Unscrupulous food processors, corrupt officials, incomplete regulations and ignorance of the laws are some of the ongoing defects in China’s food safety system, said a report by the country’s legislators this week.
The State Food and Drug Administration of China has banned eight food products made by four mainland firms after they were found to be contaminated by an industrial chemical.
DSM has signed a joint venture agreement with a Chinese biotechnology company that will give the Dutch ingredients supplier its first enzyme manufacturing plant in China.
Botanical extract manufacturer Chengdu Wagott is to open its second stevia facility in China, which it says will boost its Reb A capacity from 200 tons per year to 500 tons.
China is poised to over take Western Europe in the consumption of EPA- and DHA-rich oils, according to research conducted by market analysts Frost & Sullivan and the Global Organization for EPA and DHA (GOED).
NutraSweet has welcomed a recently announced Chinese crackdown on food additive counterfeiters, amid fears that substandard versions of its patented neotame sweetener are being sold on the Chinese market.
CSM has opened a new facility for dry bakery mixes and mixes in China, which will allow it to step up capacity to meet demand from Asia and better serve local tastes.
Leading food manufacturers, academics and the US government will be working with a top level Chinese delegation over the next few weeks as part in an international effort to promote global food safety.
A lawyer pursuing a high-profile anti-trust case against four Chinese firms accused of fixing the price of vitamin C in the US says he expects the judge reviewing the case to make a ruling “any week now”.
Danisco has announced the latest in a string of capacity upgrades at its cellulose gum facility in China, in response to increasing demand from the food and oral care industries.
New York-based Maypro Group has finally revealed its ‘quiet’ program to donate potassium iodide supplements to Japanese locals at risk from the recent nuclear incident, and asks if there is a way to turn this into a wider industry fundraising effort.
Nestle is planning to buy a 60 per cent share in China’s Yinlu Foods Group for an undisclosed sum, in a move that will help household brand Yinlu gain more traction in the Central and Western regions of the country.
Three deaths from nitrite tainted milk in China show that the country still has some way to go to clean up its dairy industry. One of the authors of a new study1 on the 2008 China melamine milk scandal explains what has gone wrong and what reforms are...
Beverage giant Coca-Cola is donating 2.5bn Yen (US$31m) to areas affected by the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster that hit the country this month.
Aker BioMarine has signed its first agreement to supply a Chinese supplement maker with its branded krill oil, in a deal that paves the way for a new category in the country.
Booming sales of omega-3 fortified cooking oil in China may show how countries with nutritional deficiencies can boost the nutritional intakes of a population, said a leading omega-3 figure.
Leading Chinese probiotics supplier, China-Biotics, has pressed a deal with the country’s third biggest dairy to expand the number of probiotic strains it uses in yoghurt products.
Dietary supplement manufacturers operating in China will have to do more to guarantee the quality of their supply chains, after Chinese authorities imposed new quality control regulations last week.
Long term growth for probiotic products in China will require considerable market education, according to Chr. Hansen, which is showcasing an anti-constipation concept containing its BB-12 strain Food Ingredients China this month.
As the world’s most populous nation with a strong economy, China is an attractive target for food manufacturers and their suppliers - but they cannot operate effectively in the region without a local presence, according to Torben Friis Lange, AAK vice...
China-Biotics has filed five new patents for its probiotics as it plans to enter new condition areas like feminine hygiene and infant diarrhea, and microencapsulated probiotics for harsh manufacturing conditions.
The Japanese bakery and cereals market is expected to slow down over the next few years in terms of retail sales and product launches, said Datamonitor, as Japan’s biggest bread maker Yamazaki reported stagnant 2010 net sales.
Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has said its business is likely to increase by 50 to 60 percent in 2011 compared to a year earlier, mainly due to increased demand in China.
Pittsburgh-based supplement retailer GNC is reported to favor an initial public offering (IPO) after reports claim that interest cooled from Chinese dairy giant Bright Food Group Co to acquire the company.
GLG Life Tech’s joint venture in China has been given the go-ahead by Chinese authorities to provide its stevia-derived sweeteners for use in foods and beverages, the company has said.
Soy ingredients company Solae opened a food application centre in Shanghai yesterday, promising to cut product development times for Asia-Pacific customers.
Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly receptive to international soft drink brands but success does depend on an appreciation of local flavour preferences, according to Datamonitor.
Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has entered into a joint venture with China Agriculture and Healthy Foods Company Limited (CAHFC) for the sale and distribution of stevia-sweetened foods and drinks, GLG has said.
Beijing Gingko Group (BGG) has signed an agreement that will see the European branch of Premium Ingredients International (PII) become the exclusive distributor of BGG’s liquorice extracts.
GLG Life Tech has posted higher third quarter profits, driven by increased stevia sales in China, growing demand for natural products in North America and global health concerns, the company has said.
The Chinese milk industry is still struggling to recover from the effect of the melamine crisis that rocked the industry in September 2008, says the latest report from USDA’s Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN).
Recovery in the chocolate market is underway in the US, Brazil and China but Western Europe has been slow to rebound and Eastern Europe still shows negative growth rates, said Barry Callebaut as it released robust full year results for 2010.
The United States has not appealed a final World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling issued this week that a US ban on Chinese poultry imports was illegal, officially ending the trade dispute.
The American citric acid industry has asked the US Department of Commerce to investigate possible circumvention of antidumping and countervailing duties in place for citric acid imported from China.
Sensient Technologies has opened a new plant in Guangzhou, China, including offices and laboratories for the production of flavors, colors, fragrances, and pharmaceutical coatings, the company has said.
Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a whey protein isolate to replace egg whites in nougat for a Chinese customer facing problems with inconsistent egg quality.
Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency has said it intends to ask food makers to voluntarily label the trans fat content of their products, according to Kyodo News International.
A World Trade Organization (WTO) panel has ruled that a US ban on Chinese poultry is illegal – the first such reprimand for legislation brought in under the Obama Administration.
The chocolate category still accounts for over half of new confectionery product launches in Japan, but the functional segment is beginning to steal some of the limelight, according to a new report from market researchers Datamonitor
China’s reputation as an ingredient supplier has suffered from a spate of food safety problems – but the food industry should not paint all China-based companies with the same broad brush, says stevia supplier GLG Life Tech.
