Packaging Happenings: Rare Japanese whiskey packaging, Mengniu yoghurt pack recyclability, India label adulteration and more feature in our round-up

Rapid rise: Rare packaging and government support driving ongoing Japanese whiskey growth​

Exclusive and limited-edition packaging designs coupled with ongoing government support have been cited as two key factors behind the rapid and relentless growth of the Japanese whiskey sector.

Japanese whiskey had been overshadowed for many years by its more well-known counterparts such as Scotland and Ireland – but over the past few years there has been a concerted effort in the country to revive and grow the category.

Kirin, better-known for its beer products, is one company that has enjoyed success with its FUJI brand, both at home and overseas.

Sustainable strides: Mengniu overcomes recyclability challenges of dairy packaging​

China dairy giant Mengniu says it has overcome some of the long-standing recyclability challenges in the category with a new all-polyethylene (PE) yoghurt packaging concept.

According to Daniel Lin, Sustainability Director of Mengniu, traditional dairy packaging faces significant challenges when it comes to being recyclable and its impact on the environment.

“Many dairy products are using multi-layered packaging made of paper, plastic, or aluminium foil, making it complex and difficult to recycle,” ​he told FoodNavigator-Asia​.

In the right spirit: India launches strict standards for high-value whiskey to cut labelling adulteration​

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has formally launched a new set of strict standards to define high-value whiskey products, in a bid to further cut down alcohol adulteration in the country.

India’s alcohol industry is well-known for facing many challenges in terms of food safety and adulteration, even more so since the advent of COVID-19 which saw alcohol counterfeits topping the list​​ of overall counterfeit cases in India throughout 2020.

Sweet complexities: ANZ ministers want clearer definition of ‘added sugars’ ahead of labelling policy changes​

Australian and New Zealand ministers responsible for the region’s food industry have called for clearer definitions for the term ‘added sugars’.

The ministers convened as part of the quarterly Food Ministers’ Meeting on food regulation and policy matters, where a major topic of discussion was the inclusion of ‘added sugars’ information in on-pack nutrition information panels.

Although the meeting generally agreed on the need for such information to be included, concerns were voiced over stating volumes in a quantified manner.

India iced tea innovation: Shark Tank-backed Beyond Water launches first RTD products with strong health focus​

India’s Beyond Water has launched its first ready-to-drink (RTD) iced tea in India, tapping on high-quality tea sourcing and consumers demand for healthier beverages.

The functional beverage company launched RTD iced tea, available in peach and lemon flavours, last month across India.