Plant-based diet, mental health interventions may help improve older adult sleep
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.
Processing & packaging
Frequent fast food linked to higher depression, anxiety risk in young adults: HK study
Frequent consumption of certain fast food items may increase the risk of depressive and anxiety symptoms in young adults, say researchers in Hong Kong.
On-pack updates: Our Top 10 most-read food and beverage packaging stories in 2024
Read our top 10 most-viewed food and beverage packaging stories throughout 2024, featuring various packaging and labelling regulatory updates, Perfetti Van Melle’s packaging strategy, Yili’s unique new twist-top tea bottle and more.
A sharper Asian focus: Five studies to explore HMOs, postbiotics in APAC populations
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.
Elle & Vire push AI as tool for ‘inspiration but not for use as-is’ in dairy
Dairy brand Elle & Vire has highlighted artificial intelligence (AI) as an efficient tool for inspiration and time-saving, but urged that this cannot yet ‘be used as-is’ to replace human creativity or innovation.
Whey-derived peptide lowers self-perceived stress levels – Six-week Kirin study
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.
Sustainability Snippets: Japan global warming woes, tapioca-based thermoplastics, cultivated seafood in South Korea and more feature in our round-up
Japan global warming woes, tapioca-based thermoplastics, cultivated seafood in South Korea and more feature in this edition of Sustainability Snippets.
Packaging with starch: Thai firm offers tapioca-based thermoplastic material as sustainable option for food industry
Thai Wah is aiming to use its tapioca-based thermoplastic starch (TPS) for its consumer food packaging to create a closed-loop solution starting with cassava cultivation and ending with eco-friendly waste that enriches the soil.
‘Sunburnt and discoloured’: Japan steps up efforts to mitigate global warming impact on food security and quality
Japan is seeking to alleviate the impact of global warming on its domestic food supply chain after new data showed how rising temperatures are hitting crops and increasing food loss.
Science Shorts: Danone tech accessibility, PepsiCo thermal energy collab, Pernod Ricard digital label and more feature in our round-up
Danone tech accessibility, PepsiCo thermal energy collab, Pernod Ricard digital label and more feature in this edition of Science Shorts.
Curcumin improves insulin, blood glucose levels, and body mass – Year-long Thai trial
Taking 1,500mg of curcumin daily for 12 months has been shown to improve insulin, fasting blood glucose levels and body mass, based on a clinical study conducted in Thailand.
Dark chocolate lowers depression in menopausal women – RCT
Dark chocolate reduced depression scores among menopausal women but had no significant effect on sleep quality and anthropometric indices, according to researchers.
Garbage in, garbage out: Artificial intelligence could become ‘crucial’ nutraceutical industry tool if 'care is taken'
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the nutraceuticals industry could become a ‘crucial’ component of innovation and regulatory compliance processes, but care must be taken regarding the information that is fed into the technology.
Fastest wins: Tate & Lyle on why innovation speed and digitalisation is key for success in Asia
Tate & Lyle has highlighted that speedy innovation and operational digitalisation are more important to the food and beverage sector in Asia than anywhere else in the world, amidst the unveiling of its new globally-connected research laboratory.
Food companies' regenerative ag strategies 'lack ambition'
Beef and dairy companies put greater focus on claiming lower emissions through regenerative ag practices over embracing the concept holistically, a new report has found.
Fermented soybean shown to reduce GERD symptoms and inflammatory markers – 12-week RCT
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.
Seafood firm Yeam Seng steps up expansion of ready-to-cook portfolio targeting busy consumers and exports
Malaysia-based seafood company Yeam Seng Frozen Goods & Fishery is channelling more resources into expanding its ready-to-cook portfolio to capture busy consumers and facilitate entry into overseas markets.
Bigger and bolder: India food firms to bump up font sizes on product labels to ensure clarity
Food manufacturers in India have been mandated to increase the boldness and font size of product nutritional information such as total sugar, salt and saturated fat on product labels.
Fatigue, anxiety, bad skin top health concerns among Japanese aged 18 to 34 – Suntory survey
A new consumer survey conducted by Suntory found that fatigue, anxiety, and bad skin conditions were the most common health issues for Japanese aged 18 to 34.
Singapore’s Natural Trace seeks to combat food fraud, fill gaps in existing traceability tech with DNA-based ingredient
Singapore-headquartered firm Natural Trace aims to address the limitations of existing traceability technologies through its DNA-based ingredient, while contributing to combatting food fraud and “irresponsible market behaviour”.
Bringing AI into food innovation: Digital tech must provide accessibility and meaning to consumers - Danone
Food and nutrition giant Danone believes that 'accessibility and meaning' are key to get consumers to adopt digital technology and fuel personalised innovation.
Edible cutlery: Singapore start-up seeks to reduce plastic waste in Asia with nutrition-packed products
Singapore start-up Crunch Cutlery is seeking to tackle plastic waste with its edible cutlery made from chia, buckwheat and jowar.
Know your drink: Pernod Ricard taps ASEAN desire for increased information to launch digital label
Alcohol giant Pernod Ricard has launched a new digital label initiative in Singapore, hoping to tap on South East Asian consumer demands for increased information and shift towards better drinking habits.
Countering antibiotics: How gut microbiota improvement could boost immune protection in exposed infants - Growth Asia Summit 2024
The use of probiotics to improve the gut microbiota of infants that have been exposed to antibiotics has strong potential to boost the extent of immune protection conveyed by vaccination, according to recent research data.
Packaging Happenings: Yili's twist-top RTD tea, Starward's colourful whiskey, Mondelez on portion control and more feature in our round-up
Yili's twist-top RTD tea, Starward's colourful whiskey, Mondelez on portion control and more feature in this edition of Packaging Happenings.
BOSS of brands: How Suntory deployed empathy and metaphors for three decades of RTD coffee success
The designer of Suntory’s internationally successful BOSS RTD coffee brand has revealed how empathy and metaphorical references have been crucial to the long-lasting and widespread growth of the 32 year-old brand across the world.
Nutrachampion podcast
E-commerce tougher: Singapore’s nutra start-up to hone AI avatar, product range to meet evolving needs
Singapore nutraceutical start-up NanoSG is honing up its AI avatar and online tools, as consumers are relying more on data and information to guide their purchase decision.
Feeding with GUSTO: New data indicates need for much better diet quality amongst Singapore children – Growth Asia Summit 2024
New data from one of Singapore’s largest child-focused studies has indicated that there is ‘much room for improvement’ in the diet quality of children to prevent them suffering from negative health and cognition issues in the long run.
Longer-lasting: South Korea launches new database and guidance values to refine expiration dates system
The South Korean government has refined its new expiration dates system with the launch of a new database that is equipped with a search function and specific guidance on ‘use-by’ timeframes for processed foods.
Japan GM foods: New government data highlights genetically modified crop safety to assuage ‘accidental spillage’ concerns
The Japanese government has released new data highlighting the safety of genetically modified crops to placate public concerns that accidental spillages were affecting biodiversity.
Sustainability Snippets: Mondelez cage-free eggs strategy, Nescafe China upcycled cascara drink, plant-based sector future and more feature in our round-up
Mondelez cage-free eggs strategy, Nescafe China upcycled cascara drink, plant-based sector future and more feature in this edition of Sustainability Snippets.
Science Shorts: Asian seafood automation, dates as functional snack, kimchi for immune regulation and more feature in our round-up
Asian seafood automation, dates as functional snack, kimchi for immune regulation and more feature in this edition of Science Shorts.
Blue economy hurdles: Automation and perception shift crucial to help Asia’s seafood sector move forward
The seafood sector in Asia requires major transformations both in terms of operational technologies and perception shifts, if the industry hopes to see effective and lasting transformation.
China excessive packaging rules: Tea in the spotlight as regulator implements stricter bans on entire category
China State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has announced new, stricter excessive packaging regulations governing the tea industry, one of the country’s largest and most traditional commodities.
Packaging Happenings: Shanghai traffic light labelling, Kirin's luxury wine marketing, Zespri's Nudge Theory packaging and more feature in our round-up
Shanghai traffic light labelling, Kirin's luxury wine marketing, Zespri's Nudge Theory packaging and more feature in this edition of Packaging Happenings.
On the outside: China announces new labelling standards for pre-packaged foods to ensure visibility and clarity
The China State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has announced new regulatory standards for pre-packaged food labels, urging food and beverage companies to comply in order to boost clarity for consumers.
Coca-Cola turns to Microsoft's cloud and generative AI capabilities in $1.1bn deal
Microsoft and The Coca-Cola Company have announced a five-year strategic partnership: which will see the companies jointly experiment with new tech such as Azure OpenAI Service.
Nutri-Grade in China: Shanghai launches traffic light labelling pilot for sugar-sweetened beverages
The local government of Shanghai, China has launched a pilot traffic light labelling scheme for sugar-sweetened beverages, with grades to be implemented based on not only sugar but also saturated and trans-fat content.
Digital development: Food brands play ‘critical role’ in shifting agrifood system towards modernisation and sustainability
Consumer-facing food and beverage brands play a ‘critical role’ in moving the Asia Pacific agrifood system towards digitalisation, organisation and long-term sustainability by influencing consumer purchasing decisions, say experts.
Sustainability Snippets: Cadbury reduced-plastic Easter packs, South Korea label-free water bottles, EUDR concerns and more feature in our round-up
Cadbury reduced-plastic Easter packs, South Korea label-free water bottles, EUDR concerns and more feature in this edition of Sustainability Snippets.
Science Shorts: AI food imports screening, Nestle NAD+ precursor study, seafood sector digitalisation and more feature in our round-up
AI food imports screening, Nestle NAD+ precursor study, seafood sector digitalisation and more feature in this edition of Science Shorts.
Sarcopenic patients have low levels of NAD+ precursor trigonelline – Nestle-funded study
Trigonelline, an alkaloid found in plants and animals, is found to be closely linked to muscle health, with low serum levels reported in seniors suffering from sarcopenia, new findings from a Nestle-funded study have shown.
Sustainability snags: More support needed from APAC retailers to match brand efforts – experts
Retailers in APAC need to increase the support given to sustainability-focused food and beverage products in order to match brand initiatives and boost consumer awareness, say experts.
NMN quality in question: Singapore researchers call for industry effort in meeting label claims
The testing of 18 commercially available NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) supplements sold in Singapore found that most products did not meet label claims, and researchers have called for industry-wide effort in resolving the issue.
Elevating efficiency: South Korea expands AI-based food imports screening to cover processed foods
South Korea is expanding its AI-based screening system SAFE-i24 to include processed food imports, in a bid to maintain food safety and quality while maximising efficiency particularly during peak seasons.
Sustainability and smallholder concerns: Palm oil producing nations question EU’s deforestation ‘workstream model’
Significant doubts remain as to whether the EU’s new deforestation workstream model will be sufficient to allay fears raised by palm oil producing nations, especially in relation to sustainability and smallholder farmers.
Eggs-traordinary changes: Cadbury Australia introduces reduced-plastic packaging for Easter specials
Mondelez International-owned Cadbury Australia has revamped the packaging for its Easter series to meet consumer demand for sustainable packaging, and as part of the firm’s long-term efforts to reduce plastic use and wastage.
Enter the dragon: Asahi Super Dry on the importance of ‘relatable’ packaging in Asian markets
Japanese beer giant Asahi believes that beverage packaging needs to move beyond being eye-catching and incorporate elements of ‘relatability’ and digitalisation truly make a mark with Asian consumers.
‘No clarity’: India plant-based milk brands veer away from conventional dairy terms
Plant-based dairy brands in India are continuing to steer away from using conventional dairy terms on their product labels until regulators issue greater clarity on what is permitted.
Sustainability Snippets: Big Japanese brands cutting food waste, Fonterra Climate Roadmap, top news from 2023 and more feature in our round-up
Big Japanese brands cutting food waste, Fonterra Climate Roadmap, top news from 2023 and more feature in this edition of Sustainability Snippets.