Middle Eastern consumers’ rising interest in foods and beverages that are healthy and indulgent, yet still easy to recognise, have led to increased demands for brands to focus on clean label ingredient lists, according to Olam Food Ingredients (ofi).
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.
The role of governments is crucial to introduce affordable proper nutrition to mass consumers via the fortification of staple foods, particularly in countries with large populations such as India and China.
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.
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.
The commitment to and achievement of net zero goals must make real business sense for food and beverage companies in the region in order to ensure these remain a key part of business operations as opposed to just fulfilling a trend.
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.
The South Korean government is working to expand a pilot project warning consumers of excessive caffeine consumption, with a particular focus on children.
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.
The South Korea government is working with 15 big local food brands to develop more food products using rice flour as a wheat replacement to slash reliance on imports and boost food security.
A new scientific report highlighting the success of South Korea’s national senior-friendly food industry strategy claims the initiative can improve frailty, nutrition, and malnutrition rates.
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.
Rising consumer concentration on social media has amplified the need for large and small brands alike to establish a digital presence and solidify e-commerce networks, especially in strongly connected markets such as China, South East Asia and the Middle...
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.
An expert panel with food industry heavyweights Nestle and Fresh Del Monte have highlighted the impact that nutritional education and product affordability have on encouraging ‘informed’ consumer purchasing decisions.
New data from the FY2022 version of Japan’s annual Dietary Habits and Lifestyle Survey has revealed that affordability and local production are the factors holding the most sway over local consumer purchasing decisions.
Middle Eastern food industry giant Americana believes that its status as a household name and trusted brand in the region will help propel its plant-based range Nabati, despite the alternative protein segment having yet to reach its full potential in...
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...
India has implemented new comprehensive food safety and quality standards for millets in the country in anticipation of a production and demand boom as the United Nations has designated 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
The food and grocery sector in New Zealand has acquiesced for the government to develop the first full version of the new Grocery Code of Conduct to speed up introduction, but has stressed that its administration will subsequently need to move out of...
Carlsberg Malaysia has announced a continued focus on its premium portfolio as well as some strategic new branding will be major parts of its newly launched five-year business strategy to cope and grow amid recession and inflationary pressures.
South Korean healthy foods firm PhytoCo has tweaked its marketing strategy to focus on both rising health and sustainability demands from consumers with marked results, having recently secured recognition from the national government as a provider of...
Higher purchasing power and heightened awareness of conscious consumption mean there is considerable scope to grow the artisanal butter market in Singapore, says a start-up that is innovating with a range of Asian flavours.
The South Korean food safety ministry has urged industry and other government bodies to increase its efforts to slash contamination in the food supply, after cases jumped by 19% year-on-year.
Brewery giant Asahi Japan recently released a new round of green bonds valued in the billions in local currency, tapping on burgeoning local sustainability trends to diversify its financing methods and achieve its environmental commitments
Coffee consumers in the Asia Pacific region are increasingly making purchasing decisions that are driven by by localisation and ready-to-drink format innovation, according to industry heavyweights such as Nestle, Suntory and Movenpick.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has assured food firms dealing in ‘vegan by default’ products that they do not need to have the new national vegan logo displayed on their products and need not undergo the certification process...
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.
Trade and economy leaders in Dubai are looking to position the city as the main food hub in the region, calling for more investment from international food firms and claiming its ‘political stability and ease of doing business’ are major draws.
Government and industry representatives from the palm oil and rubber sectors in Malaysia have urged the European Union (EU) to withdraw ‘highly demeaning’ clauses within its controversial deforestation regulation, punctuating this with a 500-strong protest...
India’s food safety authority has launched a set of formal standards for the premium Basmati rice variant in what appears to be a further step in its quest to establish it as intellectual property belonging to the country under the protection of Geographical...
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...
Placing focus on staple food trade with regions such as the Middle East and Africa, as well as diversifying its ingredient supply, have been crucial steps for Ukrainian firm Vtc Trade to enjoy business success since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out.
Nestle Malaysia has vowed to continue its progress in environmental and business sustainability areas such as renewable energy, recyclable packaging and plant-based product innovation even amidst current global economic instability.
The National Food Loss and Waste Initiative (Ne’ma) backed by the United Arab Emirates government still faces immense challenges in the form of cultural practices and consumer behaviour as it seeks to halve food loss and waste.
Taiwan’s largest plant-based food manufacturers claim consumers are increasingly adopting vegetarian diets for sustainability and health reasons, as opposed to religious factors, and say that recent government policies are helping propel further growth.
The kiwifruit sector in China is facing an uncertain 2023 after one of the most severe heatwaves ever recorded wreaked havoc on production, with even large firms having to rely on government aid to maintain resilience.
The South Korean government has announced a new food imports plan to be enforced in 2023 which will involve the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve its monitoring and inspections processes.
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.
The team behind a new soft robotics invention from Singapore is hoping to help ‘risk averse’ food manufacturers get to grips with the potential of new technology.
China has published new draft regulations for wine labelling standards in the country, with an emphasis on protecting domestic firms’ trade and formulation secrets while maintaining strict food safety standards.
Japanese beverage giant Asahi has updates its corporate sustainability strategy as is seeks to improve its chances of hitting its 2050 carbon zero commitments.
Food and beverage packaging giant Tetra Pak has highlighted the areas of value-added dairy and sustainable innovation as major drivers for its business growth in Oceania in the coming year.
The age-old ideas that palm oil sustainability must involve complex certification processes and premium price points needs to be scrapped in order to truly achieve sustainable goals throughout the entire value chain, according to industry experts
Aleph Farms aims to become the world’s first halal-certified cultivated meat producer, as it ramps up production capabilities for the commercial launch of its cultivated steak in Asia this year, while also laying eyes on global expansion.
The rapid rise of health and sustainability trends in the Asia Pacific region has made its way into staple foods such as rice, edible oils and salts, with extensive new product innovation helping to propel growth, our exclusive in-depth report reveals.
