Indonesian specialty coffee brand JJ Royal Coffee is looking to balance the authenticity of Indonesian coffee with localization trends to make its specialty products more accessible, as it eyes expansion in China, Japan, and South Korea.
Halal sauce brand Mahsuri believes it will soon have the ‘first ever automated soy sauce making system,’ in Malaysia, as it plans to accelerate R&D to tap on consumer trends around convenience, health, and plant-based alternatives.
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.
Singapore organic juice brand WOLF + WALD says ‘affordable premiumisation’ is key to driving sales as it innovates with flavours ‘almost unheard of’ in the region.
Long-established sauces brand Lee Kum Kee says it is keeping up with the times through flavour localisation, and staying attuned to global trends by introducing heathier options and convenience sauces.
Singapore upcycled beer brand CRUST Group has seen a CAGR of over 70% since its first year of business, which has catalysed its overseas expansion plans and diversification into categories beyond beverages.
Thai research team is embarking on a long-term journey to commercialise a herbal tea that has been shown to boost breast milk production in a clinical trial.
Thai instant noodle giant MAMA has seen its “healthier range” gain popularity in overseas markets such as Greece, but admits that more time is needed for such products to gain a foothold in its local market.
Cultivated meat company Cell AgriTech says it is benefitting from Malaysia’s advantage as a cost-competitive manufacturing hub as it outlines plans to roll out its first cultivated meat product by 2025.
Thailand’s Brownie House believes that the local snacking sector is still strongly dominated by indulgence and premiumisation, making an overly-strong focus on healthier options difficult.
Indonesia has recently launched the latest version of its master regulation governing food categories in the country with an increased focus on fermented beverages and the wider supply chain.
Vietnam has moved to implement regulations that will mandate the display of nutritional labelling according to national standards on all qualifying food and beverage products in the country, progressing from its previous voluntary labelling system.
South East Asia’s food tech expertise is offering a ‘huge area of potential collaboration’ to creating value-added Maori products, with significant interest apparent on both sides to pursue agri-food innovation.
Singapore’s Shandi Global has developed a range of plant-based products that it says are equally, if not more, nutritious than regular chicken meat, which will soon be brought to market both locally and overseas.
Nestle has stressed that a range of regenerative agricultural strategies will be crucial to tackle coffee production and sustainability challenges in South East Asia.
Singapore start-up Jungle Kitchen is targeting growing interest in sustainable eating and indigenous ingredients, with ambitions to bring its vegan ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products beyond Asia.
Seaweed snack giant Taokaenoi has launched several new format innovations of its products to capitalise on rising consumer demand for convenience and flavour intensification in its various target markets.
Thai plant-based firm Mantra is positioning itself as a viable alternative for seafood allergy sufferers, while also hoping to change consumer perception of “high-sodium” alt-protein products with its MSG-free offerings.
Philippines-based plant-based firm WTH Foods is in the process of expanding into both the European and South East Asian markets with its new low-sodium, clean label plant-based seafood products.
Malaysia-based Miaow Miaow says taste still tops health claims in the snacking category as it prioritises marketing campaigns for greater brand awareness in its key regional export markets.
The Malaysian Ministry of Health (KKM) has released a statement seeking public opinion to update the local statutes governing food safety and quality of milk products in the country, citing concerns of fraudulent or unsafe products falling through the...
The number of health supplements registered in Malaysia has been on the rise in recent years, but those classed as natural products, which consist of herbal remedies, has hit five-year low, according to a report released by the country’s health ministry.
Singapore mint specialist firm Haldy recently hit the market with its turmeric-based, Ayurvedic-inspired mints, which it believes has the potential to appeal to both younger and older consumers alike.
Singapore-based Confetti Snacks’ fruitful venture in the US has given the firm a better understanding of differing consumer demands in the East and West, as well as a boost for its APAC expansion ambitions.
Healthy snack brand SnackRight is seeking to withstand wider economic uncertainties by focusing on product improvement and shelf-life extension, in order to increase its sales channels.
Fonterra has launched a probiotic powdered drink in Singapore, and is looking to scale up SEA distribution to cover the ‘growing middle class’ in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Suntory Beverage & Food, the company behind health supplement product Brand's Essence of Chicken, has reported a decline in its health supplement business in Asia-Pacific (APAC) as a result of inflation during Q1 this year.
Children are the ‘toughest food critics’ meaning that healthy snack firms have to pay equal attention to taste and nutrition if they are going to attract mass appeal and help improve the diets of young people.
South East Asian biscuit heavyweight Julie’s is looking to capitalise on the rising trend of indulgence as well as the longstanding demand for chocolate products in the Malaysian market with its new range Charm.
Singapore brand Kelly Snacks is aiming to bring its locally flavoured and produced tidbits to overseas markets by this year, following positive responses from international customers.
The Philippines Food and Drug Administration is implementing new strict import guidelines for food and beverage items that manufacturers want to use for R&D.
Singapore-based kombucha firm Wild Boocha is tapping its expertise in stainless steel vat brewing as well as its unique keg retail format in order to effectively capture local consumer interest.
Fruit specialist firm Dole says its new Fruit Pops range is ‘more than a snack’, highlighting multiple consumption occasions including deserts and even cocktails.
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.
Nestle Malaysia believes that its strong focus on continued new product innovation will help it combat ongoing global economic challenges and food commodity cost increases.
Global food giant Kraft Heinz says investment in an upgraded facility and new sustainability pledges reaffirm its commitment to the crucial Indonesia market, while it has also revealed it is examining opportunities in the meat replacement space.
Carlsberg is to focus on its value-oriented and alcohol-free brands over the coming year with an eye on future-proofing the business, following its record financial performance in FY2022.
Singapore-based ANEW says it is tapping into parent company’s years of experience in food manufacturing to carve out a niche in the plant-based space with its ‘low-calorie, high-protein’ luncheon meat and RTE sauces.
Vietnam-based East West Brewery is tapping the traditions of craft beer to grow the category in its home nation, while also seeking to innovate with flavours to appeal to more mature export markets.
Singapore-based agritech firm Singrow is spreading the seeds of its climate-resilient strawberries into Malaysia, Thailand and China markets via franchise farming, while plotting further expansion through new investors and collaborators.
Nestle Malaysia has highlighted its ambitions to advance the domestic coffee sector by drilling down into local trends and improving crop yields via its NESCAFE Grown Respectfully sustainability strategy.
Chilli sauce producer Borneo Hot Sauce aims to raise its brand recognition in Singapore, following a promising debut which saw it sell 10,000 bottles in six months.
Thai seaweed snacking giant Taokaenoi has highlighted a combination of healthier eating, more constant snacking and the overall Korean Hallyu trend as a major driver for seaweed snack popularity in recent years.
The Indonesian food safety authority has published a set of strict standards to govern the presence of microorganisms - including probiotics – in general processed foods and beverages such as yoghurt or kombucha.
A recent study conducted by Singaporean researchers on the government’s Nutri-Grade front-of-package (FOP) beverage labelling scheme has concluded that more work needs to be done for it to make a positive impact on consumer dietary and purchasing choices.
The intake of rice with a medium glycemic index (GI) has shown to reduce the need for insulin therapy among women with gestational diabetes, according to a four-week clinical trial conducted in Thailand.
A Singaporean coffee start-up is bringing to the boil plans to distribute its cold brew concentrates and ready-to-drink products in supermarkets as well as expanding across South East Asia.
The Little Rice Company says its low-GI brown rice is gaining popularity in Myanmar, but the firm is faced with challenges in wooing consumers of its home market in Singapore.
Hitting the right balance between the sourness of lactic acid bacteria and sweetness is the crux behind the development of Yakult’s latest launch in Singapore, says the firm’s managing director.
