The use of fortified rice will be mandatory in all midday meal schemes, and public nutrition programmes under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in India by December 2019.
New Zealand looks set to introduce a new national food standard for organic production next year, with the nation currently one of only two top 25 organic markets globally that does not have a mandatory regulation.
Here we list the most-read policy and regulations stories published throughout the year, featuring developments from Malaysia, Australia, India, New Zealand and more.
Dubai-based International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) will exchange its knowledge, expertise and develop mechanisms for technical work with two other agencies, in order to promote the global halal trade.
Celebrity UK chef Jamie Oliver has filmed a video directed at New Zealand Health Minister David Clark, imploring him to ‘listen to the people’ and get a sugar tax passed in the country.
Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has announced the drafting of the country’s Agro-Food 2.0 policy, in an attempt to accelerate the development of the country’s food sector up to 2030.
By Rachel Arthur, Elaine Watson, Stephen Daniells, Gary Scattergood, Niamh Michail
Sugar taxes continue to hit the headlines, but the introduction of new legislation is never straight-forward. We take a look at 20 countries around the globe where sugar taxes have been in the news.
A Kinder Surprise advertisement targeting children has been deemed to be ‘not in breach’ of the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) children advertising code following a formal complaint submitted by the Healthy Auckland Together coalition.
Sri Lanka has been accused of backtracked on its fight against diabetes after implementing a 40% reduction in its sugar tax, amidst public outcry describing the move as ‘insane’ and ‘racing backwards’.
The Ministry of Health Singapore (MOH) is considering multiple measures to reduce Singaporeans' sugar intake from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), including the introduction of a sugar tax and a complete higher-sugar drinks ban.
New Zealand food manufacturers and producers will soon have to attach Country of Origin labels to their products, as this has officially been passed into law.
New Zealand’s implementation of a single-use plastic bag ban, which will be conducted as a ‘mandatory phase out’ over six months, will not affect barrier bags for fresh food products.
Food companies in Indonesia applying for halal certification need to understand the nuances of the process and pay attention to training, materials and product presentation to ensure success, said an auditor with the local halal certification authority.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has declared all imported pulses and beans to be ‘safe’ from glyphosate contamination, despite activist protests concerning a lack of transparency and accusations of influence from the ‘toxic chemical...
Taiwan could see a step back in diplomatic relations with Japan after the country voted to continue banning so-called ‘nuclear food’ coming from the Fukushima region in a referendum last week, as top Japanese officials expressed disappointment over the...
The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is all set to roll out its latest food product advertising regulations, which will ban ‘frivolous’ terms such as ‘natural’, ‘fresh’, ‘traditional’, ‘premium’, ‘best’ and more on the labels of processed...
The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has banned the use of fruit pictures on the packaging of carbonated drinks and other flavoured beverages that do not fit the minimum fruit ingredients criteria.
Life imprisonment will soon be the maximum punishment for food adulterators in the Indian state of Maharashtra, said the state’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Thailand will ban all plastic waste imports by 2021, making it the latest country in South east Asia to take policy-level action against a rising influx of foreign plastic scraps, much of which comes from food and beverage packaging.
New Zealand Food Safety is looking to further enhance the country’s food recalls and food safety system by seeking views on new proposals that stem from the 2013 Fonterra crisis.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is stepping up efforts to detect glyphosate traces in imported pulses, with Canadian- and Australian-imported lentils coming under scrutiny.
Manufacturers in Australia may soon have to re-label all plant-based products containing the terms ‘meat’ and/or ‘milk’ in them, as politicians request Food Safety Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to review the standards surrounding these.
Hemp seeds in New Zealand can now be treated as ‘any other edible seed’ as new legislation changes allow for it to be sold as food, said New Zealand Food Safety Minister Damien O’Connor.
Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) decision to review the country’s 2015 Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act (LCA) could be good news for manufacturers with alcohol-containing food products, especially confectionary and dessert items.
The results of a ‘world first study’, showing how the consumption of fish and omega-3 helps alleviate depression will be revealed at the first NutraIngredients-Asia Omeag-3 Summit in Singapore in February.
Vietnam is looking to New Zealand for assistance in food traceability and food safety, with the sixth Vietnam-New Zealand Joint Trade and Economic Commission (JTEC) agreeing a raft of collaborations.
Food manufacturers in Malaysia, including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, have responded to the upcoming 2019 introduction of sugar taxes on drinks and juice ‘with concern’, saying that this is ‘not an effective policy response’ to combat obesity and chronic disease.
Twenty-nine fermented soy sauce products, including the likes of Xie Yuan and Lee Kum Kee, have failed to meet China’s production standards, according to a sample test conducted by Jiangsu Consumer Council.
The milestone Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Singapore (EUSFTA) is expected to significantly benefit food manufacturers in the South East Asian city state.
The global halal certification system is increasing costs for manufacturers, largely due to the lack of international alignment, according to the State of the Islamic Economy Report 2018/19.
Leaders of the Philippines sugar industry are requesting that the government completely suspend the second phase implementation of the controversial Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law in view of the country’s high inflation rate.
Malaysia will impose an excise sugar tax on sugar-sweetened beverages starting April 1 2019, in an effort to combat rising overweight and obesity levels in the country - but experts are less than optimistic about its efficacy.
Fiscal incentives like a sugar tax and lower-sugar subsidies to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption are unlikely to be effective, a new Singapore study reveals.
All alcohol sold in Australia and New Zealand will be legally required to carry a pregnancy warning label, as agreed upon by the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation.
New food and beverage (F&B) companies will ‘only’ have to fill in 200 data fields, versus the previous 845 from next year, revealed Singapore Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry (MTI) Chee Hong Tat.
We take a look at the latest policy news making the headlines, including new rice rules in the Philippines and stricter managerial standards in Singapore.
The Indian food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has ordered all states to conduct a ‘special drive’ to ensure the safety and quality of milk and milk products ahead of Deepavali, amid plunging public confidence in products....
Increased involvement and commitment of food companies’ upper management in food safety processes is now a required factor under the latest 2018 versions of Singapore food safety standards SS444 and SS ISO 22000.
Food companies have been warned to avoid fancy ‘nicknames’ for rice as suggested retail prices (SRPs) are implemented in the Philippines, in a move that the government hopes will alleviate the country’s rising food troubles.
Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports reached the VND 63.5tn (US$2.7bn) mark as of September 2018, up 14.1% year-on-year, but officials are concerned that more needs to be done to improve sales to domestic consumers.
Food industry experts from the ‘ASEAN-5’ – the fastest growing economies in South East Asia – have lifted the lid on the key food and beverage trends driving growth in their countries, and the major challenges they continue to face.
Australia has a multi-billion food waste problem, alongside massive simultaneous food insecurity and hunger issues, meaning it is a long way off meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals the CEO of Foodbank Australia has told us.
A 'graded sugar tax model' has been suggested by an expert analyst as an alternative to just soda or sugar taxes in Malaysia's battle against sugar over-consumption.
The Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is striving to educate food firms on Japan food safety standards in a bid to reap export rewards.