Asahi sales buoyed by rise in local beer demand and international Super Dry growth
Asahi Group Holdings (Asahi) has seen steady growth in the third quarter of 2024 buoyed by a rise in local Japanese demand for beer as well as international interest in its Super Dry product.
This could be attributed to both price hikes justified by a premiumisation strategy, as well as positive performance by Asahi’s beer business around the globe.
Roku Gin touts cocktail boom and premiumisation as category drivers
Suntory-owned Roku Gin says that the burgeoning popularity of cocktails and the premiumisation trend are key growth drivers of the gin category, particularly in Asia.
There has been a “big boom” in whiskey over the past decade. While rum was expected to be the “next big thing”, the gin category has been constantly growing, with the rise in cocktail culture playing a major role, said Regional Brand Ambassador (South East Asia) of Suntory Andrew Pang.
‘Selling a lifestyle choice’: Japan Future Agri seeks to ‘redefine’ dried sweet potatoes for export push
Japan Future Agri is hoping to reposition dried sweet potatoes as a healthier snack for APAC markets.
“In Japan, dried sweet potatoes have a place in our everyday life, but it’s not like that overseas. We have to work to make it fit into new lifestyles,” said Sho Sakota, director of Japan Future Agri.
Five major trends set to shape APAC food and beverage industry growth in 2025
We take a closer look at five of the top trends that look set to have a major impact on the growth of the Asia Pacific food and beverage industry in 2025, from affordability and accessibility taking centre stage, alternative protein rejigs, better-for-you’s continued growth across various sectors and more.
“We expect the health and wellness trend will continue to drive the ‘better-for-you’ drinks category towards substantial growth, especially if offering targeted benefits and well-being,” said Suntory Beverages and Food Asia Pacific (SBFAP) Chief Marketing Officer Hiroyuki Fujiwara.
Concurrent barley and natto consumption shows obesity prevention promise – study
A study in Japan shows that simultaneous consumption of barley and natto could be a promising nutritional approach for obesity prevention through enhanced conversion of dietary fibre into energy.
Although the timing of barley and natto intake was not investigated in this study, both foods being traditional Japanese cuisines may imply concurrent consumption, said the authors.