Investments into food safety and traceability tech are becoming major priorities for many food and beverage firms across the Asia Pacific region, with regional experts telling us this is inn response to rapidly-evolving local needs.
Singapore-headquartered firm Natural Trace aims to address the limitations of existing traceability technologies through its DNA-based ingredient, while contributing to combatting food fraud and “irresponsible market behaviour”.
Food safety technologies across the Australian supply chain need to enhance interoperability and data integration, and move away from the current silo approach.
The South Korean government has issued a warning about food poisoning in the country, highlighting concerns that incidences have increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Hong Kong government has reiterated it will maintain strict restrictions on seafood imports from Japan, citing continued concerns over the nuclear wastewater release situation.
The food system in Asia is facing a triple food safety threat in the firm of microbiological, chemical and physical contamination, all of which are being exacerbated by climate change and putting national food securities at risk.
The Japanese government has declared that all international markets should lift ‘all restrictions and other measures’ on Japanese food exports that were previously affected by the Fukushima nuclear powerplant disaster.
Singapore insect-based food regulations, AI for safe food grading, South Korea antimicrobial animal exports and more feature in this edition of Safety First.
AI-powered food fingerprint platform ProfilePrint has emphasised its complementary role to humans in ensuring quality and safety as it expands its portfolio to include wet ingredients including oils and alcohol.
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.
How can India's spice sector bounce back from two high profile contamination scandals? We ask experts in the country to weigh in with their recommendations.
The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is implementing stricter food safety requirements when importing animal-based products into the country.
A food safety system trialled in north-east India in response to child deaths linked to food and waterborne diseases found that 3-4% of all samples tested contained enteric pathogens, with researchers now hopeful the scheme has the potential to be rolled-out...
Vietnam-South Korea digital food safety system, China seafood fraud, Japan counterfeit exports crackdown and more feature in this edition of Safety First.
More than 110 health hazards involving 18 Foods with Function Claims (FFC) products were declared by FFC businesses over the past two weeks, Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) said.
Vietnam has completed and recently launched its new digital food safety management system which was developed in partnership with South Korea, with a particular focus on food poisoning outbreak monitoring across the country.
The Japanese government is cracking down on counterfeit agri-food product exports protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) scheme with the use of digital monitoring technology.
Improved traceability procedures and an updated regulatory labelling system are urgently needed in China to prevent seafood fraud, according to new research
Chronic disease patients in Saudi Arabia may consume an excessive amount of herbal supplements, with a lack of communication between them and their healthcare providers risking potential drug interactions, according to a recent study by researchers in...
Japanese officials and seafood exporters have joined forces to explore new overseas markets, with the sector still reeling from China’s import ban in the wake of the Fukushima wastewater release last year.
The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has launched a new food allergen labelling guidebook targeted at food and beverage manufacturers, importers and retailers to ease companies into newly-enforced regulatory requirements.
South Korea is to increase inspections and analysis of shellfish and egg products in order to cut down the risks of food poisoning outbreaks, most notably of norovirus and salmonella.
The South Korean government has plans to significantly boost the level of food safety assurance in the local food system by investing into facility and technological improvements for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) advancement.
Australian regulators have warned of the risks of purchasing supplements from overseas in its latest safety advisory for products containing Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).
Indonesia packaging rules updates, APAC food allergy challenges, Japan anti-counterfeit food facility and more feature in this edition of Safety First.
The Indonesian government is revising food packaging regulations in response to consumer and academic concerns over the presence of dangerous chemicals entering the food supply chain.
There are vast unaddressed food allergy-related challenges in the Asia Pacific region, including the absence of reliable prevalence data, allergists, and adrenaline autoinjectors, with researchers arguing there is an urgent need to better prepare for...
The general public and experts in Singapore have raised several concerns over the consumption of cultivated meat, while also acknowledging it can play a crucial role in the City State’s food security efforts.
We reveal the top 10 most-read food safety and security stories from the APAC food and beverage industry from 2023, featuring news on the EU deforestation regulation impacts, Middle East focus on food security, alternative proteins safety concerns and...
Japan has set up a physical anti-counterfeit consultation desk in Thailand to fight against a rising number of food and agriculture products claiming to be of Japanese origin.
There is an urgent need for real-time global monitoring of food fraud in order to protect public health and the global economy, say experts in Thailand.
New India food safety platform, Japan nuclear wastewater release impacts, Philippines food label changes and more feature in this edition of Safety First.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) has launched a new version of its food safety platform in the local Hindi language in an effort to increase domestic food firm understanding and compliance of local regulations.
Affordability and accessibility are just as important as product innovation if food firms are going to help meets Asia’s nutritional needs, in a region that is still beset by childhood stunting and rising rates of obesity and diabetes.
Japan’s decision to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear disaster could have far-reaching impacts for the APAC seafood sector, especially in terms of negative consumer perception and overall confusion.
The South Korean government has issued food safety warnings for the consumption of fresh foods and rice rolls (gimbap) amidst the ‘high-risk’ autumn season between September to November, citing traditionally high counts of food poisoning cases occurring...
Yemen food manufacturing major Hayel Saeed Anam (HSA) Group is seeking to address the significant changes in consumption behaviour among the domestic population and food security issues in the country through product innovation and active collaborations.
Thailand could be set to revamp its rules around expiration dates and allergen warnings after regulator Thai Food and Drug Association (FDA) issued draft proposals for prepackaged foods
South Korea's Fukushima-triggered campaign, Australia's alcohol pregnancy labels, India's food safety index and more feature in this edition of Safety First.
The South Korean government has launched a national campaign to reassure consumers that the national seafood supply will not be impacted by neighbouring Japan’s impending release of wastewater from Fukushima.
Date from India’s latest State Food Safety Index (SFSI) conducted annually by the Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) has revealed that many states still perform poorly across the assessment criteria, even amongst its top scoring states.
A new Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) report has revealed that food and beverage products recalled from shelves in Australia last year due to allergen concerns have reached the lowest rate the country has seen in almost a decade.
FSSAI food adulteration crackdowns, FAO on APAC food supply vulnerabilities, Chinese consumer sweetener fears and more feature in this edition of Safety First.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) insists it is adopting a comprehensive approach to eradicate food safety issues in the country, including large-scale testings on key commodities like milk and dairy products.
The Asia Pacfic region has a number of ‘peculiarities’ that make it more vulnerable to food supply and climate change risks than many other regions, meaning that quicker and more multiplicity in food solutions are needed, according to the UNFAO.
Kirin says that functional drinks from its health science domain are the “particular focus” for its beverage business this year after sales of its LC-Plasma immunity range increased by 8.5 per cent to 1.71 million cases in Q1.
Over half of all Chinese consumer still harbour doubts over the safety of both natural and artificial sweeteners on a regular basis, according to a recent nationwide survey.
