Breaking News on Food and Beverage in Asia Pacific

Consumers look to health and wellness in recession

Focusing on health and wellness and building brand awareness are the most successful strategies for weathering the global economic storm, according to a Frost and Sullivan analyst.

Cadbury predicts 2010 price hikes will be cocoa linked

Cadbury said it may have to further raise its prices for 2010 as the cost of cocoa has remained stubbornly high, economic conditions are turbulent and markets competitive.

Packaging minimisation not enough, says DuPont

Rethinking package design as well as the materials used is the key to eliminating packaging waste through either recycling or recovery using methods like incineration, argues DuPont.

Lupin-enriched bakery may slash blood pressure, boost heart health

Bread enriched with lupin kernel flour at the expense of wheat flour may reduce blood pressure and boost heart health, says new research from Australia.

Multinationals adding more fiber to their food, says Datamonitor

New data released today from Datamonitor finds that food manufacturers are increasingly adding fiber to their products, in a move described as going “back to basics”.

China to revamp food system - report

China's State Council will set up a food safety commission to bolster the country's food monitoring system, whose disjointed nature has long been blamed for numerous food scandals, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Bumper rice harvest will ease prices, says FAO

The rice shortages of last year look to be at an end, as farmers upped production this year to ease the tight supply situation, according to the latest market data from the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Mushroom extract shows promise for meat preservative

An extract from the edible mushroom Flammulina velutipes may prolong the shelf-life of tuna meat, while also stabilising the colour of the meat, suggests new research from Japan.

Scotch makers eye Korean talks for Asian ambitions boost

Scotch whisky makers see trade talks taking place next month between Korea and the EU as another major step in its continued attempts to develop further into Asia’s spirit markets.

Falling commodity prices to ease food prices later rather than sooner

The increase in food prices around the globe will ease later rather than sooner, as benefits of falling commodity prices take time to trickle through the chain.

Weekly comment

Turning the key on new food technologies

Consumer concerns about a synthetic growth hormone used in milk production have prompted two leading food producers in the United States – General Mills and Dannon – to reformulate their dairy product lines. It is a decision that will have immediate implications on the dairy market as a whole, but could also mark a turning point in the use of new technologies in food production in general.

Trade fair team up targets Asian wellbeing needs

China continues to reflect the growing opportunities across Asia for products designed to be beneficial in fighting health conditions such as obesity, claim the organisers of a major new show in the country.

Climate change threatens medicinal plants, says ABC

A new review has found that changing weather conditions are threatening the existence of some species of medicinal plants, which could have a knock-on effect on supplies and prices of extracts used in dietary supplements.

Swiss firm claims to crack tooth-friendly drink conundrum

A new beverage is claiming to be the first ice tea that can safeguard the health of teeth, thanks to the use of isomaltulose in place of sucrose and an aseptic process that prevents bacteria without the need for acids.

Nestle uncowed by economic outlook

Nestle expects to carry on seeing growth in earnings over 2009 despite the global recession, using its strong 2008 results as a springboard for growth.

Analyst sees sports drinks polarisation in mainstream push

As sports drinks continue to make inroads as a mainstream option for quenching consumers thirst, manufacturers are increasingly facing the challenge of catering for both the committed athlete and the casual shopper.

Tainted formula passed tests pre export, says manufacturer

Health and safety officials in South Korea said that they found a meningitis causing bacteria in a French baby formula product but the company in question said the product was deemed safe following tests.

Dispatches from FDF labelling debate

What consumers make of food labels

Recent research has shed new light on how consumers understand food labels - and use them to inform their shopping decisions. But questions still remain over what will make them switch to healthier food choices.

Study hints at green-lipped mussel’s ‘original’ omega-3 action

Extracts from the New Zealand green lipped mussel may exert anti-inflammatory effects at a protein level, according to new results.

Doehler targets Middle East innovation with new Dubai centre

Doehler has opened a new applications centre in the Middle Eastern hub of Dubai, in a bid to tap the high-growth market and aid development of products to suit local tastes.

Food companies pledge to avoid GM beet sugar

Over 70 companies have vowed not to use or sell genetically modified beet sugar by signing a registry set up by food safety, environmental and corporate watchdog organizations on Saturday.

Weekly comment

Changing the tune on GM

The GM debate at times seems much like the Hokey Cokey (or Pokey, if you’re US-based). There’s been a lot of putting in, some putting out, and quite a lot of shaking things all about, but as of yet, there hasn’t really been a turnaround and definitely no ra, ra, ra!

Functional foods can buck recession

The global functional foods market will be worth about €175 billion by 2012 – a 25 per cent jump over 2007 levels of €120bn, according to Euromonitor International data.

Partnership to speed stevia-sweetened product development

A new partnership between a stevia supplier and a flavors and ingredients firm will speed the process of bringing low-calorie stevia-sweetened products to market, the companies claim.

Sports drinks scratching surface of mainstream potential - Powerade

Sports drinks may be breaking through the niche beverage wall, but their future will lie in meeting a variety of consumer trends across the entire beverage market, says the senior brand manager of Powerade.

Innovative ingredients unlock opportunities in Indian bakery market

Manufacturers of bakery ingredients such as enzymes, shortenings, and improvers have "to ratchet up levels of innovation" to drive higher margins and unlock opportunities in India's thriving bakery segment, say market analysts.

Carbery coy over DSM rennet battle outcome

Carbery today declined to confirm whether a court dispute with DSM, which alleged that rennet supplied through the Netherlands-based company was ‘defective’, has been settled.

China faces up to melamine legacy as dairy exports fall

The impact of last year’s melamine milk-contamination in China continues to be felt after dairy exports fell by 10.4 per cent on a year-on -year basis in 2008, creating growing interest for imported brands, claims state media.

Give omega-3 to the poor, says UK researcher

A paper published in a British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) journal has called for omega-3 supplements to be made available to lower socio-economic groups because low income earners have the most to gain from using them.

Snack Size Science: Crystal balls and salt crystals

FoodNavigator's Snack Size Science brings you the week's top science. This week Nestle gives us a glimpse of the future with its research into hydrogels to deliver flavour and nutrients to food, and salt is back in the headlines with Swiss worries and Purac’s solutions.

Sourcing and sales role for Martin Bauer in Singapore

Martin Bauer has set up a subsidiary in Singapore to give its tea-sourcing activities a boost, and to build the Asian market for its products.

Weekly comment

No room for functional foods gloom

Last week’s withdrawal of a high-profile functional food in France is disappointing for the company concerned and maybe for the healthy/functional foods industry, but you may be led to think differently if you happen to be a reader of the UK broadsheet, The Financial Times.

Weekly comment

Failure of Danone beauty yogurt is a learning opportunity

Danone pulled beauty yogurt Essensis from French shelves last week and left behind a lesson in how not to market edible cosmetics.

Study says nano zinc oxide dots can kill foodborne pathogens

The application of zinc oxide nanoparticles in food systems may be effective at inhibiting certain pathogens, claims a study published in the Journal of Food Science.

New ruling in Cadbury’s battle for the colour purple

Cadbury has lost its latest attempt to defend the use of its distinctive colour purple as a court has dismissed the first stage of its appeal.

Snack Size Science: Taking heart from phytosterol review

NutraIngredient’s Snack Size Science brings you the week's top science. This week we look at a review of phytosterol science. Phytosterol-enriched margarines and other foods are spread thickly on supermarket shelves, and a new review says there is no difference between stanols and sterols, or delivery in fat or non fat foods in terms of efficacy for reducing bad cholesterol levels.

Is water neutrality the new industry green goal?

Water is the new carbon and companies are starting to engage in water strategy planning, measuring and managing of its use for greater efficiency, according to a new report.

Beauty yoghurt turns ugly for Danone

After little more than two years, Danone has pulled its beauty-from-the-inside spoonable yoghurt, Essensis, from French retail shelves, despite a re-launch in 2008.

Weekly comment

Nut so good - tainted US food system needs revamping

E. coli in ground beef, melamine in infant formula, and salmonella in peanut butter - what is next? Isn’t it about time the slices of the US food safety pie were taken back from the multiple federal agencies involved and surveillance placed under one roof?