Middle East Focus: Healthy snack industry obstacles, Turkey’s first plant-based brand and more feature in our round-up

Freakin' Healthy: UAE free-from brand lists four major obstacles challenging the healthy snacks industry

UAE specialist free-from brand Freakin' Healthy is on a mission to tackle the four major obstacles currently challenging the healthy snacks industry, said its founder and CEO.

The firm is a subsidiary and partner of the Baklawa Made Better (BMB) Group, one of the biggest private label confectionery and chocolate manufacturers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

Speaking to FoodNavigator-Asia ​at the Gulfood 2019 show, Roy Koyess listed out four major obstacles faced by the healthy snacks sector.

Convenience, experience and sustainability: How food businesses can retain consumers in a fast-evolving retail landscape

Experts have identified convenience, experience and personalisation as the key trends that food businesses need to pay attention to in order to retain customer loyalty amidst the rapid evolution of the Middle Eastern F&B market.

The expert panel comprisied Lulu Group Executive Director Ashraf Ali MA, Nielsen Zone President and Global Consumer Insights Nick Papagregoriou, and Interstore Creative Director Bernhard Heiden.

Moderated by Gulf Gourmet Editor Aquin George, the panel convened at the Gulfood 2019 show in Dubai to discuss the consumer evolution in the Middle East, and how to revolutionise retail in order to meet these needs.

‘Careful and considerate’: UAE mineral water giant Agthia intensifies group sustainability initiatives

UAE mineral water market leader Agthia has stepped up its sustainability efforts with the announcement of new long-term goals and partnerships targeted at reducing negative impacts on the environment.

The company announced that it aims for all of its packaging to be 100% eco-friendly by 2020, as well as to achieve zero landfill waste by this date. At present, 100% of Agthia’s secondary packaging used in all of its product categories is already recyclable, and 99% of this is biodegradeable.

Honest growth: Expansion focus for Turkey’s first plant-based milk company FOMILK

Turkey’s first plant-based specialist FOMILK has big plans to expand in the Middle East and beyond, driven by its non-dairy product range that it believes meets a whole host of health and wellness trends.

FOMILK’s sister company Ronly Gida is one of the top hazelnut exporters and processors in Turkey. The country supplies 80% of the world’s hazelnuts.

“Hazelnut is a Turkish nut [and] we’ve been in the hazelnut business for 30 years, starting with hazelnut processing into things like hazelnut paste, chopping, roasting and so on,” ​FOMILK Director Cem Telvi told FoodNavigator-Asia​.

Saudi’s e-commerce trends: Preference for processed food dips as health demands soar

More Saudi shoppers are buying healthier food, such as whole grains and organic food, while demand for highly processed food have dropped.

Danube, Saudi Arabia’s hypermarket, which also operates the country’s first e-commerce grocery platform, released new trends observed in its online grocery shopping application Danube App last week.

Findings released showed that both male and female consumers are becoming more health conscious, with an almost “identical rise”​ in demand for healthier food, such as whole grains, organic food, fruits and vegetables.