Swiftlet believes that developing everyday sugar-reduced food products such as snacks are a key gateway to integrate sugar reduction into APAC consumers’ daily diets.
Plant-based brands in South East Asia need to step up their game by integrating unique health and localisation features to stand out in the increasingly crowded market, according to a Philippines brand blazing a trail in the sector.
APAC companies are starting to tap into growing demands for health foods and dietary supplements in the Middle East after the COVID-19 pandemic stirred consumer interest in preventive health.
Trends and Innovation Opportunities Across the Life Stages
Delegate tickets are now on sale at a special earlybird rate for our Growth Asia Summit 2023, as we also announce a raft of new content themes and high profile keynote speakers from Danone, Nestle, H&H and Dole.
Energy tea brand YATÉ believes that young music fans and night owls will be key for success with its yerba mate-based drink in Asia’s better-for-you beverage space.
Salt could have a positive metabolic effect by promoting a negative energy balance to combat obesity, but extensive further research is needed given the negative consequences of high intake on cardiovascular health.
Hindustani Unilever Limited (HUL), the Indian arm of international FMCG giant Unilever, has stressed that its beverage-based nutrition or health food drinks (HFD) portfolio will remain a major area of focus for the business despite current setbacks caused...
From January next year, the Eucalyptus globulus leaf and extract can no longer be used as a food raw material, except as a food flavouring, Taiwan authorities said.
The Egyptian food safety authority has committed that the local food supply will hit World Health Organisation (WHO) trans fats guidelines within 12 months, claiming its recent policy changes will finally take it off the global high-consumption list.
Organisers of the Future Food Asia (FFA) Awards 2023 have revealed a whole new awards track targeting start-ups based outside APAC, hoping that this will bring more expertise and technologies into the region.
Japan food heavyweight Ajinomoto has highlighted localisation and innovation as key pillars of its sustainability strategy in the firm’s most recent report, with its leaders pledging to take a ‘fundamentally different’ path from other MNCs.
China is considering mandating mass nutritional fortification for various staple foods in order to boost public health and combat nutrient deficiencies.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has made it mandatory for infant and follow-up formula sold in the market to be printed with a new logo from January 2025.
South Korean food and nutrition firm CJ CheilJedang is seeking to address what it claims is a market gap for dietary supplements that promote muscle health through its newly formed food and nutrition ingredient subsidiary.
The Singapore food authority has introduced a new voluntary scheme for baby cereal imports in a bid to encourage manufacturers to update their food safety processes.
Increasing protein intake appears to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in older age, while an extreme decline in animal-based protein consumption is linked with a 48% increase, new data from a long-term China study suggests.
Trends and Innovation Opportunities Across the Life Stages
After a hugely successful debut as a face-to-face event in 2022, our Growth Asia Summit returns for 2023 this September in Singapore with a raft of new content themes.
Minimal processing and healthier formulation is key to achieving plant-based success in Asia, where health drivers trump sustainability concerns, according to a Thai brand that is blazing a trail in the category.
Singapore firm Nurasa is seeking to drive innovation in alternative proteins and nutritional options available to the seniors on the back of an ageing population in Singapore.
Koreans who consume diets dominated by noodles, dumplings and red meat have a significantly higher risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) compared to those who eat more vegetables, fish and soy products, new data from almost 45,000 people aged...
A Bangalore-based company specialising in the cultivation and development of nutraceuticals made of cordyceps is hoping to popularise the use of the medicinal mushrooms within India’s Ayurveda practitioners.
Brands manufacturing plant-based products in the APAC region have highlighted format innovation as a crucial factor in bringing down costs to a level that can satisfy local consumer demands in the short-to-mid term.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has told food bosses to check if they sell ‘vegan ghee’ or ‘vegan butter’ products, calling branding that contains dairy terminology ‘misleading’.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has announced implementation guidelines for its National Nutrition Strategy 2022 – 2030, eyeing the ‘virtual elimination’ of trans fats in the local food supply as well as a 30% reduction in consumers’ average...
The rise of new ingredients and innovations in the better-for-you confectionery space is shifting candies and other sweet treats into a guilt-free indulgence space, and has to the potential to progress further into the functional foods realm.
China’s national ‘Excellent Milk’ project says it is on track to implement further quality and safety advances to locally-produced dairy as it seeks to slash reliance on imports.
China plant-based meat brand Haofood believes that the versatility and affordability of its peanut-based products, as well as its clean labels, are key to attracting domestic consumers to the category.
The food industry in Thailand is calling for the development of a more all-rounded solution to reduce sodium consumption, including product reformulation and innovation, amid continuing talk of a salt tax.
The supplementation of French pine bark extract has shown to increase hair density in women who have undergone menopause, according to a six-month clinical trial conducted in Shanghai.
Nestle has moved one step closer towards its ambitions to reduce plastic packaging in the APAC region with its latest announcement of a paper packaging trial for chocolate in Australia, though its suitability for Asia’s hot and humid climate still remains...
Boiling peanuts for up to 12 hours could help overcome children’s allergic reactions, according to the results of a clinical trial at Flinders University and SAHMRI in Australia which found up to 80% of children with peanut allergy became desensitised...
Australian guilt-free confectionary firm Funday has highlighted its unique gut-friendly ingredient formulation as well as its one-bag-one-serve packaging as major success factors after entering 3,000 retail outlets in the region.
Selenium supplementation may be effective in reducing insulin resistance in those with cardio-metabolic diseases (CMDs), according to a systematic review and meta-analysis by researchers in China.
China is ramping up its efforts to move past the immense impacts COVID-19 has had on the country over the past three years, including removing all requirements for nucleic acid testing on frozen food imports and reducing tariffs.
Bioactive spice-derived compounds require studies using dietary doses to properly determine their preventive effects against colorectal cancer (CRC in humans), according to a review by Asian, European and South American researchers.
Probiotics supplementation could reduce gastrointestinal side effects and restore alterations to the gut microbiota caused by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-eradication therapy, a new study reveals.
With South East Asia (SEA) one of the fastest-growing region for e-commerce, we speak to Amazon Singapore and e-commerce enabler firm CREA on the outlook and opportunities for health and nutrition brands in the e-commerce space.
The South Korean government is implementing a nationwide project to set ‘use-by’ dates for some 2,000 food and beverage items, in its latest move in an attempt to cut national food waste.
Beverage giant Vitasoy believes that oat milk is set to be an important avenue of growth for the company across multiple APAC markets including China, Oceania and the Philippines.
The halal food and beverage sector in Thailand is ramping up its use of technology as a crucial tool to achieve ‘Halal Integrity’, and hopes to establish a halal blockchain platform within the next few years.
Cultivated meat pioneer Mosa Meat says it is still working to get full regulatory approvals to retail its cultivated meat in Singapore, despite the signing of a manufacturing agreement with Esco Aster for production in the Asian trade hub.
The Indian government appears to be softening its stance as ‘no-GMO’ country in light of ongoing food security and trade disputes – sparking fresh debate in the country.
Kirin’s first human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) production plant has commenced operation and the company anticipates that half of the market will be dominated by China in the future.
Beverage giant Yeo’s has reformulated its portfolio so that all products will contain less than 5% of sugar by 2023, in line with both consumer tastes and upcoming regulatory measures in Singapore.
South Korean beauty and skincare conglomerate Amorepacific has revealed its ambitions in expanding its healthy ageing supplement portfolio, and is developing threonine-rich new products, following positive findings on the amino acid.