South Korea has given the nod for recycled PET plastic to be used as a material to make new food and beverage containers as part of its national sustainability strategy, citing work by international brands such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo as an inspiration.
Singapore plant-based egg firm OnlyEg believes that 2023 will be the year for the plant-based egg sector to shine in APAC given the technological advances that have been made, as well as the food safety and nutritional benefits.
Food and beverage brands in the Asia Pacific region would do well to stay up-to-date with worldwide Web 3.0 transformations to accelerate business growth, especially when it comes to capturing younger consumers in the Metaverse.
The Philippines is looking to revamp the regulations governing salt production and processing in the country, in a bid to boost local productivity and reduce reliance on salt imports.
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.
Major South East Asian palm oil producer countries are gearing up to retaliate against the European Union’s controversial deforestation regulation, with the situation rapidly devolving to the point that a trade war could be on the horizon.
Australia recently launched a public consultation as a first step towards reviewing its Food and Grocery Code of Conduct following increasing concerns over its effectiveness and ability to resolve disputes between suppliers and retailers.
Perfect Day is teaming up with big players like Nestle and Unilever to broaden the applications of its whey protein, while leading new innovations through precision fermentation.
The alcohol sector in Dubai has warmly welcomed the authorities’ decision to scrap its 30% taxation on sales in a bid to lower prices and boost tourism, despite officials highlighting that this is not yet considered a permanent change.
Thailand-based protein multinational CP Foods is targeting the full integration of blockchain technology for all products, after a successful introduction for pork and chicken.
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.
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...
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has highlighted efforts to boost local food security as a key goal for the country to transform its food supply system in 2023, alongside the introduction of new taxation strategies to fund further innovation...
Many South East Asian countries remain cautious and concerned over food insecurity and rising inflationary costs despite having seen stellar post-COVID-19 growth in multiple food categories.
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.
New Zealand’s Opo Bio is seeking to help cultivated meat firms cut out a large portion of the initial legwork needed to procure and develop suitable cell lines, believing that this will take help encourage commercialisation and target the mainstream market.
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.
Beverage giant Suntory believes that a simultaneous focus on the development of alternative packaging materials as well as better recycling infrastructure are essential to deliver on its sustainability ambitions.
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.
China’s decision to provide additional subsidies to soybean and grain producers appears to have reaped rewards, with the state officials claiming the former increased by 27% and the latter hitting record levels.
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 Chinese government has launched strict draft standards to govern excessive food packaging in the country covering fruit, meat, egg and seafood products, allowing public comments on these until January 2023.
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.
Australia has implemented more stringent regulations to govern imported retorted foods and beverages that contain meat, dairy or egg content, requiring an additional manufacturer’s declaration to be displayed prior to entry.
Kirin is looking to fast-track meeting its targets in whiskey export sales by the end of this year, given the rapid growth it has already seen for the business in overseas markets.
FMCG food and beverage brands making popular consumer products need to step up and publicly support sustainable palm oil in order to make a real impact in the sector, according to leaders of the RSPO.
The cultivated products sector still has a long road ahead in many markets in terms of regulatory processes, but this thorough vetting will lay a strong foundation of food safety and quality that will eventually yield benefits in terms of consumer trust...
New Zealand is now a step closer to a new regulatory environment governing natural health products, now that the authorities have introduced the long-awaited Therapeutic Products Bill in parliament.
Food firms in Australia affected by recent poppy seed recalls after an outbreak of severe food poisonings say the situation was beyond their control, amid government warnings that non-food grade poppy seeds ‘incorrectly’ entered the supply chain.
Food giant PepsiCo believes that the involvement of major food and beverage brands in palm oil sustainability initiatives is crucial to attract smallholder producers and make a bigger impact.
The New Zealand food and grocery sector has voiced wholehearted support for the government’s announcement of a new legislative bill addressing unfair competition in the local grocery sector, which was previously dominated by a duopoly of major retailers.
The South Korean authorities have conducted food safety checks on almost 2,000 kimchi and related ingredient manufacturers ahead of the peak production season, amid public concern about hygiene and adulteration issues.
Frozen foods, canned foods and bakery products have emerged as the most popular food categories amongst APAC consumers amidst rising inflation and food cost increases, driven by common themes of affordability, shelf-life and convenience.
The Malaysian palm oil sector believes there is little prospect of seeing market growth in the coming year due to labour, economic and climate challenges.
Beverage giant Asahi has seen a resurgence of consumer interest in beer in Japan, but believes that some challenges are upcoming for other segments including low-alcohol and non-alcoholic products.
Qatari dairy giant Baladna is looking at more markets in South East Asia to bring its sustainable dairy self-sufficiency model to, after successfully securing and setting up its joint venture in Malaysia.
Nestle has highlighted its Australian business as the next major market to implement its sustainability plans in the APAC region, with a focus on regeneration and carbon footprint reduction.
Localisation strategies are crucial in order to achieve the ‘holy grail’ of food innovation in the Asia Pacific region, by combining health, taste and convenience, according to Olam outfit ofi.
Rising awareness amongst Thai consumers regarding the potential unhealthy connotations associated with long expiry dates is a key factor driving up the demand for clean label food ingredients in the country, according to leading industry experts.
The interest in cleaner and better-for-you snacks shown by big food and beverage brands, including Mondelez, Nestle and Vitasoy, is paving the way for a new specialised area of plant-based proteins to enter the market, namely the RuBisCo leaf protein.
Increasingly challenging consumer demands for products that can satisfy both taste and convenience needs are accelerating format and flavour innovation within the ready-to-cook (RTC) foods sector, according to Tyson’s APAC VP.
The Japanese government has implemented tighter regulations for organic food imports, with firms required to appoint specific personnel and use standard organic certification labels to avoid being rejected.
Emphasising the healthy benefit functions and innovating in a variety of formats is crucial for the success of probiotics, prebiotics and microbiome-related products, more so than promoting specific strains and ingredients, according to an expert panel.
Seafood heavyweight Thai Union has called for more big brands dealing in protein to hop into the alternative protein sector – but stressed that the motivation for this needs to be more centered on food security than profit margins.
The Philippines government has announced a ban on all prepackaged processed foods containing high trans-fats levels as part of its objective to completely eliminate their presence by 2023.
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), the company’s India arm, has attributed its move to reduce tea prices to its successful ‘Winning in Many Indias’ business model as well as a rare drop in commodity pricing for tea.
The ability to accurately convert consumer demands and preferences into real, technical product concepts remains a key challenge for the plant-based sector in the APAC region, according to industry experts at Roquette.
FNA DEEP DIVE: CULTIVATED MEAT & FERMENTATION TECH
Novel protein production technologies such as cultivated meat and precision fermentation are seeing consumer acceptance soar in APAC, but are still some way off achieving price parity for the everyday consumer due to challenges with regulations and scale.
