Here's a recap of our 10 most-read F&B stories in August 2021, including sesame oil fraud in China, Yili's dairy trend predictions, an exclusive interview with MPOC and more.
Foreign food companies looking to benefit from South Korea’s e-commerce boom are being advised to prioritise localisation to maximise reach, with the nation’s per capita online transactions having been revealed as the highest worldwide.
Mars Australia has stepped up its use of predictive technology and big data to boost its understanding of post-COVID-19 consumer purchasing behaviour, as well as accelerate its new product development and innovations.
The nutraceutical industry has lamented a lack of clarity over a new factory registration rule that the Chinese authorities will be implementing from January 1, 2022.
Increasing urbanisation and growing consumer knowledge of nutrition appears to be fuelling the rise of seaweed consumption in China, with researchers reporting an uptick in its use both at home and in dining establishments.
Carlsberg Malaysia has posted a highly cautious outlook for the rest of 2021 despite successfully growing its net profits in the first half of the year, citing ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in Malaysia and impacts from its enforced brewery closure.
Consumers across the food and beverage landscape will simply walk away from brands that merely pay lip service to sustainability concerns, argues Fonterra’s APAC CEO, who believes that many are already ‘voting with their wallets’.
A company specialising in crocodile products is attempting to expand into the sports nutrition market for its supplement product – a capsule containing pure crocodile blood – after a recent human clinical research yielded favourable results.
The supplementation of citicoline has shown to significantly improve episodic and overall memory in older adults, according to a 12-week RCT funded by Kyowa Hakko Bio.
COSMAX NBT is opening its fifth and final personalised nutrition store in October under the South Korean government’s personalised nutrition sandbox project, with the firm believing that the concept is rapidly gaining traction with consumers.
Singapore-based WhatIF Foods recently launched its first Bambara groundnut (BamNut) milk into the market, and is confident that its R&D has produced products capable of standing out whether in terms of creamy mouthfeel or dairy-like functionality.
Nestle has revealed that its newly-upgraded R&D centre in Singapore will place heavy focus on areas such as food upcycling and plant-based innovation, while also announcing the launch of a new ASEAN-specific R&D Accelerator.
Researchers at the National University of Singapore have found a way to transform spent coffee grounds into alcoholic beverages rich in bioactive phytochemicals and amino acids.
Japanese snack manufacturer Calbee is conducting a sales trial for a dried apple snack to test consumer interest in the country as it continues to explore healthier new product development.
A study by Ajinomoto has revealed that the addition of an umami substance can relieve some of the stress caused by lower food satisfaction in people on a low-sodium diet.
The New Zealand food industry is calling for an updated national nutrition study to find out accurate folic acid intake levels in order to ensure that the government is not ’flying blind’ in its recent decision to mandate the addition of this to flour.
The battle over plant-based labelling in Australia is heating up with representatives from both the plant-based sector and the traditional meat sector coming up with their own research to prove their points.
Its latest report highlights the new 2020 Rainforest Alliance certification programme (which has replaced former Rainforest Alliance and UTZ programmes since July 2021), the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has worked to transform the cocoa...
The Chinese government has published new consumer guidelines focused on sesame oil, in which consumers have been warned to look out for adulterated or blended products over fears of food safety issues.
Osteoporosis sufferers taking vitamin D alongside high dose calcium supplementation have a reduced risk of cardiovascular (CVD) events, according to a study from South Korea.
From genomics to big data, and handheld devices to artificial intelligence, the food industry is awash with new innovations to improve food safety, as the sector seeks to assuage heightened consumer concerns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seafood multinational giant Thai Union is using the principles of forensic science to prevent food fraud, leveraging on DNA technologies to provide traceability and authentication for its seafood products.
Singapore-based Future Ready Food Safety Hub, known as FRESH, will focus on novel foods, aquaculture and agriculture to support the nation’s food security goals and meet the needs of consumers.
The Japanese government is seeking to strengthen its food security measures in the wake of COVID-19 supply constraints to prevent product shortages in a future crisis.
The new executive leadership team at the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) says Asian markets, and not just western countries as has been the norm, are increasingly demanding sustainability improvements in the sector.
Researchers at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines have started work towards breeding a new variety of rice with anti-cancer properties.
Sales of sports nutrition, chocolates and gummies in Japan have increased for Meiji, while functional yogurt and formula sales have slumped in comparison to last year’s pandemic-induced spikes.
Huhtamaki has entered into an agreement to acquire Elif Holding A.Ş. (Elif), a supplier of sustainable flexible packaging to global FMCG brand owners, with operations in Turkey and in Egypt.
Baladana Q.P.S.C., the biggest dairy and beverage producer in Qatar, has signed a memorandum of collaboration (MoC) to produce dairy products in Malaysia.
Emirati dairy producer Rumailah Farm will supply the newly-launched Address Beach Resort Fujairah with its range of dairy products, company officials announced this week.
Japanese consumer demand for Australian cider is on the rise due to flavour and packaging compatibility, but experts are also predicting a boom for domestic craft producers, despite a challenging regulatory environment.
Diets with novel plant-based products tend to fall below the daily requirements for calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B12, while often exceeding saturated fat, sodium and sugar levels, according to a new study.
International brands with an eye on Vietnam’s locally-dominated dairy sector can succeed in the market with a focus on the organic and premium space, as incomes rise and the middle class swells.
High-dose vitamin D supplementation has been found to increase the risk of falls among the elderly with a normal body mass index (BMI) of less than 25 kg/m2, according to a five-year long research project conducted in Australia.