Sustainability Snippets: Mondelez cage-free eggs strategy, Nescafe China upcycled cascara drink, plant-based sector future and more feature in our round-up

Egg advances: Mondelez on why Vietnam provided great opportunity for cage-free egg adoption​

Mondelez has highlighted several of the key factors that needed to be in place for its adoption of cage-free eggs in its leading cake brand in Vietnam.

Cage-free eggs have been a major topic of discussion when it comes to supply chain transformation and sustainability in Asia, particularly in recent discussions between Malaysia​ and China​.

Many major retailers and brands from AEON to Nestle have made commitments to switch to 100% cage-free egg purchasing over the next few years, but there remain various hurdles in place when it comes to actual implementation.

And according to global snacking leader Mondelez, there are actually various touchpoints and drivers that must be considered before making the switch.

‘Coffee meets tea’: Nescafe China touts dual beverage experience with upcycled cascara drink line​

Nestle China has launched an upcycled cascara beverage line that offers consumers a dual ‘coffee meets tea’ drinking experience, tapping on the strong local demand for teas and rapid new product innovation.

Nestle first launched its cascara drinks in Australia​ in 2021 under the Nescafe Nativ Cascara brand, where this was marketed as a better-for-you product marking the start of a new ‘adult social beverage’ category.

The firm has just launched this in China as well, but taken a very different approach to marketing here, choosing to focus on a ‘coffee meets tea’ appeal.

Integration vs takeover: Plant-based experts disagree over potential directions for industry’s future​

Plant-based industry experts APAC are divided on the future direction of the sector, with some believing that it is likely to be integrated into local culture and others still hoping for a more radical takeover.

The current challenges facing the plant-based sector in Asia amidst the current economic climate and overall slow consumer uptake were the main focal discussion point of an expert panel at the recent ReThink SEA Agri-Food Roundtable in Bangkok.

The panel comprised of Stealth Food Impact Startup Co-Founder and Advisor/ Consultant/ Mentor in Alternative Protein and Future Food Space Maarten Geraets, China Plant Based Food Alliance Executive Director Ryan Xue and Good Food Institute APAC Managing Director Mirte Gosker.

Bisphenol battle: Indonesia formalises new regulations mandating BPA leaching warnings on water bottles​

The Indonesian government has published new regulations mandating that all water bottles made with polycarbonate packaging that contains the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) must now attach a sign to warn consumers of potential leaching.

Earlier this year, Indonesia had already announced its intentions to revise local food packaging regulations​ in response to consumer and academic concerns over the presence of dangerous chemicals such as BPA in food packaging.

In a new update focused on BPA and its potential harmful effects on public health, the Indonesian Food and Drug Agency (BPOM) announced new regulations mandating bottled water manufacturers to warn consumers of the risks of BPA in bottles made using polycarbonate.

Stopping single-use: Abu Dhabi to ban specific Styrofoam products from June 1​

Abu Dhabi is implementing a ban on various “avoidable” single-use Styrofoam consumer products, which will take effect from June 1, 2024.

This move is part of the Single-Use Plastic Policy initiated by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) in 2020.

Styrofoam is a type of lightweight, rigid foam plastic known as expanded polystyrene (EPS), which is widely used in packaging and for products such as disposable coffee cups.