Bakery

Safety First: Philippines alcohol poisoning, Aussie allergen alert, India food labelling and more feature in our round-up

16-Jan-2020 By Pearly Neo

Philippines alcohol poisoning, Aussie allergen alert, India food labelling and more feature in this edition of Safety First.

South East Asian push: Takasago unveils 100% halal production focus for its new Indonesia factory

15-Jan-2020 By Pearly Neo

Japanese flavours and fragrances giant Takasago International has revealed a completely halal production focus for its latest factory established in Indonesia, in a bid to strengthen its presence in the South East Asian market.

The science of food regs: FSANZ outlines strategy behind industry co-operation to 2023

14-Jan-2020 By Pearly Neo

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has revealed the scientific basis behind how it plans to work with the food industry to develop the regulation system in Australia and New Zealand until 2023.

Responsible food labelling in India: Lack of awareness causing smaller F&B firms to miss the mark

14-Jan-2020 By Pearly Neo

Many big F&B brands in India have been making the shift towards the responsible labelling of products, but this is still lacking in smaller local companies – a situation that might be helped by implementing better and stricter labels and regulations,...

Science Shorts: Research on allergens, alcohol, red meat and more feature in our round-up

09-Jan-2020 By Pearly Neo

Research on allergens, alcohol, red meat and more feature in this edition of Science Shorts.

‘Kneejerk’ reaction to plastics puts circular economy at risk: ‘This report is a reality check’

09-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

Public pressure to find solutions to plastic pollution means companies are ‘on the verge’ of swapping to other materials with ‘new, and potentially greater, environmental consequences’, a new report warns.

Taste and solubility: Cargill pea protein product boasts ‘high flexibility’ for product innovation

09-Jan-2020 By Pearly Neo

Cargill is looking to further extend its reach into various product categories across the Asian protein market with its new Radipure pea protein, which it claims to be exceptionally flexible for usage in new product formulations as a result of its neutral...

Snacking, hemp and energy drinks: Three categories ripe for APAC F&B industry growth in 2020

08-Jan-2020 By Pearly Neo

With the Asia Pacific food and beverage food industry growing at a rapid rate over the past few years, and even more advancement predicted to come, we bring you three of the most significant emerging categories showing strong potential for growth moving...

Convenience key: Australia’s largest organic kids’ snacks range Whole Kids plans APAC expansion

07-Jan-2020 By Pearly Neo

Australia’s largest organic children’s snacks brand Whole Kids sees convenience for both mothers and kids as well as delivering delicious tasting products as its major priorities whilst planning for its upcoming expansion into the Asia Pacific region.

Five top trends set to shape the APAC food and beverage sector in 2020

06-Jan-2020 By Pearly Neo

We take a look at the five top trends that look set to shape the Asia Pacific food and beverage industry in 2020, from fortification to cell-based development to sustainability and more.

Brand New: F&N, Coca-Cola, Mondelez and more big names feature in our round-up

03-Jan-2020 By Pearly Neo

F&N, Coca-Cola, Mondelez and more big names feature in this edition of Brand New.

Policy Picks: Regulatory stories from China, Japan, India and more feature in our round-up

02-Jan-2020 By Pearly Neo

Regulatory stories from China, Japan, India and more feature in this edition of Policy Picks.

China registration rules: Foreign food companies must now pass ‘expert panel’ reviews

18-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

Foreign food companies seeking registration approval for both plant and animal products in China will need to pass the review of two ‘expert panels’ formed by selected customs officers, as recently emphasised by an updated set of regulations published...

Allergy alert: Asia-imported bakery products contain highest number of undeclared allergens in Australia

16-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

Asian bakery product imports have been found to contain the highest number of undeclared allergens compared to other food and beverage products sold from the region, according to a new study.

Getting the hemp: Vegan consumers down under rapidly making the most of now-legal seeds

11-Dec-2019 By RJ Whitehead

Among the many groups cheering the legalisation of hemp as a food in Australia in 2017, vegans perhaps have the most to gain.

Organic standardisation: China enforces revised product list with immediate effect

11-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

China has published a new list of products that can be accepted for organic certification, which has been enforced with immediate effect. A set of revised organic certification regulations is set to follow by January 1, 2020.

Research into health benefits of organics to be taken with a pinch of salt - Aussie scientist

10-Dec-2019 By Richard Whitehead

As studies linking people who eat organic diets with better health struggle to provide credible data, the argument may even be moot, according to a high-profile nutritional scientist in Australia.

‘Clarity is key’: Low and no sugar claims in the spotlight as South Korea tightens regulations

09-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has announced tightened food labelling and advertisement standards in a move to strengthen the country’s Food Labelling and Advertising Act, with sugar and other ‘negative content’ claims receiving...

Safety First: Food safety stories from China, Japan, India and more feature in our round-up

06-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

Food safety stories from China, Japan, India and more feature in this edition of Safety First.

A tale of Three Squirrels: How China went nuts for nation’s largest online snacks retailer

05-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

China’s largest online snacks retailer Three Squirrel enjoyed sweeping success and dominated e-commerce platforms during Alibaba’s recent 11.11 sales. But how did a relatively young company go from start-up to major player in just seven years?

Food and Beverage Trailblazers Podcast Episode 2

PODCAST: Hemp pioneer Georgia Branch on snacks, wellness and uniting women

05-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

In this episode of our Food and Beverage Trailblazers podcast, we speak to the co-founder of two hemp product specialist companies Georgia Branch about her unwavering belief in the ingredient as the way forward for the food and beverage industry, and...

GALLERY: The top 10 most read APAC food and beverage industry stories in November 2019

03-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

Here's a recap of our 10 most-read F&B stories in November 2019, including Nestle paper straws, Mondelez's Caramilk return, plant-based in Thailand and more.

Better late than never? New Zealand government finally responds to industry’s anti-obesity plan

03-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

The New Zealand government has finally responded to the country’s Food and Beverage Industry Taskforce on Addressing Factors Contributing to Obesity’s report and its list of 51 recommendations.

More FSMPs to come: Nestlé Health Science China opens new product innovation centre

03-Dec-2019 By Tingmin Koe

Nestlé Health Science China has officially inaugurated its product innovation centre in Taizhou, Jiangsu province, to beef up the firm’s portfolio of Foods for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs) in China.

Kellogg on warpath to combat India’s malnutrition by providing a Bright Start to the day for underprivileged kids

02-Dec-2019 By Gill Hyslop

Kellogg India is collaborating with The Breakfast Revolution (TBR) and Sesame Workshop India (SWI) in an initiative to provide nutritious breakfasts to 100,000 children by 2022.

Science Shorts: New Singapore food research institute, Indian nanotechnology, a CSIRO-linked plant-based firm and more in our round-up

29-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

A new Singapore food research institute, Indian nanotechnology, a CSIRO-linked plant-based firm and more in this edition of Science Shorts.

Brand New: Mondelez, Nestle, Coca-Cola and more big names feature in our brands round-up

28-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Mondelez, Nestle, Coca-Cola and more big names feature in this edition of Brand New.

Voluntary, but stricter: Australia, NZ opt for enhanced governance of sugar, sodium and dairy in health star rating system

27-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Australia and New Zealand ministers have opted to keep implementation of the Health Star Rating (HSR) system by F&B companies voluntary, although stricter guidelines for the governance of sugar, sodium and dairy will be enforced to ‘increase efficiency’.

‘Disastrous and untimely’: Philippines senate pushes for sugarcane development over industry deregulation

27-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

The Philippines senate is advocating for the development of the country’s sugarcane industry instead of overall deregulation, in the wake of various setbacks that have battered the sector in recent months.

Advancing businesses: Million-dollar NTUC FairPrice programme boosts NPD and sales for local processed food SMEs

26-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Singaporean retail giant NTUC FairPrice has poured in another S$1mn (US$735,000) to extend its million-dollar programme by another year after seeing particularly strong results for local food SMEs that specialise in processed food items such as instant...

Jurisdictional transformation: The crucial role of government in advancing palm oil sustainability

26-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Governmental support and collaboration plays a crucial role in advancing the implementation and uptake of sustainable palm oil whether at district, state or country level, especially in the face of a ‘climate emergency’ where mass conversion is required.

Policy Picks: India's junk food ban, Morocco's sugar tax, Australia's new dairy regulatory system and more feature in our round-up

22-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

India's junk food ban, Morocco's sugar tax, Australia's new dairy regulatory system and more feature in this edition of Policy Picks.

From blue tea to avocado coffee: AI tool to help firms launch new products ‘ahead of trend’

22-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Kerry has teamed up with IBM’s artificial intelligence (AI) arm Watson to develop a new AI-based tool aptly dubbed Trendspotter, which it claims can help F&B manufacturers to identify and launch new products ‘ahead of trend’.

Asia's Food Future: Industry 4.0

From palm oil to cocoa: Can technology pave the way to Asia’s sustainable food future?

21-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Sustainability is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics in APAC’s food and beverage industry, but it can be hard to distinguish between greenwashing and a genuine commitment best practice. That’s why in this edition of Asia’s Food Future: Industry 4.0,...

‘Under one umbrella’: New Singapore food institute to deliver unified approach to product innovation and market entry

20-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Singapore’s major food research entities will be consolidated under a new institute by the second quarter of 2020, enabling F&B firms large and small to access a ‘one-stop shop’ of research and information pertaining to food safety, regulations and...

Sticky situation: Australia-New Zealand tensions rise over million-dollar China manuka honey battle

19-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Australia and New Zealand have been involved in a battle over the latter’s bid to trademark the term ‘manuka’ in China for months, with no end in sight and increasingly terse accusations flying back and forth across the Tasman Sea.

Four years in the making: Will FSSAI’s ban on ‘junk food’ activities near schools prevail?

19-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a set of legislations four years in the making, which would see F&B manufacturers banned from selling or promoting foods high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) in or around school premises.

RSPO RT17

Supply vs demand: MNCs urged to play larger role in easing Asia’s sustainable palm oil oversupply

18-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Large multinational corporations especially in the food and beverage sector have been called upon to play larger roles in driving RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) demand in the face of the revelation that current demand is not sufficient to...

‘False solutions’? Coca-Cola, PepsiCo respond to Greenpeace report ranking Top Global Polluters

18-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have responded to environmental NGO Greenpeace’s recent report ranking them within the top five polluters worldwide by reaffirming sustainability initiatives that cover both plastic reduction and alternative packaging innovation.

‘Clean and nutritious’: Insect-based food firm Flying SpArk to scale up Asia business

13-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Insect -based foods firm Flying Spark recently obtained an investment boost from seafood giant Thai Union, with the firm now pressing ahead to ramp-up R&D and production capabilities to enable it to expand across Asia.

RSPO RT17

Palm progress: Three reason Thai palm oil sector surged while Philippines stagnated

13-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

An open market, less regulation and good policies have been attributed as reasons for the success of Thailand’s palm oil industry in the past 50 years since it was first introduced into the country, where in direct contrast the Philippines has failed...

RSPO RT17

Credibility, collaboration and action: Expert panel on why RSPO pilot is a vital sustainability push

11-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

An expert panel comprising members of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Shared Responsibility Task Force have highlighted credibility, collaboration and real action as major reasons for the establishment of its new year-long pilot.

‘Delivering downstream’: Musim Mas’ first Singapore innovation centre targets finished product gains

07-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Palm oil specialist firm Musim Mas has just opened its first R&D and innovation facility in Singapore with an eye on conducting further R&D into more downstream palm oil innovations so as to ‘stay ahead’ of F&B trends in the Asia Pacific region...

Star crazy: Aussie health rating changes could see confectionery achieving ‘good for you’ status

05-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

The Australian confectionery sector has called for one of the recommended changes to the Health Star Rating (HSR) system - to remove the energy icon and make star labels compulsory – to be reconsidered, claiming this could lead to its products appearing...

Safety First: Food adulteration in Pakistan and India, FSANZ alcohol pregnancy warning labels and more in our round-up

05-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Food adulteration in Pakistan and India, FSANZ alcohol pregnancy warning labels and more feature in this edition of Safety First.

‘Shared responsibility’: RSPO proposes 15% annual increase of mandatory sustainable palm oil purchases

05-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has laid out the first draft of its rules covering Shared Responsibility, and one of the major proposals is to make it mandatory for its members to increase their purchase of sustainable oil by 15% each year.

International aid: Japan helps Vietnam to upgrade food safety measures with focus on facilities and equipment

05-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Japan has signed an agreement with Vietnam to provide financial assistance of some JPY1.204bn (US$11.1mn) to help the latter in upgrading and improving its food safety testing systems and facilities.

Trend Tracker: Coca-Cola Japan and trends in food industry advances, alternative meat and more feature in our round-up

01-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

What's trending in Coca-Cola Japan as well as in food industry advances, alternative meat and more feature in this edition of Trend Tracker.

Trendipedia 2019: Tetra Pak weighs in on the top seven food and beverage trends driving the industry

29-Oct-2019 By Pearly Neo

Tetra Pak has identified seven food and beverage trends surrounding the areas of hygiene, digitalisation and individual experience that have been and continue to be major drivers of the industry this year.

Fi Asia Thailand 2019

‘New era’ for halal in Indonesia: Understanding the country’s new certification system

28-Oct-2019 By Pearly Neo

Indonesia is enforcing its new halal certification, with food and beverage the first area of focus as the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) takes over from the Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI).