Spain-based Eggnovo has set its sights on the beauty-from within and joint health markets in Asia, believing that its collagen upcycled from eggshells can provide consumers with a versatile option that is required in much lower doses than regular collagen.
Dubai-based healthy snack brand Linafsi is adopting several strategies to overcome stiff competition, including flavour innovation and localisation, exploring new product formats, and expanding sales channels.
The protein and premium snack segments are seeing annual growth rates of more than 50%, and holistic wellness remains the biggest driver of innovation, according to a market intelligence report.
The supplementation of fermented soybean has been shown to reduce symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), including heartburn, as well as lowering inflammatory markers, based on findings from a 12-week RCT.
Asia consumers’ holistic approach to healthy living is increasingly driving demand for functional products, with sleep, immunity, hydration and gut health trending.
Indonesia will be able to capitalise on a ‘golden opportunity’ with its halal food products industry as long as it improves product quality, safety and infrastructure, according to a leading halal certification official.
Fortifying soy whey with selected strains of Bifidobacteria and propionic acid bacteria can increase vitamin B12 levels in plant-based products, according to an academic from the National University of Singapore.
South Korean food giant CJ CheilJedang is accelerating the expansion of its Oceania and European business led by its “bibigo K-food strategy”, following a surge in sales and positive consumer reception.
Plant-based product manufacturers still targeting the Asian market need to identify the right product formats that can strengthen the category’s correlation with health benefits, or risk further industry slowdown, experts claim.
Middle East food and beverage giant Agthia has reaped the rewards of solid investments into new product innovation with significant volume-led growth in the first half of 2024, and hopes to further boost this with its newly opened protein facility.
South Korean food giant Nongshim remains optimistic for the prospects of its plant-based meat alternative brand Veggie Garden, believing that the sector still has a bright future in the South East Asian region and especially Thailand.
Qatari dairy firm Baladna has announced plans to double down on its new product innovation and international market expansion strategy, particularly in Algeria, after seeing a record growth in net profits over the first six months of 2024.
Thai seafood giant Thai Union has highlighted its ambient product business as the main sales growth booster for the company in the first half of 2024, further supplemented by rising tuna prices and its rapidly-growing value-added product category.
Informing consumers of the benefits of plant-based diets is ‘not enough’ to convince them to reduce meat intake, but rather need to be supported by factors like lifestyle habits and nutritional concerns, according to a recent report.
The intake of freeze-dried kale and pea powders both led to improved metabolic profile among Saudi adults with obesity, but the latter was found to be superior for blood glucose control in a cross-over study.
South Korea believes that its inclusion in the European Union’s list of antimicrobial-compliant markets will give it a leg up in securing a larger share of the animal-based products market as well as future trade negotiations.
Chinese dairy brand Shiny Meadow has launched an upgraded version of its fresh milk product, which contains higher protein and calcium content, to meet evolving consumer needs.
Vietnam-based Duy Anh believes its new vermicelli range utilising beans as the key ingredient can help to elevate these to become ingrained as a healthy staple food item.
Sydney-based firm Vow is targeting premium consumers in Singapore through the launch of its cell-cultured meat at high-end restaurants, which it says is the first step towards wider acceptance and adoption of such products.
Tempeh chips brand Mamame has highlighted the multiple nutritional benefits of black-eyed beans as a key factor behind its success in the APAC healthy snacking sector, fuelling its upcoming growth into the UK and US markets as well.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has emphasised that its recent announcement to allow insect imports for human consumption is underscored by food safety and transparent labelling regulatory requirements to ensure smooth integration of this nascent sector.
Amway is focusing its resources on several key categories, including gut health and anti-ageing, based on major trends that it has observed and believes possess immense potential for growth.
The South Korean food authorities have highlighted that public health and potential food safety concerns will be its top priorities when developing the upcoming regulations to govern cultivated meat in the country.
Cultivated meat brand GOOD Meat’s recent retail launch of a new chicken product in Singapore has divided experts across the food industry as to whether this is a step forward for the sector or simply a means to cut costs amidst the firm’s financial struggles.
A 'game-changing phenomenon' needs to take place before plant-based could become a strong trend in Japan, according to an industry expert pioneering meat alternatives in the country.
The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is implementing stricter food safety requirements when importing animal-based products into the country.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is seeking public comment on draft regulations for the newly-coined ‘defined foods’ category, which will cover novel foods, genetically modified foods and insect-related foods.
China regulators are considering subjecting the local ready-to-cook (RTC) foods category to additional mandatory standards and regulations in response to general public concerns over the food safety and quality.
The US is hoping to see a resurgence in beef exports to Japan on the back of a post-pandemic increase in tourism and new retail opportunities, after reporting a 23% drop in 2023 to shipments valued at $1.8bn.
The government of Vietnam has its eye on increasing food trade across various product categories with China, citing huge population demand for meat as well as ongoing successful fruit and vegetable trade relationships as notable drivers.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has highlighted that cultivated meat still needs to meet a ‘more rigorous’ set of requirements to be halal-certified, even though it has been deemed potentially permissible for halal consumption.
Emerging technologies such as 3D food printing (3DFP) are unlocking opportunities to develop nutrient-rich and personalised plant-based substitutes for traditional meat, say researchers.
Food industry experts in Thailand remain optimistic over the potential of plant-based meat in the country despite slower-than-expected uptake, citing hybrid innovation as one of the growth opportunities.
The general public and experts in Singapore have raised several concerns over the consumption of cultivated meat, while also acknowledging it can play a crucial role in the City State’s food security efforts.
Australian cultivated meat firm Magic Valley has detailed its production and partnership objectives for 2024 as it seeks to get products in front of consumers in 2025.
Precision fermentation firms in the Asia Pacific region need to move beyond a technology focus to prioritise scaling up and commercialisation or risk facing major ‘bottleneck’ challenges when demand increases.
World-first liquid shio koji brand Hanamaruki has big plans to ride on the growing umami and wellness trends in South East Asia, after seeing success in western and East Asian markets.
Chinese 3D food printing firm MOODLES believes that this technology needs to be efficiently incorporated into the production of personalised nutrient-rich staple foods that consumers will eat on a daily basis if the sector wants to grow locally.
The Chinese government has published guide for food firms trying to meet its new excessive packaging regulations, urging industry players to ensure they are fully compliant in the next six months.
The Netherlands-based food tech company Meatable says it has managed to reduce costs and raise production efficiency of its cultivated meat products, which are on course to be launched in Singapore by next year.
Korean cultivated meat player Seawith says that collaboration needs to be balanced with competition to deliver a ‘great product’ for the market, as it outlines its partnership strategy on both B2B and B2C fronts.
3D printed cultivated meat firm Steakholder Foods is targeting cost parity with conventional products by 2028, while also exploring new partnerships to boost its 3D printing capabilities, which it hopes to fully commercialise next year.
Korean start-up TissenBioFarm highlighted greater enthusiasm among local governments to push for regulations and support for the cultivated meat industry, and has set a ‘realistic expectation’ to bring cultivated meat to Korean market by 2025.
Dutch-based plant-based meat and seafood firm PLNT believes that its sodium-balanced, high-digestibility alternative protein products are well-placed to gain it entry into APAC and Middle Eastern markets.
Cell-based meat? Cultivated meat? Differing views have been put forward by the FAO, WHO and industry players in APAC in defining the product, even though everyone seems to acknowledge that a common language is key for consumer education.
Singapore-based Vitality Foods has developed a range of plant-based stocks to address current flavour-related challenges in the alternative meat industry.
