Convenience foods & snacks

‘Handcrafted, artisanal and authentic’: Nestle India wants to conquer ‘super premium’ chocolate market

13-Dec-2018 By Pearly Neo

Nestle India has its eye on India’s ‘super premium’ chocolates market with the introduction of its new Les Recettes De L’Atelier range.

Calbee introduces potato chips for 'fashionable young ladies' in Japan

12-Dec-2018 By Gill Hyslop

Japanese snack food maker Calbee has introduced Potato Chips Lovely Cheese, designed to appeal to women in their 20s and 30s who enjoy sharing pics of whatever they are eating on social media.

Japan Focus: KitKat, Nissin, alternative protein products and more feature in this round-up

12-Dec-2018 By Pearly Neo

KitKat flavours, Nissin business strategy, new alternative protein products in Japan and more feature in this issue of Japan Focus.

‘False propaganda’ is ‘bad for food businesses’: India’s FSSAI decries ‘irresponsible reporting’

12-Dec-2018 By Pearly Neo

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has denounced what it claims to be ‘irresponsible reporting’ on the safety and quality of food in the country.

RSPO Annual Roundtable Conference on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT16)

WATCH: Southeast Asia and India still have ‘a long way to go’ in terms of palm oil sustainability

12-Dec-2018 By Pearly Neo

South East Asia and India still have a fair bit to do in order to catch up with the rest of the world in terms of palm oil sustainability, said an industry expert from the RSPO.

PepsiCo and Coca-Cola set to invest US$1.4bn in Pakistan as government touts regional hub opportunity

12-Dec-2018 By Pearly Neo

Pakistan looks set to be a prime upcoming market for Pepsi and Coca-Cola, as its government has claimed both companies will invest US$1.2bn in the country over the next five years.

Mondelēz welcomes global safety revamp

11-Dec-2018 By Rick Pendrous

A new global standard in food safety management, which puts responsibility on senior management to identify the level of risk they are prepared to take, has been welcomed by Mondelēz International’s head of food safety.

‘Common sense and reality is important’: Kinder Surprise ad ‘not in breach’ of NZ child advertising code

11-Dec-2018 By Pearly Neo

A Kinder Surprise advertisement targeting children has been deemed to be ‘not in breach’ of the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) children advertising code following a formal complaint submitted by the Healthy Auckland Together coalition.

Kellogg’s gets creative with limited edition beers made with Cornflakes and Crunchy Nut cereals

10-Dec-2018 By Gill Hyslop

The UK and New Zealand arms of the global cereal giant have teamed up with artisanal breweries to create two limited edition beers from its breakfast cereals to reduce food waste.

Beating the MNCs: Mengniu, Yili and Master Kong the three most commonly consumed brands in China

10-Dec-2018 By Tingmin Koe

China’s home-grown brands took the top three spots for the most consumed food and beverage brands amongst Chinese families, research from Kantar Worldpanel has shown.

Six Asian food system megatrends revealed by Cargill…and the opportunities they offer food firms

07-Dec-2018 By Pearly Neo

A new research report has identified six megatrends in food systems in Asia, along with several opportunities and recommendations for companies and policymakers in managing these.

Science Shorts: The latest research on diabetes, flavours, protein consumption and more in our latest science and research round-up

05-Dec-2018 By Pearly Neo

Diabetes, the limonene flavouring, protein consumption in Asia and more feature in our latest edition of Science Shorts.

GULFOOD MANUFACTURING 2018

Vast untapped markets, providing upmarket products…Africa a lucrative alternative for GCC firms to expand

05-Dec-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Some GCC firms are seeking fortune in the African continent as market competition in the GCC’s food and beverage packaging industry intensifies.

‘Time to take action’: New Zealand single-use plastic phase-out will not affect fresh produce barrier bags

05-Dec-2018 By Pearly Neo

New Zealand’s implementation of a single-use plastic bag ban, which will be conducted as a ‘mandatory phase out’ over six months, will not affect barrier bags for fresh food products.

‘We want to grow’: South Korean food giant CJCJ eyes US processed food market as it acquires 80% stake in Schwan’s

04-Dec-2018 By Pearly Neo

South Korean food giant CJ CheilJedang (CJCJ) is to purchase 80% of Schwan’s Company for an estimated US$1.8bn.

RSPO suspends FGV palm oil mill and four plantations over labour rights abuses

30-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has suspended the membership of one mill and four plantations belonging to Malaysian palm oil giant FGV, which supplies manufacturers including Nestle and Mars, due to labour rights abuses.

Brand New: PepsiCo, Nestle, Unilever and more feature in this edition of our big-name brands round-up

29-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

PepsiCo and Unilever sustainability efforts, new offerings from Nestle China and Nissin's plans for growth feature in this edition of Brand New.

Fi Asia 2018

Getting halal certified in Indonesia: LPPOM MUI offers advice on navigating the process

29-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

Food companies in Indonesia applying for halal certification need to understand the nuances of the process and pay attention to training, materials and product presentation to ensure success, said an auditor with the local halal certification authority.

FSSAI declares imported pulses and beans ‘safe’ amidst activist protests of ‘toxic chemical lobby’ influence

29-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has declared all imported pulses and beans to be ‘safe’ from glyphosate contamination, despite activist protests concerning a lack of transparency and accusations of influence from the ‘toxic chemical...

‘Self-regulation is not working’: New Zealand study pushes for sugar tax implementation

29-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

Sugar tax implementation in New Zealand is crucial due to poor self-regulation amongst sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumers, argues a new study.

New Chinese pea protein plant will boost availability of higher quality pea protein in 2019, says Farbest

28-Nov-2018 By Elaine Watson

Farbest Brands has been named the preferred North American distributor of pea protein by Chinese manufacturer Jianyuan Foods Group, which will start commissioning a new production facility in the coming weeks that will provide “a significant increase...

New Chinese study highlights inadequacies of current International Diabetes Federation metabolic syndrome criteria

28-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

Criteria set by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) may not be sensitive enough in identifying metabolic syndrome as opposed to the consensus definition, says a new study.

RSPO Annual Roundtable Conference on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT16)

‘Grave concerns’: Experts identify shared responsibility, big brand roles and emerging markets as key factors for sustainable palm oil

28-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

Shared responsibility, big brand roles and emerging markets were identified as the main driving factors pushing both industries and consumers forward when it comes to sustainability in palm oil, said an expert panel to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm...

‘No more false claims’: FSSAI finalises ban of ‘frivolous’ terms on processed food labels

28-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is all set to roll out its latest food product advertising regulations, which will ban ‘frivolous’ terms such as ‘natural’, ‘fresh’, ‘traditional’, ‘premium’, ‘best’ and more on the labels of processed...

social media

Snickers brings back ‘hungerithm to combat internet hanger’

27-Nov-2018 By Anthony Myers

Special algorithm checks social media posts in real time to capture mood of people and chance to redeem a coupon for a Snicker bar at 7-Eleven stores.

FOOD JAPAN 2018

More almond per pack: Japan firm introduces premium almond milk into South East Asia

27-Nov-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Japanese firm Tsukuba Dairy Products is expanding its presence by introducing more varieties of its flagship premium almond milk in Indonesia, and also breaking into new markets such as Singapore at the same time.

"We can't proceed": ACCC adulterated honey investigation into Capilano loses sting as testing methods found to be 'unreliable'

27-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) has 'concluded' its investigation into Capilano over purportedly adulterated honey being sold in Australia, due to 'testing uncertainty'.

RSPO Annual Roundtable Conference on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT16)

'Rewarding brands who do good': Tapping on supply chains and consumer engagement to transform the palm oil sector

26-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

A complete overhaul at redesigning effective supply chains and consumer engagement approaches is the key to transforming the entire palm oil industry, said a sustainability expert to Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) members.

‘New products almost every day’: Nissin taps NPD and premium branding to hit triple growth target

26-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

Cup noodle giant Nissin aims to expand its business in Asia (excluding China) by over three times to US$ 213mn (JPY 24.1bn) in FY 2021 by focusing on a variety of areas including product development and premium branding.

“Leading national ecosystems’ in halal: ASEAN, Australia and Pakistan get top spots in Global Islamic Economy report’s Top 10 Halal Food list

22-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

Malaysia, Brunei, Pakistan and Australia have all clinched top spots in the recent State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2018/19’s Top Ten Halal Food list.

GULFOOD MANUFACTURING 2018

Ready-to-eat and grab-and-go meals are starting to shape food packaging trends in Saudi Arabia

21-Nov-2018 By Tingmin Koe

The rise of ready-to-eat (RTE) and grab-and-go meals are shaping the future of Saudi Arabia’s food and beverage packaging trends.

Trend Tracker: The latest food industry trends in ASEAN, flavours, Nestle health and wellness and more

21-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

See more on the latest food and beverage industry trends in APAC, ASEAN, the flavours industry, Nestle health and wellness and more in this month's edition of our Trend Tracker review.

Iran-Iraq exports rise with food accounting for 37% of goods traded

21-Nov-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Iran’s export to Iraq, including food products, grew by 30% in the last seven months, the Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce announced last week. Trade ties is set to deepen, despite US sanctions against Iran.

RSPO Annual Roundtable Conference on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT16)

Unilever implements jurisdictional palm oil approach in Malaysia and Indonesia

21-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

Unilever is working with local governments to implement a jurisdictional, district-wide approach to sustainable palm oil for four areas in Malaysia and Indonesia.

‘Maximum punishment’: India’s Maharashtra FDA to prescribe life imprisonment for food adulteration violators

21-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

Life imprisonment will soon be the maximum punishment for food adulterators in the Indian state of Maharashtra, said the state’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Beyond just taste: Five emerging flavour trends taking shape in Asia

20-Nov-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Flavour firms need to keep up with the rapidly changing tastes of consumers and take a holistic approach to innovation in order to secure success, according to the International Flavours and Fragrances (IFF), which has highlighted five emerging trends...

GULFOOD MANUFACTURING 2018

Food manufacturers' awareness and understanding of sugar replacers growing in Saudi and UAE

20-Nov-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Food and beverage manufacturers in the Middle East, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are beginning to acknowledge the need to reformulate around sugar reduction, according to Tate and Lyle.

China targeted by UK food businesses

19-Nov-2018 By Aidan Fortune

UK food and drink businesses have been on a charm offensive in China as part of a trade mission organised by the Department for International Trade (DIT), Santander UK and the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC).

‘Asia is driving growth’: Kancor emphasises strong APAC focus after MANE acquisition

19-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

Kancor’s recent acquisition by MANE has given the company a stronger, more holistic view of solutions from farm to fork, especially in its top-priority market in Asia Pacific, said a top company official during the recent Fi Asia expo in Jakarta.

Thailand to stop all foreign plastic waste imports by 2021 following Malaysia, Vietnam

19-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

Thailand will ban all plastic waste imports by 2021, making it the latest country in South east Asia to take policy-level action against a rising influx of foreign plastic scraps, much of which comes from food and beverage packaging.

Food recalls in the spotlight: New Zealand regulator considering moves to strengthen safety systems

19-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

New Zealand Food Safety is looking to further enhance the country’s food recalls and food safety system by seeking views on new proposals that stem from the 2013 Fonterra crisis.

RSPO Annual Roundtable Conference on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT16)

RSPO certification standards undergo major review: Top expert takeaways from the ‘most consultative review process ever’

19-Nov-2018 By Pearly Neo

The certification standards to obtain and/or membership with the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have become more stringent after the latest 2018 review.

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