News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology
From alternative protein developments, increased sustainability-focused initiatives, sugar reduction mandates and more, we bring you the top 10 most-read trends stories from the food and beverage industry throughout 2024.
Value-for-money propositions have emerged as the key priority and attraction factor for the majority of tourist consumers visiting the South East Asian region regardless of their income brackets, according to data from a new Oxford Economics report.
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Asia is still set to be the region leading global protein transition away from traditional animal meat production and consumption, but much more work on existing products is still needed in order to see this realised.
We bring you the top 10 most-read alternative protein stories from the APAC food and beverage industry in 2024, featuring cultivated meat challenges, plant-based dairy terms, protein made ‘out of thin air’ and more.
There is a wealth of opportunities for the dairy sector in Asia to grow and innovate particularly China and South East Asia, say experts.
We reveal the top 10 most viewed regulation and policy stories from the food and beverage industry in 2024, featuring the EU Deforestation Regulation, Malaysia milk regulations, South Korea recycled PET approval and more.
There may be a positive correlation between nutrient-rich plant-based diets and improved sleep health among older adults, according to a study by researchers in China.
The Asia Pacific region still needs to overcome major gaps in policy implementation and consumer behaviour management in order to meet ideal nutritional goals, according to an expert panel.
India is set to become one of the world’s largest food commodity consumption markets in 2025, particularly for edible oils such as palm oil and soybean oil.
We reveal the top 10 most viewed brands stories from the APAC food and beverage sector in 2024, featuring well-known names like Nestle, Mondelez, PepsiCo and more.
Frequent consumption of certain fast food items may increase the risk of depressive and anxiety symptoms in young adults, say researchers in Hong Kong.
The Indonesian government has updated regulations governing the production and sale of genetically modified (GM) foods.
Thai-based Superskinny Brownie Thins believes that its clean label flourless brownies made with only five ingredients holds the key to success in the local healthy snacking market.
FNA TRAILBLAZERS EP 54
Singapore-based children’s food firm HaruPlate is looking to tap on mediums of gameplaying as well as cultural influences to get kids in the APAC region to first eat at all, then eat healthier.
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The precision fermentation sector in Asia Pacific needs to take a more ‘realistic’ approach to operational and infrastructural management with a shift towards collaborative attitudes, in light of funding becoming increasingly scarce.
The South Korean government has collaborated with industry to launch 19 reduced-sodium and sugar food and beverage products as it seeks to meet national targets.
Eight free webinars, over 50 experts and one unmissable opportunity to turn nutrition insights into action. It’s FoodNavigator’s global Positive Nutrition event
FNA DEEP DIVE: CULTIVATED MEAT
The cultivated meat and seafood sector in APAC has gone through various ups and downs in recent years – but now that the dust has settled, what does the industry truly see as the path forward?
Five Asia-focused projects will examine the effects of human oligosaccharides (HMOs) and postbiotics – independently or with probiotics – on immunity, metabolism, ageing, and mental health.
The Indonesian government’s latest notification to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has included a stern warning to both domestic and foreign food firms against introducing products with high sugar, salt or fat content.
Incorporating orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) powder into the rice flour used to make vermicelli could improve its nutritional value, say researchers in Vietnam and Thailand.
The a2 Milk Company is doubling down on its senior nutrition business in China as it explores different ways to maximise the market’s potential.
Carlsberg Malaysia, Polish fruit exports interest, Ajinomoto on Indonesia sodium and more feature in this edition of ASEAN Focus.
MAD Foods, a Singapore-headquartered company specialising in plant-based ready-to-drink beverages, is partnering TurtleTree in developing a new line of functional oat milk coffee containing lactoferrin that will be launched in mid-2025.
The early bird delegate sale, with a 25% discount, for our Growth Asia Summit has been extended to December 24.
Asahi Group Holdings (Asahi) has seen steady growth in the third quarter of 2024 buoyed by a rise in local Japanese demand for beer as well as international interest in its Super Dry product.
An inter-ministerial committee from India has put forth a list of recommendations on how nutraceuticals could be regulated, which has received mixed industry response, especially around disease risk reduction claims.
Premium water brand BE WTR aims to “revolutionise hydration” with its filtration and flavour-enhancing technologies, as it actively sets up bottling plants across the globe on the back of new funding.
Saudi Arabian F&B major Almarai is partnering with Google Cloud to accelerate its digital transformation initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, drive innovation and growth, and elevate customer experience in an increasingly competitive market.
The CEO of Japan’s biggest candy company, Kanro, has revealed how it hopes to drive sales to JPY50bn (US323m) by 2030.
Recent research findings by Euromonitor International highlight the prominence of probiotic and botanical ingredients in packaged foods in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, which also underscores innovation opportunities for wider application and variation.
Vitafoods Asia 2024
Supplements for sleep support are moving beyond melatonin or GABA pills designed for the general population, as companies place greater attention on insomnia and menopause, and designing non-pill products, such as meal replacement powders.
Natural colours manufacturer Oterra is boosting its production capacity in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region while continuing to create “bold innovations” based on its latest survey findings.
The supplementation of a whey-derived peptide has been shown to lower self-perceived levels of stress among middle-aged adults, according to a six-week study conducted by Kirin Holdings.
Finnish dairy co-operative Valio believes a focus on lactose-free milk innovation with an identical taste profile to regular dairy is the way to gain more prominent recognition within the Asian dairy market.
Suntory-owned Bowmore’s new travel retail range aims to beat competition through differentiated whiskey ages and a revamped packaging design, which it says depicts its storied history and forward-looking efforts.
Chinese firms are looking beyond common plant-based ingredients such as soybeans and oats to develop their own take on the alternative proteins sector, based on much deeper traditional and cultural heritage.
Blackmores’ strong sales performance in Q3 FY2024 has helped parent company Kirin reduce the operating loss coming from its health science business.
London-based Berry Bros. & Rudd says that the increased accessibility, spending power, and “thirst for knowledge” about wine among South East Asian (SEA) consumers have contributed to the company’s growth in the region.
Singaporean brand Re.juve’s ability to navigate cold pressed juices’ transition from being a trendy detox drink to a daily staple for meeting nutrient gaps, as well as support from loyal customers, have been crucial for its survival.
There are plans among China botanical extracts suppliers to build operations in South East Asia in a bid to bypass potential tariffs hikes under the new Trump administration.
The government of Poland has set its sights on South East Asia as the next major trade and exports market for its various food products, particularly apples and aronia berries.
India-based Origin Nutrition has launched a range of high-protein, compression-popped pea-based chips in a bid to target the slow-but-sure local healthy snacking market.
Alcohol major Pernod Ricard is focusing on increasing awareness and availability of its prestige brands in burgeoning markets and channels, while expanding its premium craft spirits portfolio to meet growing interest for niche products.
South Korean kimchi-focused company Narichan has launched a new ready-to-drink (RTD) kimchi drink in a bid to move beyond the traditional concepts of the product and consumption boost exports.
Greater cross-border collaboration across food chains is urgently needed in South East Asia to meet the rising threats of climate change, supply risks and geopolitical uncertainity.
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.
The food and beverage sector in Indonesia believes that it is high time for a larger scale food innovation centre focusing on the advancement and development of domestic companies to be established in the country.
FNA DEEP DIVE: FOOD SAFETY & TRACEABILITY
Investments into food safety and traceability tech are becoming major priorities for many food and beverage firms across the Asia Pacific region, with regional experts telling us this is inn response to rapidly-evolving local needs.
South Korea is looking to improve the Children’s Diet Safety Index in its rural areas, after seeing poorer results compared to urban cities and the national average.