CP Foods chairman exclusive: Seafood and tech tops plans for North American partnerships
Charoen Pokphand Foods (CP Foods), the food arm of Thailand-based global conglomerate CP Group, has plans to increase its level of partnership with companies in North America, and will prioritise seafood and new technology in its drive towards this.
CP Group’s US chairman Boonchai Opas-Iam-Likit (Boonchai) told us in an exclusive interview that investment in the US would be an ongoing priority.
“Since 2016, CP Foods has focused a lot on expansion into North America, starting with an investment of somewhere around US$1.1bn to purchase the Bellisio brand. The idea was to bring American food over to Asian markets, where more and more Western food is being consumed.
Mindful snacking: Mondelez sees product localisation and portion control as major chocolate strategies in South East Asia
Global snacks giant Mondelez International is looking at portion control and the localisation of flavours for its snacks as two of its major growth and innovation strategies for chocolate in ASEAN, particularly Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines.
Mondelez is present in all of the countries within the South East Asian region, with the company deeming it the ‘key growth driver’ for its chocolate business globally.
“We have strong focus on Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines currently, but we are present throughout ASEAN in all the countries,” Mondelez South East Asia Associate Director Marketing Chocolates Vikram Karwal told FoodNavigator-Asia.
“Although there are some demographic and cultural differences within the market, consumers are mostly similar in their consumption of and views of food and snacking, like with chocolates.
“With this in mind, our approach to new product development and innovation is based on two initiatives: Mindful snacking and Sustainability."
‘Hustle and bustle’: Coca-Cola Energy enters South East Asian market following successful Europe, Asia launches
Coca-Cola has launched its first energy drink into the South East Asian market starting with Cambodia and Vietnam to help consumers ‘keep up’, following successful entry into Europe and several other Asian markets.
Coca-Cola Energy made its debut in Spain and Hungary in the second quarter of this year, and has also launched in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia within the Asia Pacific region.
“Cambodia was the first country in Southeast Asia to launch Coca-Cola Energy in August 2019, [followed] right after by the launch in Vietnam,” Coca-Cola Marketing Manager New Categories Barry Del Rosario told FoodNavigator-Asia.
“[In Vietnam in particular], we recognise the pace of progress that is happening [there] today, [and] the launch of Coca-Cola Energy is our answer to [help consumers] keep up with the hustle and bustle of modern life.”
Caffeine kick: Coca-Cola Japan revitalises popular Georgia Coffee range
Coca-Cola Japan is looking to revitalise its popular ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee range Georgia Coffee with two products that have wholly different focuses: Georgia Emerald Mountain Blend Premium and Georgia Grand Bito.
“Both of these blends are sold in Japan only, under Georgia [which] is a very big brand – [we have various series of] products to meet all consumer needs, [whether it be] by generation, gender, working style, etc.,” Coca-Cola Japan Public Affairs & Communications Brand PR Manager Taeko Ohuchi told FoodNavigator-Asia.
The Georgia Emerald Mountain Blend Premium is made from ‘rare Emerald Mountain beans’ certified by the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, and is claimed to present a balanced ‘depth x sweetness’ taste.
According to the Georgia Coffee Japan website, only a maximum of 3% of coffee beans harvested in Colombia are certified as ‘Emerald Mountain’ luxury beans.
Matcha move: Nestle launches limited edition KitKat in UAE, KSA, Kuwait
Nestle has launched a limited edition green tea matcha KitKat in selected GCC markets including UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
It was made available in August in Saudi Arabia and September in the UAE and Kuwait, across major retailers.
According to Emile Douaihy, the business executive officer of confectionery & snacking at Nestle Middle East, KitKat Green Tea Matcha has been well received in other markets.
The product has been available in Japan for several years, and was launched in the UK and Europe earlier this year.
