‘Imported’ flavours that are traditionally more western in origin have been rapidly gaining popularity in the APAC chocolate sector because consumers associate these with indulgence and adventure.
Researchers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are urging policymakers to crack down on caffeinated energy drink consumption among school children, despite only 2% of those surveyed consuming them on a daily basis.
New liquid sweetener brand Zerup believes its products will open new avenues for more beverages in Singapore to go zero-sugar with no compromise on taste, helping firms to comply with the local Nutri-Grade requirements more easily.
Beverage heavyweight Kirin Holdings has outlined plans to implement ‘aggressive measures’ across beer and sugar-free innovation, to recover from the negative impact of cost increases.
Singapore-based Gryphon Tea Company has updated its cold-brewed tea range with “no added sugar” formulations, which the firm says has helped it keep up with the better-for-you trend and reach out to a bigger pool of health-conscious consumers.
Cargill-owned Aalst Chocolate is putting “substantial investment” into insights-driven R&D, customised products, and strengthening of its bean-to-bar supply chain to push growth in Asia and beyond.
Singapore-based start-up Noce Nuts says that consumers are willing to pay a premium for nut butters that are customised to their preferred taste and texture, including reduced sugar and salt options.
New data from Thailand claims almost all ultra-processed food (UPF) products exceed the recommended daily amount of sodium and lack essential nutrients and minerals.
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.
Asia Pacific consumers are increasingly demanding a combination of affordability, health and tastiness when making their food and beverage purchasing decisions, driving the rise of what is known as the ‘and’ consumer.
Thailand-based Hippo Energy Drink believes that its combination of health, natural ingredients and low sugar offerings can help it build on its initial success in South East Asia and take on major brand competitors in the category.
Further research is needed to translate nutrient-based breakfast guidelines into more user-friendly, food-based recommendations that consumers can easily understand and implement in their daily lives, says a study conducted in Indonesia.
The sugar tax as implemented in the Philippines will lead to health and economic improvements, but to a lesser extent that if it had been enacted in its original form, new data suggests.
Data from the large-scale Singapore Chinese Health Study has shown that all consumers can reduce their risk of later cognitive impairment by switching to a healthier diet at any age, as revealed by the study’s principal investigator at the recent Growth...
India’s Beyond Water has launched its first ready-to-drink (RTD) iced tea in India, tapping on high-quality tea sourcing and consumers demand for healthier beverages.
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.
New Nestle data has revealed the major micronutrient gaps faced by many toddlers and school-age children in the Asia Pacific region, as well as the important role that fortified foods and beverages can play in addressing these needs.
Beverage products entering the Middle Eastern market need to be clean label and low in sugar in order to gain a strong local foothold, with both regulatory pressure and consumer demand firmly pushing trends in this direction.
China energy beverage giant EastRoc will continue to use sugar as a primary ingredient in its best-selling products despite rising costs and a rapidly growing sugar-free trend in major cities.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) has stressed that existing local guidelines do not endorse the replacement of sugar with sweeteners for weight loss, while joining calls for more localised research to be conducted on its impacts.
Thailand’s Boonprasert Confectionery is evolving its innovation strategy to focus on the development of novel formats and functional offerings to meet changing consumer needs in and out of its home market.
Experts have highlighted the need to balance functionality and taste to move healthy beverages into the mainstream in APAC, with some consensus that personalised nutrition, gut health, and mental wellness are set to become emerging growth areas.
Candy specialist Ricola is benefitting from the growing popularity of sugar-free candies in APAC after ‘quietly’ undergoing a significant reformulation process and despite not shouting about it from the rooftops.
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.
There are just three weeks to go until our FREE Healthy Beverage Innovation interactive broadcast - featuring expert insights from Dole, Asahi, Remedy and much more!
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.
Over half of all Chinese consumer still harbour doubts over the safety of both natural and artificial sweeteners on a regular basis, according to a recent nationwide survey.
Global food giant Kraft Heinz has revealed salt and sugar reduction projects for major markets such as China and Indonesia, with the firm stating its nutritional strategy is a key part of its regional sustainability commitments.
Fruit specialist firm Dole says its new Fruit Pops range is ‘more than a snack’, highlighting multiple consumption occasions including deserts and even cocktails.
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.
New data from Nestle’s new attempt to use the Health Star Rating (HSR) system to benchmark its portfolio has revealed a positive nutritional picture for its global portfolio – but a closer look at local assessments of APAC markets reveal the difficulties...
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.
An increasing number of young consumers are looking for novel alcoholic drinks in low or zero ABV formats, and are willing to pay a premium for the pleasure, say industry experts.
Swiftlet believes that developing everyday sugar-reduced food products such as snacks are a key gateway to integrate sugar reduction into APAC consumers’ daily diets.
Trends and Innovation Opportunities Across the Life Stages
Delegate tickets are now on sale at a special earlybird rate for our Growth Asia Summit 2023, as we also announce a raft of new content themes and high profile keynote speakers from Danone, Nestle, H&H and Dole.
Energy tea brand YATÉ believes that young music fans and night owls will be key for success with its yerba mate-based drink in Asia’s better-for-you beverage space.
The rise of new ingredients and innovations in the better-for-you confectionery space is shifting candies and other sweet treats into a guilt-free indulgence space, and has to the potential to progress further into the functional foods realm.
Singapore chocolate firm Tatgu used the pandemic to press ahead with innovation across its low-sugar and -GI, and high-calcium product ranges, as it seeks to meet soaring demand for better-for-you treats.
Australian guilt-free confectionary firm Funday has highlighted its unique gut-friendly ingredient formulation as well as its one-bag-one-serve packaging as major success factors after entering 3,000 retail outlets in the region.
Beverage giant Yeo’s has reformulated its portfolio so that all products will contain less than 5% of sugar by 2023, in line with both consumer tastes and upcoming regulatory measures in Singapore.
Lowering the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) while increasing parental and school health advice could help reduce childhood weight gain, according to a new study from China.
Vietnam-based fruit multinational Les Vergers du Mekong is banking on its centralised production location and fresh fruit-only guarantee to expand its presence in retail markets across Asia, on the back of a successful leap from HORECA to modern trade...
Ensuring that brand focus is maintained after joining a larger company is crucial to sustain and boost growth, according to sugar replacement start-up Swiftlet which has become part of Vietnamese conglomerate Senix Health Group.
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.
Australia’s So Soda is hoping for success amid the thriving non-alcoholic beverages category by focusing on flavourful and sophisticated drinks that don’t seek to replicate existing booze products.
Consumers in the Asia Pacific region will continue to be strongly driven by products with clean label and positive nutrition claims moving into the new year, with food and beverage brands also set to boost innovation to meet these demands.
Major Australian beverage firms including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have increased their sugar reduction commitments for non-alcoholic beverage products in a further push to demonstrate the efficacy of industry-led initiatives over taxation.
