Breaking News on Food and Beverage in Asia Pacific

Treatt targets organic ingredients market

Treatt has formed a new strategic partnership in order to strengthen its position in the organic ingredients market.

Numico ups Indonesian functional foods investment

Dutch infant nutrition group Numico is to increase its stake in Indonesian company Sari Husada to capitalise on major growth in the country for nutrition and health products.

Health trends drive Danone fruit juice focus

Danone is to continue investing in China's leading fruit juice producer as it looks to increase its foothold within the growing market for healthier non-carbonated beverages in the country.

Black soy may offer weight management potential

Researchers from Korea have reported that peptides from black soy bean could have a role as a nutraceutical to combat obesity, after a study on rats in which they curbed weight gain.

Weekly Comment

Turning advertisers into educators

Instead of trying to hide confectionery from children by restricting advertising, chocolate-makers should be encouraging them to make the same health-conscious choices as adults when it comes to confectionery they're sure to buy anyway.

Asia Pacific leads growth in record year for Nestlé

Nestlé's Asia pacific operations led record growth in its full year 2006 results published today, as the company continues to increase its focus on the global health and well being food sector.

Kiremko and Tna link up processing and packaging lines

Kiremko and Tna have teamed up in a bid to provide complete processing and packaging lines for the potato snack food sector.

Brewers braced for soaring costs in 2007

Poor harvests for hops and barley, together with mounting energy bills, are set to significantly increase cost pressures on all brewers this year.

Grape over grain drives Foster's sales gain

Australian brewer Foster's has posted encouraging results in its first half report as improving performance amongst its global brands drove strong sales growth throughout its operations.

Half year decline drives Amcor cost reductions

Amcor could raise the price of its products as part of measures to recover the increasing input costs it blames as partly responsible for its disappointing half year results.

Friesland Australian joint venture targets prebiotics

Friesland Foods is to enter a joint venture with Australian dairy group Warrnambool as part of plans to help meet growing demand in the country for prebiotic ingredients.

Egypt opens door to Fonterra dairy

Egypt has lowered tariffs for dairy imports from New Zealand, providing stiffer competition for Europe's dairy firms in the key Middle East region.

Flat Korean market could prompt Coca-Cola sale

Coca-Cola's Australasian bottler may offload its operations in Korea, as it reviews its operations in the country amidst declining sales of its brands, due to consumer health concerns.

Givaudan reports solid finances after streamlining

Givaudan's full year results for 2006 indicate that the flavour and fragrance giant is profiting from the streamlining of its commodity ingredient operations.

Weekly Comment

Coming clean in crisis management

In the area of crisis management, companies seem keen to repeat history by making the same mistakes -- over and over again.

2007 a year of regulatory shake-ups in Asia

International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations has said that it expects to make headway in smoothing improvements to dietary regulation in Asia this year – and especially in China, where the government is mulling information on other countries' models provided by the alliance.

Palm oil demand drives Indofood share surge

Indonesia's leading cooking oil producer witnessed surging share prices on its Singapore trading debut yesterday, as investors sought to capitalize on growing interest in the country's palm oil sector.

Kraton expansion meets Chinese challenges

With the opening of a new distribution centre in Shanghai, US-based polymer producer Kraton has completed the first phase of its plans to expand its operations within the Asia Pacific region.

Nestlé to drive coffee sustainability in Vietnam

Nestle is to invest in sustainable coffee production within Vietnam in order to protect the quality and competitiveness of its brands in the growing markets of Asia.

Monsanto seeks approval for new GM soybean

A higher-yielding variety of genetically modified soybeans from Monsanto could be introduced commercially within the next few years, according to the leading biotechnology firm.

TSI Health Sciences gets Australian TGA approval

TSI Health Sciences has secured approval from the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for manufacturing chondroitin sulfate sodium, thereby opening up another avenue of business for the Montana-headquartered company.

Trans fat cooperation targets wider dietary concerns

A new collaboration between Australian and New Zealand food safety authorities is to target high levels of unhealthy saturated fats within their national diets.

Strong results support Asia Pacific Breweries expansion

Asia Pacific Breweries posted a 7.3 per cent rise in organic growth through its first quarter results, as it increases its presence in the region to meet growing demand for its products.

Study identifies top performing food sectors

AC Neilsen's latest market report, which examines the fastest-growing categories and product areas across 66 key markets around the world, provides an insight into the future direction of global food development.

FAO predicts favourable 2007 cereal production

A favourable outlook for world cereal production in 2007 could help ease price pressures on the food industry.

Weekly Comment

Allergens: no margin for error

It would be a mistake for governments and industry to misinterpret the recent progress in food allergen labelling as a final solution: there is much that remains to be done, for the well-being of both consumers and manufacturers.

Carter Holt Harvey considers further packaging consolidation

Auckland-based firm Carter Holt Harvey (CHH) is set to further increase its presence in the global beverage packaging sector following the acquisition of International paper's North American beverage assets.

Asian nations join UK poultry ban

A group of Asian nations have joined a number of international markets in banning imports of poultry from the UK due to the outbreak of avian influenza as one of the country's largest turkey processors fights a rearguard action to retain its markets.

China to lead Unilever's Asia Pacific ambitions

Unilever, the world's second largest food company, is to increase its focus on its Chinese operations to allow the country to meet its potential as a market leader in the Asia Pacific food industry.

Chinese anti-dumping tariffs unfair, says EU

The EU has expressed concern that new anti-dumping tariffs imposed on exports of its potato starch by China, are unfairly targeting producers within the bloc.

Codex additive levels up for debate once more, warns IADSA

The International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA) is highlighting the need for industry to engage in debate over levels of additives in supplements under Codex guidelines to prevent the setting of levels too low for technical demands and posing a barrier to trade.

Key to salt-tolerant wheat uncovered

A major advance in breeding new salt-tolerant varieties of wheat could have important implications for future supplies.

Unilever retains Australian dry foods production

Unilever will resume production of its dry foods ranges within Australia by consolidating its production facilities in the country following the promise of financial aid by the government.

Vietnam agreement highlights Carlsberg's expansion aims

Danish Brewer Carlsberg hopes that a memorandum of understanding with a soon to be privatised Vietnamese rival, will allow it to make further inroads into the dynamic market for beer in the county.

Gencor protects patents, files two suits

Gencor Pacific is taking a stance to protect its patents and has announced it filed suit against Federal Laboratories Corporation and Nature's Thyme.

Weekly Comment

Food versus fuel: is a happy ending possible?

The era of biofuels is here but this does not necessarily mean unending food price shocks or a critical diversion of agricultural production away from food.

Asia drives Novozymes food enzyme growth

Novozyme's operations in Asia have helped drive the enzyme firm's strong global performance in 2006 in a tight marketplace.

Chinese tea exports brew record year in 2006

China has consolidated its position as one of the world's leading tea producers as export demand continues to drive growth in the sector, according to figures by China's chamber of commerce for the import and export of foodstuffs (CFNA).

China helps drive carbonated beverage growth

China is one of five nations worldwide set to drive massive growth of in the carbonated drinks market by 2011, according to a new report by consumer analyst Euromonitor.

Pectin gels offer low-fat mayo possibilities

Pectin gels improved the caloric profile of mayonnaise without changing the texture, says research that may offer interesting possibilities for mayonnaise formulators.