FoodNavigator-Asia spoke to suppliers at the recent Vitafoods show in Geneva about launching new foods and supplements on the Asian market. What are the main challenges? And where are the most promising opportunities?
Vitafoods Asia trade expo will open its doors for the first time in Hong Kong to an expectant region in coming days – a culmination of more than two years work by the organisers of the show that has its foundation in Europe.
Asia Pacific markets are ripe for functional foods development as a response to the increasing prevalence of western diets, says Katrina Diamonon, consumer analyst at market researcher, Datamonitor.
A new Nielsen study on shopper trends shows an increase in promotion-seeking as a result of inflationary concerns, providing opportunities for manufacturers to gain strong shopper and brand loyalty.
Malaysian halal food makers have a number of opportunities in China's food market, especially in the Muslim population provinces, a statement from the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) said.
Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has slashed its revenue expectations for 2011 and has seen its share price slip to a year low, as it reported its second quarter results.
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) has announced that it will expand its cocoa processing capabilities at its facility in Singapore to enable it to keep pace with growing demand for cocoa and chocolate products from Asian markets.
Demand for immune health ingredients in Asia is growing at an annual rate of 6.2 per cent, with revenues expected to reach US$1.46bn in 2016 from US$958.6m in 2009, a research report from consulting and research firm Frost & Sullivan predicted.
US chocolate giant Hershey reported net income of $130.12m for the second quarter, with net income for the period up o $129.56m from $117.05m in the same quarter in 2010.
Volumes were boosted by continuing growth in emerging markets for SABMiller, who remained tight-lipped on its Fosters bid in its first quarter results.
Food and beverage makers should be prepared to move away from the conventional marketing strategies when it comes to countries like India and China, a white paper from UK-based Healthy Marketing Team said.
There has been no let up in the soaring prices for guar gum, with little hope of a downward trend emerging in the coming months, warns a hydrocolloid expert.
China and India are expected to lead a 30 per cent increase in global liquid dairy consumption over the current decade, according to new research from Tetra Pak.
Malaysia's Department of Islamic Development has approved halal certification for the Islamic Foundation Bangladesh, a move that opens up the Malaysia market to halal food makers from Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka will now longer allow the import, transport, storage, packaging, distributing, and selling of food products in packaging that can cause health problems to the human body.
Ingredients giant Barry Callebaut has confirmed its positive midterm outlook after posting a 7.3 per cent rise in sales volumes over the first nine months of the fiscal year.
General Mills is throwing more and more resources behind an ‘intellectual outsourcing’ project that has significantly reduced its product fail rate. But gaining the trust of start-ups has not been easy, says Kamel Chida, associate director of its Worldwide...
New Zealand-based dairy giant Fonterra is now looking at expansion in India after a successful foray in China, including a recent bumper bond listing in Shanghai.
Asian food safety authorities are increasingly considering health logos for food and beverage products that meet certain nutritional criteria to help combat rising obesity rates in the region, international food policy consultancy EAS said.
Digital technologies are creating major opportunities for the food industry, according to a new report from PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).
Ingredient supplier, Beneo, has announced a 20 per cent hike in the price of its sweetener Isomalt, citing rising inflation rates and the need to secure a flexible supply chain.
Private equity firm Lazard Australia is in talks with potential strategic partners in Asia to sell a portion of its stake in Australian biscuit maker Unibic Pty Ltd, Unibic’s managing director Michael Quinn told Reuters last week.
Puratos is launching its bakery enhancers in the Middle East and in Asia in response to growing demand for “western type” cakes with a long shelf life, said the firm.
At Vitafoods Europe 2011, Jess Halliday caught up with event director Chris Lee to talk about the show’s ambitious expansion plans into Asia and South America.
Australian biotech firm Marinova has reported “exceptional” demand in the US and Asia for its fucoidans, bioactives from brown seaweed researchers believe could help to explain the health and longevity of the Japanese.
Eight of the top 12 soy drink consuming countries are Asian with Hong Kong residents consuming the most at 17 litres per year each, according to TetraPak data.
Immature rice grains may contain ‘a remarkable amount of bioactive compounds’, giving them great potential for applications in nutraceutical foods, according to new research.
Pakistan’s Sindh state is set to make the iodisation of salt compulsory in a bid to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders in the state, where over 50 per cent of the population is at risk.
Spice maker McCormick reported a 13 percent rise in its first quarter earnings, boosted by cost savings and strong domestic and Asian sales, the company said on Tuesday.
The United Nations is promoting the use of zinc supplements in Nepal to battle acute infant diarrhoea that kills 15,000 under-5s per year in the Himalayan state.
The market for the sweetener sucralose is poised for growth, with global production expected to top 15,000 tonnes by 2018, according to the world’s second largest sucralose producer.
The Asia Pacific high intensity sweetener market is bouncing back from the blow dealt by the financial crisis – but while new growth is on the cards, natural sweeteners like stevia are expected to challenge old favourites in the next five years, according...
Danish food ingredient supplier Palsgaard is building a new US $30m emulsifier factory in Asia, with production scheduled to start in the second half of 2012.
International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) has said it plans to invest $100m in two new flavor facilities in Asia over the next three years, responding to increasing demand from Asian food manufacturers.
Fusion Nutraceuticals has developed a new process for developing granulated zero-calorie sweeteners that better imitate the taste and functionality of sugar with nearly ten times fewer calories, the company has said.
Rabobank has changed its view on the likely role of China and India in global dairy markets. It has abandoned the view that the countries will reach self-sufficiency soon and now predicts that they will call on the world market more frequently in the...
Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has finalized a joint venture with Global Agrisystem Private Limited (Global Agri), a Katra Group company, to commercialize its stevia extracts in India and the Middle East, the company has said.
DSM is launching a new line of natural flavours led by authentic taste needs in the Asia Pacific region, which can help flavour firms construct flavours with complex notes that appeal to different market preferences.
Experts from a US food safety watchdog are training scientists from Bangladesh on techniques to help eliminate health hazards from the country’s burgeoning aquaculture industry.
Westernised eating habits and the desire for convenient foods to fit into busy working lives are driving demand for food and beverage enzymes in South Asia, according to the president of Novozymes Asia.
Second quarter income for US chocolate maker, Hershey, fell 35 per cent due to factors such as charges related to its supply chain efficiency programme and the joint venture in India but Asia remains a focal area, said the company.
