The Indian fiscal budget for the period 2012-13 is a mixed bag for the country’s growing food and beverage industry, as many of its pre-budget demands from the finance minister were not met.
Fish in Southeast Asia are at the risk of disease outbreaks, thanks to the use of chemicals and antibiotics a that could collapse an entire industry, a top sector official said today in the Philippines.
Australian scientists have developed a salt-tolerant durum wheat variety that can increase yields by 25% in salty soils; the most significant environmental issue facing Australian agriculture today, according to CSIRO.
Beef imports from Australia and New Zealand have come under the spotlight in Taiwan after samples from the two countries tested positive for growth drugs.
China’s beef market, in its primary development stage, has great potential however reform is needed as it lags behind developed markets, according to Frost & Sullivan.
NSF International’s dietary and food ingredients testing facility in Shanghai has achieved accreditation from the China National Accreditation Service (CNAS), a move that will drive standards among Chinese suppliers, according to an industry expert.
A top court in India has come down hard on the country’s food safety regulator over its claims that there is a robust system to monitor the presence of pesticides in food products.
China and India, the two largest consumer markets for palm oil, will be targeted by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) to take-up certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) in a bid to close the stark gap between the supply and demand of this global...
A preference for local food among Australian consumers could offer Australian food processors a way to rejuvenation after a turbulent period where they have been pounded by cheap food imports.
Amid a stream of supplier bullying accusations, Australian supermarket giant Woolworths has launched a new hotline where its clients can voice concerns and complaints.
Indian natural ingredients company, OmniActive Health Technologies is focused on the entire production chain for its lutein ingredient production in the country.
Indian tea makers have sent an SOS to the central government after a prolonged period of market losses and estate closures with an aim to rejuvenate the industry.
A government report in Australia has highlighted how heavily the two top supermarkets - Woolworths and Coles - are dominating the country’s food supply chain right up to the consumer’s grocery basket.
The Indian government is firm on sugar decontrol and would step back from this sector by the end of this year, a top official on the committee in charge of deregulation said.
Consumer concerns are proving increasingly powerful in influencing food and beverage formulation decisions, and Australian supermarket Coles is the latest to react and remove all added MSG and artificial colourings from its own brands.
Indian food importers have got some respite from the bureaucratic muddle that is importing food products in the country thanks to a new payment system set up by the country’s apex food safety body.
Thai sugar company, Mitr Phol, has secured a majority stake of 57.69% in Australian sugar mill MSF for A$300m, racking up the total foreign investment in Australia’s sugar production to over 60%.
Japan’s functional food manufacturers have recently shifted activities towards the global market amid a shrinking population and declining domestic demand, claims an industry expert.
Aware that food and grocery suppliers maybe too scared to report abuse of power tactics by the supermarkets, the Australian trade watchdog has said that it would offer protection for reporting parties.
A team of New Zealand scientists recently reported that they have identified a unique marker molecule in manuka honey, which is believed to be associated with the honey’s unique antibacterial activity.
Food and beverage manufacturers will have a key role to play in water management and food security across India as the projected impacts of climate change take hold across agricultural land, finds a new study.
A new study sponsored by the Australian Olive Association (AOA) has said that imported olive oils being marketed in the country as extra virgin olive oil are anything but olive oil.
Aquaponics is being pegged as an alternative eco-friendly, sustainable and commercially viable business model for food manufacturers by experts in the field.
China is readying to send a team to inspect Indian vegetable oil units days after it ordered a ban on the import of rapeseed meal, soybean meal, and oil meal from its South Asian neighbor, industry sources said.
Supply chain management will be increasingly important for Australia’s food and grocery sector in driving steady growth set for the March quarter, according to an industry expert.
India has taken a step closer to deregulating its sugar industry with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh constituting a special panel to discuss and examine issues around removing government controls from the sector.
South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labour is taking fire at food companies whose employees are working excessive weekly hours as well as weekends in a bid to improve lifestyles, ensure maximum productivity and create more jobs.
‘Made in Australia’ is not always what it says on the tin and this effectively dilutes claims made by Australian manufacturers who use 100% local ingredients, according to the MD of BuyAustralianMade.
The West Indian state of Gujarat is fast becoming a hotbed of multinational food processing thanks to an upcoming food park and a foreign investor friendly administration.
Decade-old Malaysian food player, Zenxin, is extending its presence in organic processed foods such as rice noodles, mulberry tea and local herbal tea.
A method for marker-assisted breeding, conceived in 2009 through a collaborative research project between the UK and Japan, is now focused on developing rice breeds tolerant to salt-sodden Japanese soils following the Tsunami last year.
Strikes at Auckland ports are forcing food manufacturers and traders to look at alternate locations for their businesses, according to New Zealand industry sources.
Recent food scandals have influenced China food officials to implement up to 1,000 food regulations by 2015. The aim is to regain consumer confidence in local processed foods.
In a bid to create unified standards and transparency across packaged products in China, the Ministry of Health has issued nutritional labelling standards, set to commence in January, 2013.
Unregulated insecticide marketing in Asia is driving overuse and misuse by farmers leading to widespread pest infestations and damaging millions of tonnes of rice each year, according to industry experts.
The Indian edible oil industry is banking on a slew of corrective measures in 2012 to revive its fortunes after the last year ended on a downhill thanks to changes in the Indonesian palm oil tax structure.
US farm management company, Stevia Corp, has signed an agreement with a Vietnamese research institute to strengthen knowledge of stevia cultivation and crop management to drive production in the country.
Thai food companies report government aid helped them to cope with the recent flood crisis and that they are now in a better position to deal with similar incidents in the future.
Australian soup manufacturers will easily be able to mitigate the costs associated with the recently announced cuts in sodium levels in the country, says a food industry expert.
Singapore-based ingredients technology company, Compass Foods, has announced the legal approval of its emulsifier for use in flavour applications in the Indonesian market.
The recent deluge of rain in Thailand will not hamper overall rice production in 2011 as farmers will be aided by the National Science and Technlology Development Agency (NSTDA) to increase rice production with better quality seeds.
Australia and New Zealand stand on the verge of legalising hemp as a food source after the head of the countries’ bilateral food agency backed its entry into the food chain.
Thailand food company S. Khonkaen Foods Plc has signed a deal with Sri Lanka-based Keells Food Products Plc to distribute food products on the island, with further expansion plans mooted.
An international system has been launched that will establish environmental standards for sustainable rice production in a bid to increase rice yields.
Under pressure from coalition allies as well as the opposition parties, India's government has put on hold its landmark decision to open up the country’s retail sector to multinationals.
