South Korea’s ban on seafood from Fukushima, Japan has been upheld by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after a legal debate spanning several years, despite protests from Japan that the food products are ‘scientifically safe’.
The food and beverage industry in Australia is at odds with local health and consumer groups over calls by the latter to enforce usage of the Heath Stars Rating (HSR) System by food firms in the country as a mandatory requirement.
The food and retail industry in New Zealand has fired back against a recently-published study claiming that ‘junk food’ marketing that children are subjected to may cause them ‘physical, mental and moral harm’.
Australian researchers are calling for stricter governance over regulator FSANZ’s food-health relationship claims system, after arguing that 40.3% of product claims have not been proven with substantial evidence.
Nestlé’s Dr Jörg Hager will deliver a keynote address at the second Healthy Ageing APAC Summit, where he will assess the changes needed in nutritional recommendations for an ageing population.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) implemented the mandatory attachment of warning labels to all alcoholic beverages on April 1, but has further extended the transition period for beverages manufactured before this date.
Sri Lanka will implement a traffic light coding system for packaged foods in the country, targeting specified levels of sugar, salt and fat content following success of the system’s application to soft drinks in the country.
Thailand is putting together a working group to examine the governance of alcohol-free ‘beers’ being manufactured and produced by traditional beer breweries, in order to avoid these falling through a possible legislative loophole.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) draft on food labelling regulations including controversial traffic light labelling rules will be soon be released for public comment, according to an agency official.
Chinese authorities are trying to reduce the prevalence of fake food by imposing heavier penalties on manufacturers and sellers until "they are made bankrupt".
Malaysia has announced the postponement of its sugar tax implementation date by three months, as well as an increase in the sugar content limit for milk-based beverages.
The food industry in Singapore is generally supportive' of proposals from the Ministry of Health (MOH) to ban all partially hydrogenated oils (PHO), a form of trans fat commonly found in pre-packaged food products, according to a government minister.
Food traceability efforts in China are being hindered by challenges arising from information gaps, the absence of harmonised standards, and the lack of policies to support tracking efforts.
Concerns have been raised over the inclusion of representatives from the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) on boards making crucial decisions within the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), amid claims it is too close to major...
China’s National Health Commission (NHC) has ordered primary, secondary schools, and childcare centres to limit the sales of food and beverage loaded with sugar.
China’s local government will be held accountable for ensuring food safety in their area of administration for the first time, according to a new set of guidelines.
Food industry and academic experts have weighed in on the ongoing endeavours being made to standardise food industry standards in South East Asian region, and the prospects of its success this time around.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) new advertising regulations means that food brands – and any ambassadors who endorse them – are subject to prosecution if their claims are found to be false.
New documentation has highlighted that the New Zealand Ministry of Health is still actively deliberating a sugar tax, even though the government as a whole has already ruled it out.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will be coming up with directives on the labelling of gluten-free products, amid concerns current practices from some manufacturers risk misleading consumers.
Saudi Arabian consumers are becoming increasingly savvy when seeking out food and beverage bargains, and are also demanding new products with a stronger health focus.
At a time when barriers to trade are supposedly being knocked down, a number of South East Asian countries are protecting their own animal protein industries from intra-bloc competition.
The UAE has introduced a new resolution which prohibits the import and re-export of shark meat, with trade now only permitted if the freight forwarder presents the required shipping documents.
The UAE has filed a complaint against Qatar at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), claiming that the latter’s ban against UAE products, including food items, was inconsistent with international laws.
Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has launched the ‘Fat, Sugar and Salt reduction Initiative in Qatar” to cut such content in food and beverages – both locally manufactured goods and those imported.
Fears are mounting that a big chunk of India’s food exports would be hit after suggestions emerged that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would halt billions of dollars of imports because of issues surrounding quality.
There is little evidence to support the idea that eating breakfast promotes weight loss or that skipping breakfast leads to weight gain, according to a review from Australia published in The BMJ.
The Philippines’ lifting of a 20-year old rice import cap is likely to result in some 1.2 million metric tons of rice being imported into the country in the wake of ongoing shortages and price hikes, the National Food Agency (NFA) has said.
Nestle India has shown strong support for the Indian government’s issuance of notices to Google and Facebook, which requested the removal of ‘false and malicious’ news content targeting food safety and quality within the country.
Last week, the UAE Ministry of Education published a list of food items that are no longer allowed for sale in schools, including chocolate, soft drinks and fries.
The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has officially banned the freezing of milk in regular ice factories that are not specifically licensed to do so in an effort to prevent adulteration activities.
Singapore has formally lifted its ban on the sale of food products containing alcohol after 10.30pm, allowing for items such as alcohol-containing ice creams and chocolates to be sold.
The Thai Excise Department is looking at raising the required content of fruits and/or vegetables in juices to a minimum of 20% in order for products to receive an excise tax exemption.
As Singapore winds up its public consultation on sugar tax, the majority of participants have demanded sugar-reduction methods that extend more broadly across the industry beyond just targeting sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs).
New packaging laws by FSSAI in India, Thailand's trans fat ban, Coca-Cola in China, Jamie Oliver's sugar tax video and more feature in this edition of Policy Picks.
As the debate surrounding the possibility of a sugar tax in New Zealand intensifies, industry groups stand firmly against it, whereas some academics and consumers are gunning for it. Here we provide the lowdown on the current state of the debate.
Thailand has become the first ASEAN country to implement a ban on artificial trans fats after the ban came into force last week. So far, it has been well-received by potato chips manufacturing giant PepsiCo (under brands such as Lay’s and Cheetos) and...
The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced new regulations prohibiting all food businesses in India from using ‘unsafe’ materials such as newspapers and recycled plastics to wrap food products.
The Malaysian Ministry of Health is encouraging both food service outlets as well as beverage manufacturers to reduce sugar content in beverage products alongside the upcoming implementation of a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax in the country.
Coca-Cola’s ties with the Chinese health authorities have focused anti-obesity policies on physical activity over regulation of the food and beverage industry, two new studies are claiming.
As governments across the world grapple with the problem of expanding waistlines, a tax on drinks containing sugar continues to be thrust into public discourse and promoted as a key strategy to tackle the complex and costly problem of obesity, writes...
Australia has launched a new action plan that looks to undertake the challenge of addressing non-tariff barriers to its export markets worldwide, especially with regard to food and beverage products.
From sugar taxes to plastic waste bans, we bring you six regulation and policy updates that look set to heavily influence the APAC food industry in 2019, with the help of insights from major brands, academics and trade associations.