A recent Australian study has identified the selective and partial uptake of the voluntary Health Star Rating (HSR) system for beverages as ‘shortcomings’, a finding that has received short shrift from the nation’s beverage sector.
Public pressures and higher production standards could result in New Zealand’s red meat farmers being forced to comply with increased regulations, according to Rabobank.
Recent research has revealed that the consumption of ultra-processed foods is on the rise amongst Taiwanese adolescents, a trend that academics have associated with poor dietary quality.
Changes to food safety and traceability rules in China, the prospect of severe fines for food firms in Vietnam, plus potential raw milk law changes in New Zealand feature in our monthly policy round-up.
The scale of impact of current initiatives to deal with plastic and packaging waste in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam have been found to be affect only 5% or less of waste, according to a comprehensive study by Food Industry Asia (FIA).
From Indra Nooyi’s key lessons from her time at PepsiCo to the rise of fermented foods and new cases of avian flu in China, a lot has happened over the past seven days. Here’s a round-up of the top seven global food and beverage news items to get you...
Nestlé announced it closed its joint venture with the Indofood Group last month, while PepsiCo reiterated its stance to not source palm oil – either directly or indirectly – from the company and its subsidiaries, purportedly linked to deforestation and...
From Dr Pepper’s acquisition of CORE Nutrition and tighter standards for advertising to kids and the UK’s pledge to halve food waste by 2020, a lot has happened over the past seven days. Here’s a round-up of the top seven global food and beverage news...
Global food and beverage manufacturers such as Kellogg's Arabia, Mars Saudi Arabia and Nestlé Middle East have signed a voluntary pledge with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) that seeks to reduce sugar, salt and fat content in their products....
Australian researchers have found that dual implementation of the Health Star Ratings (HSR) and Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion (NPSC) to advertise product healthiness is "likely to result in confusion for consumers".
Harvard University has responded to the Indian agricultural department's emphatic letter protesting the description of coconut oil as 'pure poison' by distancing itself from any direct connection with the claims, saying that these were...
NGO coalition Human Rights for Migrant Fishers staged a protest in Taipei during the Taiwan government’s recent workshop on combating human trafficking, to highlight the large gap between international standards and that of the Taiwan fishery industry.
Malaysian beer industry leaders Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd (Carlsberg) and Heineken Malaysia Bhd (Heineken) have expressed varying opinions about the implementation of the Sales and Service Tax (SST).
From Heinz's new Maychup condiment to Coca-Cola entering Australia's kombucha category, here’s a round-up of the top seven global food and beverage news items from the past seven days.
The CEOs of Nestle, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, amongst other beverage giants, have been summoned by Pakistan’s Chief Judge with regard to their water usage in the country.
China Vice Premier Han Zheng is pushing for harsher penalties, including lifetime bans, on industry players that knowingly flout food safety laws and regulations.
In the first of our monthly round-ups of the latest APAC policy developments, we reveal the latest news from the Philippines, India, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has denied that there is any rice shortage in the country despite senators calling it a ‘full-blown food crisis’ and urging him to declare a state of calamity.
Dairy farmers in Queensland are calling on shoppers to boycott Coles stores, after the retailer declined to adopt a 10-cent drought levy on milk to help farmers cope with the soaring cost of grain and fodder for milking cows.
The Indian agricultural ministry has lashed out with a strongly-worded letter against claims by a Harvard professor who declared coconut oil to be ‘pure poison’.
Japan's hopes that the Taiwan government will lift the current ban on foods from Fukushima and surrounding areas has hit another hurdle after Kuomintang, the largest opposition party in Taiwan, submitted a referendum request on what has been dubbed...
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) is to embark on a year-long review of the rules governing sugar claims in relation to alcoholic drinks, amid ministerial concerns of misleading messaging to consumers.
No one can accuse India's food regulator FSSAI of a lack of ambition or activity, as hardly a week goes by without a major new announcement, scheme or plans for new rules reaching my inbox, writes FoodNavigator-Asia Editor-in-Chief Gary Scattergood.
Malaysia’s Sime Darby Plantation (SDP) and China’s COFCO Group Co. Ltd. (COFCO) are joining forces to collaborate over palm oil related ventures and boost trade between the two nations.
With China having vowed to retaliate against the growing number of sanctions placed on it in by America in an escalating trade war, a number of major US brands with sizeable operations in the Asian giant stand to lose out, including foodservice chains...
It is hoped that Australian exporters’ decision this year to suspend shipments of live sheep and goats to Malaysia until the end of the Korban religious festival will pressure its market into improving animal welfare standards.
Malaysian PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has acknowledged the government is contemplating introducing a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, after highlighting concerns about the nation's diabetes rates.
A new report by Australia's national science agency has shown that self-monitoring and personal accountability, coupled with a financial incentive, could be key to helping people losing weight.
Some 43m containers of bottled water, 35m bottles of refreshments, juices, and milk, 13m loaves of bread and pastries, and 4m meals have been provided to pilgrims at the Hajj in Saudi Arabia this year in an operation directed by the Ministry of Trade...
An expert panel has been set-up review India’s proposed new packaged foods labelling rules, which include controversial plans to for red labels to be added to products high in fat, sugar and salt.
Australia is in the midst of an obesity crisis, with two-thirds of adults and a quarter of children overweight or obese. But what do some of the nation's largest food firms believe can be done to tackle the problem, and what role should they themselves...
India regulator FSSAI has published updated rules for food fortification standards, as part of its efforts to make the practice part of the national agenda.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) says it has begun framing regulations for genetically-modified (GM) food, shortly after being accused of failing to restrict the import of such items.
Moves to ban sugar-sweetened beverages and 'unhealthy' snacks from Queensland's public hospitals and healthcare facilities have received drastically different responses from Australia's beverage industry, trade groups and health campaigners.
New Zealand Health Minister Dr David Clark has told FoodNavigator-Asia that his appointment of a well-known sugar tax advocate does not signal a change in government policy, but has emphasised that food and beverage firms need to do more to slash sugar...
Advertising Business Group (ABG) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the GCC Food and Beverage Alliance (GCC FBA) to make “responsible marketing to children” an industry standard in the gulf region.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has launched a new look Food Allergen Portal, following collaboration between the food industry and consumer and government stakeholders.