Breaking News on Food and Beverage in Asia Pacific

New botanicals launched for chronic health diseases

Indian firm Avesthagen has launched seven new botanical bioactives which are targeted at specific degenerative conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

EU spirits group lambaste Hong Kong duty cuts

The European spirits industry has slammed the Hong Kong government's decision to omit liquor from a recently announced exemption of duties on imported alcohol products.

Friesland Indonesian investment targets Asian functional drive

Dairy and ingredients firm Friesland Foods Kievit has constructed a new drying plant in Indonesia for producing encapsulated products to expand the group's portfolio in the wider Asian region.

Blueberry extracts may cut food intake, reduce obesity

Rats fed extracts from blueberries gained up to 10 per cent less body weight than their furry counterparts not consuming the extracts, says new joint research from New Zealand and the US.

Fenchem commits to boosting US sales

The Chinese firm Fenchem has said it is making an extra push into the US functional food market with its range of antioxidants and fibers - a move which will increase competition among Western firms.

Heinz margins dip over higher costs

An increase in commodity and marketing costs led Heinz to yesterday report slightly lower margins for the third quarter 2008, despite sales and operating profit growth.

New technology launched for delicate product packaging

Packaging firm Bosch has designed a new range of packaging and processing solutions designed specifically for handling delicate products such as tray baked goods, biscuits and chocolate confectionery.

Soybean hulls to cut fat uptake from doughnuts

Adding micro-particulated soybeans hulls to a doughnut formulation may reduce the uptake of fat by the consumer after deep-fat frying, suggests new research.

Vegetables, but not fruit, may slash diabetes risk

A higher intake of vegetables, rich sources of fibre, antioxidants, and magnesium, may reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes by almost 30 per cent, suggests a new study.

France suspects industry of fiddling food prices

French prime minister Francois Fillon has pledged to weed out food companies that are using current high commodity prices as an excuse to boost their own margins, even if they don't actually affect their products.

Dutch spirit producers face shrinking market, experts say

The market for Dutch spirits continues to shrink - and demand for the world famous jenever gin will halve over the next 12 years, a report has said.

Indian chocolate demand fuels domestic cocoa increases

In response to rising demand in the chocolate industry and reduce dependency on imports, Indian cocoa producers have said they will increase domestic cocoa production by 60 per cent in the next four years.

ABF's ingredients focus, expansions and costs

ABF's ingredients division is reaping the rewards of a focus on core ingredients and expansion to meet demand, despite the impact of costs in dairy proteins.

Benecol taps health-conscious Indians

Raisio, the Finnish-based manufacturer of the cholesterol-lowering ingredient Benecol has made its first foray into Asia by inking a deal to supply Benecol to an Indian supplements manufacturer and distributor, British Biologicals.

Science will help support green tea market, report finds

The market for green tea extracts is expected to grow by more than 13 per cent for the next seven years and emerging markets in eastern Europe will open new opportunities, a report has said.

Black tea may slash Parkinson's disease risk

Drinking at least 23 cups of black tea a month, or about three-quarters of a cup a day, may slash the risk of developing Parkinson's disease by a whopping 71 per cent, suggests new research from Singapore.

Kraft, Sara Lee predict 2008 profit growth

Global food firms Kraft and Sara Lee yesterday said they expected to experience growth over the course of 2008, despite the impact of the current commodity squeeze.

Innovation raises Nestle above raw material impact

Repositioning on a healthy food platform and investing in research of value-added ingredients has lifted Nestle out of the reach of raw material prices and other economic encumbrances.

Profits up for S&N buyers; deal timeline set

The acquisition of Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) by rivals Heineken and Carlsberg is expected during the second fiscal quarter 2008, it has been revealed, as all three parties this week announced organic profit gains over the full year 2007.

Meta-analysis supports zinc for childhood diarrhoea

Supplements of zinc may help children with acute and persistent diarrhoea, according to a meta-analysis of 22 studies involving about 17,000 children.

Amcor reports strong first half profit

Australian packaging company Amcor has announced a profit after tax and before significant items (PAT) of AUS $185 million for the six month period July to December 2007.

Cadbury scraps shareholder payout after profit drop

Cadbury today said the demerger of its beverage arm will no longer result in any capital return to its shareholders, as the company reported profit losses for the tax year 2007.

Premium push lifts Foster's half-year profits

Australia-based Foster's posted half-year sales growth of 3.2 per cent in organic terms to AUS$2.3bn (€1.4bn) as growing demand for its premium brands partially offset a slowdown in its US wine segment.

Quest acquisition enables Givaudan strategy shift

Givaudan achieved savings by integrating Quest International ahead of plan, increasing its product portfolio and allowing it to refocus on value-added ingredients.

Weekly comment

Making a meal out of saturated fat

The food industry across Europe needs to make a big effort to reduce saturated fat in food regardless of whether national agencies set targets - and it should not wait around for governments to do all the awareness-raising with its consumers.

Green tea extracts could be meat preservatives

Indian scientists are looking into the potential of green tea polyphenols to stop the oxidation of fat in meat products, thereby extending shelf-life and preventing off-flavours.

Sucralose costs will affect profits, says Tate & Lyle

Tate & Lyle has reinforced its expectations that its results for the second half of 2008 will be in line with the first half, but sucralose profits will be hit by exceptional costs.

Dairy and water key to Danone profit growth

Group Danone posted a 7.2 per cent increase in sales during the full 2007 fiscal year amounting to €14.5bn, on the back of a strong performance in its dairy and bottled water businesses.

Coca-Cola profits from still and carbonated boost

Coca-Cola posted a 20 per cent improvement in operating revenues, amounting to $28.8bn during the full fiscal year as the company harnessed its international presence to drive growth in both its carbonated and non-carbonated brands.

Berries and pomegranate - the ultimate Valentine's combo?

Are berries and pomegranate more appropriate for lovers than flowers and chocolates? Recent studies suggest benefits on heart health and in the bedroom.

Commission takes emergency measures on GM rice imports

The European Commission is introducing emergency measures to prevent rice products contaminated with unauthorised GM material from China entering the EU food supply, as efforts to curtail the problem in the country of origin prove ineffectual.

Biotech reports spark debate over potential benefits

Two contradictory reports assessing global cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops and its impact on productivity, pesticide use and world hunger caused debate today.

Wal-Mart adopts GFSI standards

Wal-Mart last week announced that it now requires suppliers of its private label and other food products to have their factories certified against one of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards.

Weekly Comment

The ethical cocoa confusion

While most consumers agree that ethically-sourced cocoa is no bad thing, an ever increasing number of different schemes risks muddying the issue and puzzling chocolate fans.

Anthocyanins show potent anti-obesity potential: study

Anthocyanins, antioxidant pigments from fruit and vegetables, have a "significant potency" against fat cells and could be used for the prevention of weight gain, suggests a new study from Japan.

PepsiCo margins fall despite profit gains

Beverage and snack company PepsiCo last week posted a 10.3 per cent increase in operating profit for the tax year ending 30 December 2007, but higher overall costs led to a slight decrease in margins for the group.

Nestle, Phosphagenics to complete trial by mid-08

A phase 2 clinical trial into the potential for using Phospha E in foods to address metabolic syndrome is on schedule for completion this summer, paving the way to commercialisation of the ingredient in functional foods.

Western diet pattern 'promotes metabolic syndrome'

The high calorie, low fibre dietary pattern associated with the Western diet is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, says new research from the US.

Overseas sales boost Sara Lee Q2 profit

US-based food and body care company Sara Lee yesterday posted profit gains for the second quarter of the fiscal year 2008, with particularly strong performances from the international beverage and bakery divisions.

Fruit has potential for natural sports nutrition product

New Zealand fruit researchers are looking at the potential of a fruit extract to boost muscle function.

Fonterra expands to meet dairy ingredient demand

Dairy co-op Fonterra will expand its presence in its native New Zealand with the construction of a new NZ$212m (€113m) milk powder plant to capitalise on growth within the ingredients market.

Higher yield soybean approved in Pacific markets

Monsanto has been given permission to use a new herbicide resistant soybean crop which offers improved yield in Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Fine and flavour cocoa export market grows

A panel of experts recommend that more countries be recognised as fine or flavour cocoa producing countries in order to provide new opportunities for trade.

Pharmline implements quality control in Chinese production

Nutritional ingredients supplier Pharmline is set to restart operations in China, following the implementation of new quality control measures.

Low folate levels may increase dementia risk: study

Folate deficiency may increase the likelihood of developing dementia by 3.5 times, suggests a new study from the UK and Korea.

VKL plans acquisitions with private equity funding

Indian spice producer Vallabhdas Kanji Limited (VKL) has received unspecified investment from Argonaut private equity firm, which will let it pursue acquisition opportunities on a global scale and further boost its manufacturing capacity.

Wrigley profits up on Europe and Asia sales

US-based chewing gum firm Wrigley today posted full year growth in both operating profit and margins, thanks to international and developing market sales.

Weekly comment

Branding Vs label info: who's the enemy?

Product branding and information provided to consumers on food labels are again at loggerheads, and industry doesn't seem likely to accept new EU labelling proposals without a fight.

Kraft profits down on input costs

Global food giant Kraft yesterday posted fourth quarter profit losses of six per cent, despite higher volume sales of chocolate, biscuit and beverage brands.

Folgers to go solo in P&G profit shake up

Procter and Gamble (P&G) has announced that it will look to operate its folgers coffee operations as an independent business in a bid to improve the value of the brand, which it says does not meet annual growth expectations.