Functional foods & drinks

Walmart aiming to reduce greenhouse gases in China by 50m tonnes

16-Apr-2018 By Richard J. Whitehead

Walmart has committed to reducing greenhouse emissions from its Chinese operation by the equivalent of the electricity consumption of 40m households by 2030.

Banana sugar and cricket protein start-ups among the finalists for Mekong accelerator programme

12-Apr-2018 By Lester Wan

Start-ups including a Cambodian firm that produces a unique banana sugar and a Vietnam cricket protein company are among the 23 businesses selected to take part in the Mekong Agritech Accelerator (MATCh) programme.

Higher-value organic segments targeted by Australian Dairy Farms Group to offset conventional market price declines

09-Apr-2018 By Lester Wan

Australian Dairy Farms Group recently announced it would be converting all its dairy farms to organic production, as it seeks to expand from the conventional milk market to higher-value segments.

'Full of loopholes': Aussie food firms' nutrition policies ranked as obesity soars

03-Apr-2018 By Lester Wan

Some of Australia's biggest food and beverage manufacturers have been found wanting in their nutrition policies, with only half receiving a 'passing grade', according to a new Deakin University report.

Bottled water sales reach saturation point in China while other Asian markets grow

27-Mar-2018 By Lester Wan

China’s bottled water sales volume growth dipped from 5% in 2015 to 4.2% in 2017, due to market saturation and intensified competition in beverages, but other Asian markets are in the top five fastest growing.

Tate & Lyle doubles Shanghai lab as it seeks 30% of sales from emerging markets by 2020

26-Mar-2018 By Lester Wan

Tate & Lyle has doubled the size of its food application laboratory in Shanghai, with its regional leader targeting 30% of its speciality food and ingredients sales coming from emerging markets by 2020.

Revealed: The emerging food products set to propel NZ exports beyond lamb and dairy

22-Mar-2018 By Lester Wan

New Zealand’s food exports have long been dominated by lamb and dairy, but new reports highlight the rapidly-emerging categories displaying double-digit growth rates.

Māori and Crown joint venture seeks to create ‘billion-dollar’ Kiwi berries business

20-Mar-2018 By Gary Scattergood

A joint venture company has been created in New Zealand to breed and develop new berry varieties to be marketed exclusively by Māori-owned firm Miro Limited Partnership (Miro), which has set its sights on becoming a 'billion-dollar' business.

Impact investors establish new food firm to produce plant-based protein and clean-meat goods for China

19-Mar-2018 By Lester Wan

A new food firm – Dao Foods International – has been set up to launch plant-based protein and clean meat alternatives to the China market, on the back of the country’s soaring demand for meat products.

Is protein about to take off in India? Recent biscuit launches suggest so

15-Mar-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Two major food companies in India are attempting to address the country's issue of protein deficiency with new biscuit launches, with one market expert predicting other firms will soon follow suit.

Gulfood 2018

Historic Chinese beverage firm diversifying in products for export push

13-Mar-2018 By Lester Wan

In China, the Shanhaiguan brand is famous for its “Orange Juice Soda”, first bottled in 1902. Now, the company is diversifying with more products in a push towards increasing exports.

Raft of changes to the legal status of edible insects around the globe

12-Mar-2018 By Massimo Reverberi

This time last year, Bugsolutely founder Massimo Reverberi provided us with a comprehensive assessment of the legal status of edible insects. Revising the topic 12 months on, he has found some significant changes.

Dairy protein demand surging in the Middle East as active consumers eye health and wellness options

07-Mar-2018 By Gary Scattergood

The Middle East is ripe for mass-market protein products that boost the health and wellness of active consumers, but is not yet at the stage where there is huge demand for high-end sports nutrition products specifically tailored for gym-goers.

Gulfood 2018

Thai juice firm Malee branches into functional condiments as part of health drive

27-Feb-2018 By Lester Wan

Beverage company Malee is to launch its first condiment — Vintico Coconut Vinegar — in Thailand in April as it seeks to diversify into premium health and functional food products.

Kiwi plant-based protein company targets global expansion for Chicken Free Chicken

31-Jan-2018 By Lester Wan

Auckland-based meat substitute producer Sunfed Meats, which has consistently sold out its Chicken Free Chicken in New Zealand, is in the midst of a series A capital raise to significantly expand production to meet growing local and overseas demand, and...

Healthy Ageing APAC Summit: The biggest food and nutrition opportunities to be revealed at Singapore event

30-Jan-2018 By Gary Scattergood

NutraIngredients-Asia and FoodNavigator-Asia are bringing together business leaders, policymakers and academics to debate how industry can meet the food and nutritional challenges brought about by Asia-Pacific's rapidly ageing population.

Anti-GM group calls for Golden Rice review in Australia and New Zealand

29-Jan-2018 By Gary Scattergood

Campaign group GE Free NZ wants regulator Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to review its draft approval for Golden Rice, which is genetically modified to produce beta-carotene.

US plant-based food firm JUST makes first foray into Asia

23-Jan-2018 By Gary Scattergood

US plant-based food start-up JUST has made its debut in Asia with the launch of its egg-free mayo, ranch dressing and scramble products in Hong Kong’s Green Common stores.

Food and supplement firms beware: Chinese prosecutors demand more investigations into advertising breaches

22-Jan-2018 By Gary Scattergood

Food and supplement companies are firmly in the sights of China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), which is demanding a fresh clampdown on illegal advertising for food, drugs and wellness products.

Kiwi mānuka firm Comvita expands in US and Canada as it seeks to move on from tough 2017

15-Jan-2018 By Gary Scattergood

Mānuka honey brand Comvita has expanded its retail availability in the US and Canada, after securing a deal with Costco and launching a new store on Amazon.

Nutrition news: Our top 5 most-read health-related stories of 2017

19-Dec-2017 By Gary Scattergood

The heart health benefits of certain veggies, the cognitive support offered by tea and the vital importance of nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life were among our most-read health-related stories of 2017.

Asia-Pacific's top 2017 food industry trends stories revealed

18-Dec-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Our top five most-read trends stories for 2017 include the latest developments in dairy, snacks and beverages, with consumers across the region revealing rapidly-changing tastes and preferences.

NZ mānuka honey industry could have new testing standards by Christmas

12-Dec-2017 By Cheryl Tay

A change in government is unlikely to delay the introduction of an official standard for New Zealand’s mānuka honey industry.

Hemp foods in Australia and New Zealand: Legal, on the shelves and set for boom

06-Dec-2017 By Lester Wan

A new wave of products containing hemp are starting to filter into Australian and New Zealand markets, after the long-banned product was finally permitted for food and nutritional use.

South Australia’s new pest-free status promises a boom for citrus exports to China

28-Nov-2017 By RJ Whitehead

One of the world’s leading premium orange growing regions has been formally granted pest-free status by the Chinese government, raising hopes for the continued growth of South Australian citrus exports to Asia.

Waste from soy milk and tofu production turned into ‘high-value’ ingredient by Singapore scientists

22-Nov-2017 By Lester Wan

Singapore food scientists have turned wasted okara, the by-product of soymilk and tofu production, into ‘a nutritious and tasty food ingredient’.

‘Neutralising a significant threat’: Aussie academics grow world-first Panama disease-resistant bananas

20-Nov-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Queensland University of Technology researchers have developed and grown modified Cavendish bananas resistant to the Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4), also known as Panama disease.

Organic in Australia: The latest consumer trends and business opportunities revealed

16-Nov-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Domestic organic and export sales are continuing to rise in Australia but there are still considerable opportunities for the industry to accelerate its growth.

The six veggies that can help slash heart disease risk by 40%

15-Nov-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Eating more vegetables could cut the risk of heart disease and stroke by as much as 40%, with six vegetables especially beneficial due to their high levels of nitrate, according to a new study.

New 3D food printing technology to solve personalised diet needs

13-Nov-2017 By Lester Wan

Scientists in Israel say they have created a 'revolutionary concept' for the 3D printing of food based on a new raw material, Crystalline Nano Cellulose (CNC).

Joined-up approach needed to tackle Asia’s double-burden of malnutrition

09-Nov-2017 By Gary Scattergood

‘Food is at the heart of a growing global health crisis’, with a more joined-up approach from governments, industry and individuals needed to tackle the double burden of malnutrition in South East Asia.

Omega-6 consumption significantly reduces type 2 diabetes risk: Cohort study analysis

12-Oct-2017 By Gary Scattergood

A diet rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats can “significantly reduce the risk” of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new Australian study.

Vitafoods Asia 2017

WATCH – Chr. Hansen: 2017 ‘one of our best ever years’ for probiotics in APAC

19-Sep-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Chr. Hansen says it has experienced one of its best ever years for APAC probiotics sales, driven by demand from infant nutrition firms and deeper consumer understanding across the region.

Sunshine or supplements? Cholesterol concerns must be considered with vitamin D, says expert

18-Sep-2017 By Kacey Culliney

Clinicians must consider the impact vitamin D supplements may have on cholesterol levels in some consumers, warns an epidemiology expert. 

Vitafoods Asia 2017

WATCH: Kefir's CVD and bone health benefits spur Taiwan manufacturer's first international foray

12-Sep-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Taiwanese supplement manufacturer Phermpep, which produces kefir-based finished products and ingredients for improved bone and heart health, will launch in its first international markets later this year.

VITAFOODS ASIA 2017

Ageing APAC: Onus on nutrition industry to persuade younger consumers to act now

07-Sep-2017 By Gary Scattergood

APAC’s nutrition industry needs to do more to educate consumers that preventative approaches leading to healthy ageing must be adopted at a younger age.

VITAFOODS ASIA 2017

Personalised nutrition in Asia Pacific: 'Industry is now at a tipping point'

06-Sep-2017 By Gary Scattergood

New players in the market and groundbreaking technology will lead to a wave of personalised nutrition innovation across Asia, according to a panel of experts at Vitafoods Asia.

Kiwi supplement firm secures exclusive boysenberry supply deal ahead of China product launch

05-Sep-2017 By Gary Scattergood

New Zealand supplement firm Anagenix has secured an exclusive supply deal with Boysenberries New Zealand Ltd (BNZL), the largest marketer of boysenberries worldwide.

Avocados could be good for gut health: New Zealand research

31-Aug-2017 By Gary Scattergood

New research shows avocados may be good for gut health — a previously unknown benefit — by increasing short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production.

China direct

Consumers now look for healthier and premium products, survey finds

31-Jul-2017 By RJ Whitehead

Chinese consumers have become more selective in their spending this year due to pressures at work and tightening household budgets.

Japan’s Food with Function Claims: Limited consumer understanding of regulatory details

27-Jul-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Consumers, physicians and pharmacists have a high level of awareness of the existence of Japan’s Food with Function Claims (FFC), but far fewer have a clear understanding of what the regulations mean.

Singapore and South Australia unite to drive functional food innovation among SMEs

26-Jul-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Singapore’s government enterprise body SPRING is joining forces with economic development agency Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA) to collaborate on functional food innovation.

FoodPro / AIFST Convention 2017

Australia’s food regulation changes: ‘The good, the bad and the ugly’

19-Jul-2017 By Gary Scattergood

The desired policy outcomes for Australian food and drink regulations are rapidly shifting away from food safety and point-of-sale information to being focused on public health and consumer rights…leading to some “good”, but other “bad and ugly” changes...

Could malformed mushrooms be the next big sports nutrition ingredient?

18-Jul-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Mushrooms have been hailed as the perfect ingredient for new sports drinks, with researchers in Australia claiming they could be key to refuelling after a workout.

Changing consumer demands fuel new innovations in coffee and tea

28-Jun-2017 By Cheryl Tay

New varieties of coffee and tea drinks are putting a spin on Asia’s staple beverages, thanks to consumer demand for new flavours and concepts.

Six top processing, packaging and manufacturing trends set to shape foodpro 2017

28-Jun-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Australasia's largest-of-it's-kind food processing and manufacturing show foodpro returns next month, so we've been getting the lowdown on six of the top industry trends that are set to star on show floor.

Barentz International and Indian pharma firm unite to drive South Asia fortification opportunities

28-Jun-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Ingredient firm Barentz International is seeking to increase its nutrition and fortification opportunities in India by linking up with Noida-based pharma company Jubilant Life Sciences.

Stevia toxicity: New tests support high dose functional food and supplement use beyond sweetness

20-Jun-2017 By Gary Scattergood

The ethanolic extract from stevia rebaudiana bertoni has been claimed to be safe for human consumption at 300 times the recommended daily dose, opening up considerable functional food and nutraceutical opportunities beyond its traditional sweetening role,...

Probiota Asia: World-leading probiotics summit comes to Asia and calls for abstracts

09-Jun-2017 By Gary Scattergood

NutraIngredients-Asia is delighted to announce that the first Asia edition of the global probiotics and prebiotics summit, Probiota, will be held in Singapore in October.

Vitamin D deficiency linked to respiratory infections in Indian children, new data reveals

08-Jun-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of respiratory infections among Indian children aged six to 30 months, a new trial has found.