The Chinese are drinking more beer and buying more expensive varieties, but multinational brewers need to innovate to seize growth opportunities presented by groups such as female drinkers, says Mintel.
Indian’s fast growing seafood industry has received another boost after China reopened its doors to the country’s exporters after a year of uncertainty after a revision in Chinese regulations.
Vitafoods Europe 2012 is a good place to come face to face with business in Europe’s lucrative health and nutrition market, according to Chinese firms exhibiting in the China Pavilion.
Specialty ingridients maker Naturex is banking on a growing trend towards healthier and more natural products in China to boost the market for its newly approved Thaumatin fruit extract.
Authorities in Japan have sounded an alert over cochineal extract, a commonly used food colorant, over fears it could trigger intense allergic reactions amongst consumers.
Fresh produce exporters to China may need to remove the word ‘organic’ from their labels as the country ramps up enforcement in the organic sector, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said.
Repeated food safety scandals have dealt a ‘blow to public confidence’ in China, with a majority of citizens concerned about the nation’s food chain safety.
Fish harvested off Australia and New Zealand are free from radioactive contamination caused by the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear accident in Japan, the region's food regulator has said in light of a recent study.
Vitafoods Europe 2012 in Geneva attracted companies from all over the world, including Asia, with three dedicated pavilions to China, India and Korea housing smaller ingredients firms from each market.
Chinese online supermarket giant, Yihaodian, is set to launch wines from New Zealand, France and the US on its site – offering a complete business solution for new international entrants, according to a market expert.
China-made infant formula milk powders as well as other domestically sold dairy products are manufactured to increasingly higher standards according to a leading group.
A local Chinese company has developed a curcurmin ingredient for the global market but a sales representative told FoodNavigator-Asia at Vitafoods Europe that India is a strong competitor and Europe is a difficult market to penetrate.
Demand for bread and ramen noodle products made with domestic wheat varieties is growing in Japan but the country needs to invest in its weak local production of the grain, government institute says.
Genetic modification is an on-going problem in Asia’s basmati rice network and it is a problem that importers need to be vigilant in curbing, according to an industry expert.
China’s food and beverage market is undergoing consolidation – much of which is being achieved through rampant acquisitions across new market sectors and countries, according to an analyst.
Chinese authorities have ordered a temporary end to production at a Coca-Cola bottling plant over production line “problems” - just weeks after confirming the safety of beverage products from the plant.
Shanxi-based Deyu Agriculture has developed a new line of MSG-free, easy-cook noodles that will enable it to delve into an unknown yet lucrative fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector in China.
A court order has silenced Hong Kong research company, CER, and ensured the removal of its report damning Abbott’s infant formula product; action the US giant is ‘pleased’ with.
Rumours have been circulating in the media that China’s state-owned Bright Food will snap up British cereal maker Weetabix in an alleged 1bn deal; rumours the Chinese giant has denied.
Nestlé has solidified its hold in China’s growing and lucrative infant formula market in its takeover of Pfizer Nutrition that has secured competitor brands SMA and Promil, according to analysts.
Developing non-MSG, better-for-you instant noodles will surge market value in China’s commoditised market sector, according to Mintel research director.
Nestlé’s $11.85bn (€9.02bn) acquisition of Pfizer Nutrition may run into anti-trust hurdles after it beat Danone to the drug giant’s global infant nutrition business, according to an analyst.
China’s food sector needs to be more innovative and better educated if it is to ensure food security and health for its population, but efforts to secure this will take collaboration, according to president of DuPont China.
Beverage and ice cream manufacturers are investing in power alternatives at Japanese facilities, as the tentative electricity network will not see a major uptick this summer.
Givaudan’s sturdy presence in China and Japan has helped secure strong Q1 results for its flavour division; with a 9.4% sales increase in Asia Pacific markets.
An IGD report has confirmed China as the world's biggest food and grocery market; bigger than America and forecast to hit US$1.46 trillion by 2015. Multinational interest in the market is ramping up, but do they really understand this gigantic but...
A vast, gang-led network of illegal cooking oil producers has been cracked by Chinese authorities following a five month investigation, with more than 3,200 tonnes of rotten-animal waste oil seized.
China’s food and grocery market has outgrown the US market and is now the biggest in the world and forecast to hit US$1.46 trillion by 2015, according to a report.
China is concerned about the environmental footprint of food manufacturers, more-so than the US, according to new research, prompting a re-think for firms who base Asian environmental strategies on Western consumer demands.
Food technologist, TIC Gums, has launched a candy coating technology in China in the wake of a stark surge in the consumption of sweets across the country, fuelled by rising incomes and increasingly Westernised palates.
Chinese consumers are embracing healthier alternatives of carbonated soft drinks, but beverage manufacturers are being very slow to respond to this changing trend, a new report by UK market research firm Mintel shows.
Nutrient specialist, Fortitech, has opened a sales and support office in Shanghai in response to a surging market for fortified food and beverages spurred by a newly health-focused consumer group in China.
Going online in China is a cost-effective, viable alternative for food and beverage brands entering the country amid sky-high entry costs and structural inefficiencies in traditional retailers, according to a new report.
Infant formula maker Abbott Laboratories has demanded that CER Research retract the ‘utterly misleading’ and ‘false’ report suggesting one of its products fails to meet Chinese national standards and also take steps to restore Abbott’s reputation globally.
Jif peanut butter and Folgers coffee maker JM Smucker has taken an “exciting first step” in its bid to develop a meaningful presence in China with the acquisition of a $35m stake in oat products maker Seamild.
Lipid ingredients manufacturer, Enzymotec, has opened a commercial operations office in Shanghai to support its growing infant nutrition and bioactive ingredients business in the Chinese market.
Abbott Laboratories has scoffed at allegations that its infant formula product fails to meet Chinese national health standards, damning the findings as ‘misleading’ and reaffirming its product safety.
Instability and upheaval in China’s food and beverage sector are some of the factors behind price spikes in that market, according to an industry expert.
Malaysia’s efforts to get its lucrative business of edible bird’s nests exports to China back on track has hit a roadblock as very few of the manufacturers registering under the new norms.
Coca-Cola has been driving growth across Japan in 2011 with NPDs and expanded distribution channels; its latest tea product is set to carve an entirely new product category in the local market, the company said.
Stark price increases defined China’s largest pork processor, Zhongpin’s strong 2011 results but domestic demands are set to support the company’s 2012 expansion plans, according to the CEO.
UK-based ABF Ingredients is manufacturing yeast extracts in China and targeting the enzyme market, as it has superior growth rates in these two specialities, according to the CEO of the company.
China’s beef market, in its primary development stage, has great potential however reform is needed as it lags behind developed markets, according to Frost & Sullivan.
NSF International’s dietary and food ingredients testing facility in Shanghai has achieved accreditation from the China National Accreditation Service (CNAS), a move that will drive standards among Chinese suppliers, according to an industry expert.
