with preventive health, wellness and nutrition now firmly ingrained in the conscience of consumers, an expert panel claims.
The Singapore firm behind a brand of low fat and low sugar ice cream is now turning its attention to reducing sugar levels in Asian condiment and sauces.
Ingredion EMEA has launched its first polyol sweetener -- ERYSTA Erythritol – to enable manufacturers to reduce or replace sugar to achieve nutrition-related claims, such as ‘no added sugar’ or ‘calorie-reduced’, in multiple applications.
Malaysia-based biotech firm Holista CollTech has developed a new sugar formulation which is more intense, low-calorie and low-GI in hope of helping F&B companies reformulate products more effectively, especially in Singapore and Malaysia where government...
Food and beverage companies in Indonesia have cited government regulations as the major factor for reformulation, in a country where 28% of the adult population is overweight, 22% is obese, and 35% of deaths are caused by cardiovascular disease.
Nissin Food Products (subsidiary of Nissin Foods Group) is reformulating its instant noodles to reduce salt intake for the rising number of Japanese consumers with hypertension.
Coca-Cola New Zealand have announced a goal to reduce the amount of sugar in its beverages by 20% by 2025, including Sprite, Fanta, Powerade, Kiwi Blue water, Pump, Keri Juice as well as its Coca-Cola range.
Many APAC governments have explored sugar taxes to some extent over the past few years, but experts now say that although on the surface these appear to have been effective in driving reformulation, consumer behaviour and not taxation is likely to be...
Consumer interest in sugar and calorie reduction is growing in the Middle East, but manufacturers are faced with the double challenge of maintaining sweetness and compensating for the loss of mouthfeel.
Nestle’s Australian confectionery brand Allen’s has launched a 25% less sugar range of lollies amidst soaring demand for more natural and healthy ingredients.
Sugar reduction and fortification are replacing salt and trans-fat reduction as reformulation priorities, according to trade association Food Industry Asia (FIA).
Keeping products tasty and providing clear nutrition labelling have been found to be key factors influencing consumer appeal when it comes to food and beverage reformulation in India, a new report has found.
Coca-Cola, Nestle and Fonterra, which all participated in the surveys and interviews conducted for the report by IGD and Food Industry Asia, reaffirmed to FoodNavigator-Asia their commitment towards healthier reformulation, especially around sugar reduction.
Malaysia has implemented its sugar tax targeting sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in the country, which has led major beverage companies to reformulate products in an attempt to curb its impact – but is this enough to meet the government’s goal of combatting...
Beverage giant F&N Malaysia will be reformulating some 70% of its products to mitigate the effect of the country’s sugar tax, which is due to be implemented on July 1.
Singaporean low-calorie ice cream brand Callery’s claims to have achieved every dessert lover’s dream of a guilt-free yet still indulgent product using advanced food science.
Coca-Cola Singapore has launched a new line of low- or no-sugar ready-to-drink (RTD) teas called Authentic Tea House, as the firm continues its focus on reformulating products with lower sugar content.
Ulrick and Short, a UK-based clean label ingredients supplier, is in talks with distributors and food manufacturers in the Middle East to enter the market amid growing consumer demand for healthier products.
A broad coalition of regulators, health bodies and food firms is pinning its hopes on a new 'Eat Right Movement' to help curb India's alarming rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Agribusiness giant Wilmar has opened a joint laboratory with National University of Singapore (NUS) to drive innovation in food technology and sustainable biochemicals.
Following the Australian beverage industry's recent commitment to a 20% sugar reduction across its portfolio by 2025, New Zealand's drinks sector says it is open to similar measures.
Far from following in the footsteps of Europe and the US, the Asia-Pacific region has the potential to be the global leader for food reformulation, in order to create healthier projects for its growing, and rapidly ageing, populations.
Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL) is urging food SMEs to reformulate products to provide lower salt levels, with grants totalling $300,000 available.
