Voluntary measures and government targets are great – but it is legislation that will push European palm oil users to true sustainability. The food sector could learn a lesson or two from biofuel here.
As Singapore’s National Environment Agency launches a campaign to curb food wastage, it was revealed that residents each dumped roughly 150kg of food last year.
Support for a Philippines tax on sugary soft drinks to boost government coffers and rein in an increase in lifestyle is growing as legislation passes through parliament.
Indonesia’s forests are being ravaged by forest and peatland fires that are sparking a public health and environmental crisis – but how responsible is the palm oil industry?
UK palm oil imports were 72% sustainable in 2014 – up from 55% in 2013, according to an annual progress report from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Thailand’s government is considering measures to regulate the advertising of soft drinks, including green tea, which it says is behind the country’s soaring sugar consumption.
Companies are increasingly demanding certified palm oil using criteria that are stricter than current RSPO standards – does the mean the RSPO certification is in danger of becoming irrelevant?
With growing middle-classes, ageing populations and a voracious appetite for Australian products, Asia is providing fertile territory for Australian complementary health brands. A raft of free-trade agreements can’t hurt either.
Malaysian researchers have found that Tualang honey supplementation reduced the oxidative stress status of smokers, suggesting its potential in reducing the risk of smoking-related cardio-vascular disease.
An indigenous Australian tree plant, used for tens of thousands of years by Aborigines before being forgotten after the arrival of Europeans Down Under, has the Sydney Olympics to thank for its remarkable comeback as a nutraceutical ingredient that can...
Traditional versions of products like Nescafé and Milo still account for the lion’s share of the business: but ready-to-drink (RTD) varieties are a fast-growing category, especially in Malaysia, says Nestlé as it dedicates a factory in the country to...
Nestlé has expansion opportunities in developing markets in Asia and Latin America for its leading confectionery brand KitKat, according to the company’s head of chocolate countlines.
A lack of tougher penalties and shortage of staff are hindering local authorities’ attempts to tighten control over businesses that violate food safety laws as more samples of meat, vegetables and seafood fail to meet hygiene and quality standards.
The International Rice Research Institute (Irri) has filed the genomic sequences of more than 3,000 rice varieties in a move that boosts plans to set up a global data exchange system for crop genetic resources.
The European Union (EU) will make a decision on whether to ban fish imports from Thailand by December, while the EU gave out ‘yellow cards’ for illegal fishing to Comoros and Taiwan.
AsiaInspection has released an authoritative white paper on modern-day slavery, a practice which the auditing and inspection company called “a highly disturbing reality that is woven into nearly every supply chain around the world”.
Pan-Asia food distributors must keep their finger on the pulse of industry trends. DPO's country head takes a look at the segments that will be big business over the coming year.
With three out of 10 food industry jobs becoming vacant each year in Thailand, companies face a significant challenge in finding staff, and then retaining them in an employees' market.
Ingredients major DSM has ramped up its regional development work with the opening of an innovation centre in Singapore this year. Central to its operation is an understanding that Asian physiology is different, says Haeri Roh-Schmidt, the company's...
Grassland, a Wisconsin butter products company, is seeing fast expansion in a Southeast Asian market that is now demanding a wide range of ingredients. "It is a very positive market for US dairy," says sales manager Greg Rodriguez.
Southeast Asia is now America's second biggest market after Mexico, and is the centre of a growth trend that is set to continue. Dali Ghazalay, the US industry's regional representative, talks about the reasons for this rise and the challenges...
Although not a newcomer to Southeast Asia, American cheese and diary ingredient manufacturer DairiConcepts is determined to break new ground. Its strategy is to bring innovation to Thailand while beating off competitors with less experience in the region.
BASF and Genomatica have expanded their license agreement to produce 1,4-butanediol based on renewable feedstock (renewable BDO), from North America to Southeast Asia.
Saudi’s Savola Group has formed a joint venture with Thai Union Frozen, one of the world’s largest seafood processors, to bring new seafood products to the Middle East, targeting US$400m in sales.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has signed an advisory services agreement with Stora Enso Lao Co. to help the company improve its social risk management in Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Packaged food and meat will gain most out of all food and agriculture (F&A) sectors as a result of Asean Economic Community (AEC) integration to outpace global growth.
While consumers have been curbing their intake of carbonated drinks in many markets, in Vietnam soft drinks consumption looks set to break the 1bn litres barrier this year.
Diageo hopes its non-alcoholic Guinness will improve fortunes in Indonesia, with the alcoholic beverage giant saying the beverage is addressing market trends in the country, and legislation which now bans the sale of beer in some stores.
The Norwegian national investment fund has cut ties with four major Asian companies, citing the risk of ‘severe environmental damage’ as a result of palm oil plantations.
Efacec has signed three contracts with PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology TBK (PT Smart TBK) in Surabaya, Indonesia, Lian Hock Hardware (Lian Hock) and a print and supply chain partner, in Singapore to expand its presence in South East Asia.
A combination of tocotrienols and alpha-tocopherol may help support endothelial function, but the effects were not observed when the tocotrienols were used alone, says a new study.
The food industry is missing a billion euro trick when it comes to ageing population, says Lauren Bandy, senior nutrition analyst at Euromonitor International.
Blendhub Corp. has set up its third Portable Powder Blending plant (PPB) in Mexico, after Spain and India, as it plans to open 40 factories in the next three years claiming processed food sales will reach $8trillion in 2016.
