Convenience foods & snacks

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.

BioHaruan hopes to ‘go global’ with modern take on army-issue snack kits

02-Jan-2020 By RJ Whitehead

Malaysian ready-to-eat manufacturer BioHaruan hopes its recent visit to the SIAL trade show in Jakarta will open the doors to the Indonesian market for its brands, including its innovative Rezza Hot 2 Go snack kits.

Big names, big stories: The top 10 most read food and beverage brands stories of 2019

23-Dec-2019 By Guan Yu Lim

We reveal the top 10 most viewed brands stories from the food and beverage industry in 2019, featuring Nestle, Coca-Cola, Fonterra and more.

China Focus: Snacking firm Three Squirrels, convenience store trends, export news and more feature in our round-up

19-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

Snacking firm Three Squirrels, convenience store trends, export news and more feature in this edition of China Focus.

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.

Malaysian ready meal manufacturer Thalia cashing in on foodservice boom

13-Dec-2019 By RJ Whitehead

Malaysian ready meal firm Thalia, best known for its frozen lasagna and other Italian dishes, is now enjoying success in the nation’s rapidly expanding foodservice scene.

Trend Tracker: Mondelez snack trends, Coca-Cola sustainability trends, Middle East fat reduction and more feature in our round-up

12-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

Mondelez snack trends, Coca-Cola sustainability trends, Middle East fat reduction and more feature in this edition of Trend Tracker.

Soldier on: Malaysian start-up turning to black soldier flies as sustainable protein for Asia

11-Dec-2019 By Guan Yu Lim

Malaysian start-up Life Origin believes the black soldier fly can be a sustainability warrior, both in terms of breaking down food waste, animal nutrition and as a protein-packed ingredient for burgers and snacks.

Sustainable noodles: Singapore start-up creating comfort food with ‘future fit crops’

11-Dec-2019 By Guan Yu Lim

Singapore food science start-up NamZ is redesigning comfort foods such as instant noodles by using what it terms ‘future fit crops’ to boost sustainability while simultaneously improving consumer health.

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.

Generation gap: Mondelez highlights differing snack preferences between age groups in Australia

10-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

Mondelez Australia has revealed widely differing factors driving snack choice between different generations in Australia, although convenience and quality still stand out as major reasons for snacking across all age groups.

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...

Rice up to the occasion: Nestle’s opens first Gerber factory in China and tackles toxicity report

09-Dec-2019 By Guan Yu Lim

Nestle in China has emphasised the safety and quality of its Gerber Nutripuff snacks for babies on the back of opening its first factory in China.

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?

Billion-dollar market: Soft drinks, dairy and snacks are most purchased products in Chinese convenience stores

05-Dec-2019 By Guan Yu Lim

Soft drinks, dairy products and snacks are still the top product purchased from convenience stores in China, according to a report conducted by Mintel.

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...

‘Poverty trap’: Philippines’ proposal to tax salty foods met with vehement opposition

04-Dec-2019 By Pearly Neo

A Philippines Department of Health (DOH) proposal to impose taxes on high-salt products has been met with vehement opposition with critics claiming it will penalise the poorest in society.

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.

Future Foods partners with tna on launching pretzel range

26-Nov-2019 By Jenny Eagle

Future Foods, has partnered with tna to launch a pretzel range, installing a seasoning, processing and packaging line at its factory in Egypt.

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.

Thailand salt tax: Industry expert casts doubt on technical feasibility of proposed policy

25-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Thailand has proposed a salt tax by targeting processed foods in hopes of curbing chronic disease, but an industry expert has cast doubt on the effectiveness of this proposal.

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.

China Focus: JD Mooncake trends, PureCircle stevia, alternative meat and more feature in our round-up

14-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

JD Mooncake trends, PureCircle stevia, alternative meat and more feature in this edition of China Focus.

‘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...

‘Plant-based, gluten-free and convenient’: Soul Seed’s first hemp snack taps on multiple big trends

11-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Australian hemp snacks company Soul Seed has launched its first convenience-based snack into local supermarkets, which it claims to hit multiple major trends driving the healthy snack industry in the country today.

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.

Food and Beverage Trailblazers Podcast Episode 1

PODCAST: Bite Society’s Simon Newstead on his mission to lower vegan product prices worldwide

07-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

In the very first episode of our new Food and Beverage Trailblazers podcast, we speak to vegan start-up founder and angel investor Simon Newstead about his mission to both lower the prices of vegan products worldwide, as well as to help put more vegan...

‘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...

Caramilk’s back: Cadbury’s limited edition chocolate relaunched as Oceania-only permanent item

05-Nov-2019 By Pearly Neo

Cadbury has relaunched its popular Caramilk chocolate as a permanent item due to fervent consumer demand – but the availability of this will be limited to only New Zealand and Australia.

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...