Australian zero-waste retail store The Source Bulk Foods is looking to take on the Asian market, promising a large variety of natural, high-quality whole food selections and a focus on localisation.
An industry expert has voiced criticism over the newly-established Vietnam-Malaysia halal certification centre, saying that this could potentially open up the local food industry to more food safety and food fraud issues.
Indonesia’s recent banning of products carrying ‘Palm Oil Free’ labels has received a positive response from the local industry, while MNCs Nestle and PepsiCo have reiterated their commitment to use of RSPO-certified palm oil.
Malaysian-based biotechnology firm NLYTech has launched irice-based straws, claiming that these bring much better benefits in terms of cost, biodegradability and durability.
Supermarket and food store sales in Hong Kong appear to have been unaffected by the high-profile protests that have repeatedly brought the territory to a standstill.
The Philippines Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has approved a new round of sugar imports into the country, on the back of requests from local food manufacturers such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
Japanese F&B giant Suntory has recently revealed its performance in the South East Asian to be stronger than other foreign markets, but also expressed caution over continued growth in the region due to sugar tax implementations.
Danone has officially inaugurated its newly expanded Danone Nutricia Research – Sarihusada Research & Innovation Centre in Yogyakarta, Indonesia – to pump up research and innovation efforts on specialised nutrition needs in the country.
Thailand has drafted a new set of regulations for comments, targeting food and food products containing or consisting of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which covers the entire spectrum across plant, microorganism and animal-based foods.
Singapore supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice has its eye on a ‘seamless omni-channel experience’ for consumers, powered by its revamped e-commerce platform and automated online fulfilment system.
Food and beverage companies took three of the top ten most valuable brand spots in Vietnam, cementing the industry’s position as a major contributor to the country’s rapid economic growth.
Nestle is increasing its Indonesian production capacity by 25% through the expansion of three of its factories in Karawang (West Java), Kejayan (East Java) and Panjang (Lampung).
Food and beverage companies in Singapore are being encouraged to register products with particular geographic-related characteristics with the recently-launched Singapore Geographical Indications (GI) Registry to protect their interests and boost consumer...
Nestle Philippines has launched a Ready-To-Drink (RTD) Baon Subscription service which provides consumers with the option to return the packaging of delivered products to the company for recycling.
Scientists at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore have created a polymeric packaging material for food packaging based on nanotechnology, which could see ‘huge demand’ from firms interested in sustainable solutions.
Fruit companies in Thailand are feeling the heat after China introduced new requirements for durian imports from the country to come with a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification, claiming that this would both negatively affect export volumes...
After launching its Asia business in Singapore and Hong Kong in 2014, swiftly followed by Vietnam and Thailand, Aussie craft gin brand Four Pillars is now seeking to build its name in the altogether different environment of Japan’s capital.
Heineken’s recent launch of its zero-alcohol beer in Malaysia has hit its first snag less than a month in, with a government minister accusing non-alcoholic beers as being‘confusing’ for Muslims.
The founder of Malaysian brand Aya claims to have created the first ‘multipurpose’ sauce brand in Malaysia, with the product capable of being prepared in a number of ways, depending on the ability of the cook.
Australian niche ice cream maker Golden North expects to quadruple its shipments to Asia after signing a deal to start send stocks to MM Mega Market stores across Vietnam.
Thailand, Indonesia and India will experience rapid growth in the online grocery sector, although they are coming from such a low base that it will only account for market shares of 2.8%, 1.5%, and 1.2% respectively by 2023.
Coca-Cola, Nestle and Fonterra, which all participated in the surveys and interviews conducted for the report by IGD and Food Industry Asia, reaffirmed to FoodNavigator-Asia their commitment towards healthier reformulation, especially around sugar reduction.
The Philippines Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) has issued warnings against 14 unregistered food products, including beverages, snacks and desserts, advising the public against purchasing and consuming them.
Cargill is aiming to advance the digital transparency and traceability capabilities in its major Asian supplier nation of Indonesia, in an effort to augment both financial and physical transparency in the region.
Malaysia is being held back by the way its nutrition entrepreneurs struggle to make the transition from development to commercialisation, according to one of the country’s top VCs.
Malaysian trade officials have insisted they are standing firm on a decision to grant sugar import licenses to eight Sarawak food and beverage manufacturers, allowing them to bypass local sugar refiners, despite vehement protests from the latter.
Thai start-up Eden Agritech has won the start-up award at Thaifex - World of Food Asia for its Naturen product, which can extend the shelf life of cut fruit and vegetables by two to three times.
The Philippines lifted its ban on the importation of several fish species from the nuclear-hit region of Fukushima, despite the fact the country didn’t import such products in the first place.
Malaysia has implemented its sugar tax targeting sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in the country, which has led major beverage companies to reformulate products in an attempt to curb its impact – but is this enough to meet the government’s goal of combatting...
A Thai government scheme to back more food tech start-ups – called Thailand’s FoodInnopolis - has signed two new partnership deals, including one which will provide around USD$40m of investment.
New Zealand’s Lewis Road Creamery has cited its dairy quality and innovative capabilities as major reasons it is not concerned about competition from the plant-based products sector as it targets expansion into Asia.
The Philippines Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has named five ‘fake vinegar’ brands following continued pressure by government officials and the public – but consumers are now demanding to know why the other 275+ have been kept confidential.
Turmeric-ginger beverage brand Jiang Yeah Yeah (Grandpa Ginger) has hit sales growth of some 80% across nine months after going viral in Malaysia – and it has plans to go much further.
Popular China-made candy White Rabbit has recently been under fire in Brunei after a study conducted by the country’s Islamic authority revealed it to contain pig protein, and Malaysia now looks likely to follow in its South East Asian neighbour’s footsteps.
Almost half of Nestle Malaysia’s RM220mn (US$52.4mn) CAPEX investment for this year will be going into the development of its Milo Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, a nod to the country’s passion for the chocolate malt drink.
Singapore has confirmed the ban of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) - a form of trans fats - as an ingredient in all foods, with the new rules expected to come into force from June 2021.
Philippines Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol has urged the local Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) to release the brand names of vinegar products containing synthetic acetic acid, recently found to...
Asia’s first rice-based ice cream firm Smoocht is out to conquer the ice cream market via its message of simplicity instead of the more often-used health claims track, starting with Singapore.
Singapore-based palm oil company Musim Mas, which boasts clients such as confectionary giant Ferrero, has become the first in South East Asia to meet the high standards set out by the Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG).
Nestle Philippines has confirmed that 75% of all its packaging is already recyclable, a major sustainability milestone for a company once named as one of the top three plastic waste contributors in the country.
Beverage giant F&N Malaysia will be reformulating some 70% of its products to mitigate the effect of the country’s sugar tax, which is due to be implemented on July 1.
Food safety practices in Myanmar have been called into question and a study found that more than two-thirds of students consumed foods containing prohibited colours.
The Indonesian Ministry of Industry (Keminperin) has predicted a growth of at least 9% for the country’s food and beverage industry this year, attributed to additional investment in the sector.
Singaporean coconut water brand Cocoloco is moving on from its traditional business of supplying fresh coconut to the food and beverage manufacturing industry with its naturally pink coconut water now available in several major retail outlets.