Breaking News on Food and Beverage in Asia Pacific

Unipektin issues recall over additive concerns

Manufacturers across Europe, Japan and Australia who used a thickening agent from Unipektin might be on the hook for recalls, after a Swiss company said the additive contained high levels of the cancer-causing chemical dioxin.

Healthy half year for Danone's nutrition ambition

Danone has increased like-for-like sales by 8.2 per cent to €7.5bn during the first half of the year as it continues to refocus its operations towards health and nutrition.

China withdraws credit from polluting companies

A blacklist of polluting companies, including two well known food processors, was issued by China's environmental watchdog yesterday, which denies bank loans in attempt to punish those that flout regulations.

Expert comment

Nitrite free: Where does the truth end?

Cured meat products are appearing on the market as 'naturally cured', 'no nitrite added', 'without added nitrite' or even 'nitrite free' to promote a health image to consumers. Industry expert Gerhard Feiner believes such statements can be misleading.

Sainsbury trials imported wine in PET bottles

A UK supermarket is trialling an Australian wine and another from New Zealand that are packaged in tradionally-shaped bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Tetra Pak expects profit in green focus

Packaging group Tetra Pak had today revealed it remains on track with its aim of a 10 per cent cut in CO2 emissions by 2010, in a bid to reduce the environmental impact and costs of its operations.

Biopolymers developed to extend probiotic shelf life

A line of biopolymer ingredients under development will allow probiotics to be used in more foods than is presently possible.

Healthy snacks market will boom, says report

The whole grain and high fibre food market will reach $21bn (€15bn) by 2010, according to a new report by Global Industry Analysts.

New functional food centre opens to meet health demand

A new functional food centre in New Zealand will be officially opened at the end of the month to meet the growing demand for healthier food in the region.

San Miguel announces new business ventures

San Miguel Corporation (SMC), Southeast Asia's largest food and drinks manufacturer yesterday announced plans to diversify into mining, power, infrastructure and property to boost growth.

Strong sales across board for Pepsi

PepsiCo yesterday reported revenue growth of 10 per cent for the quarter ending 16 June, thanks to strong performances across most business segments.

China introduces new novel foods regulation

China is set to introduce a new regulation on novel foods on 1 December.

Coca-Cola predicts China growth to continue

Coca-Cola's strong sales performance in China during the last quarter yesterday prompted the company to announce that it could sustain its annual growth at about 18 per cent.

Weekly Comment

Could the E-number be up?

The European Food Safety Authority's review of additive safety could have a bigger effect on the ingredients industry than the ejection of certain colours and flavours with a suspect safety record. It could give the natural ingredients trend an extra push, and possibly prove the death-knell for the ne'er loved E number system.

Pepsi's mysterious merger attempt unconfirmed

Nestle today refused to confirm reports that they had turned down a merger with PepsiCo last spring, a deal that would have created one of the largest and most powerful food and beverage companies in the world.

UN bodies call for tougher food safety legislation

Tougher legislation and more inspections are needed to prevent the up to 200 food safety incidents reported internationally, according to two UN bodies.

Draft texts move Doha deal closer, Lamy

In a continuing spirit of optimism, WTO director general Pascal Lamy has said that the gap is closing on differences between participants in agriculture trade talks and he expects draft blueprints of a deal to be helpful to next week's talks.

Soy beverage market depends on taste, consultancy

Volumes of soy beverages consumed in North America, Western Europe and Japan have more than doubled since 2002, according to Zenith International, but further growth will be stirred only if manufacturers rise to the taste challenge.

Cereal prices will remain high, says FAO

Cereal prices will remain high, despite the record world cereal production forecast, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in a report this week.

China growth drives Coca-Cola sales

Surging demand in China has driven strong global Coca-Cola sales, according to the company's second quarter results.

Japanese x-ray system tops Danish meat tests

A Japanese manufactured food x-ray system has been rated number one in performance tests by the Danish Meat Association.

Beer sales set to increase, says Heineken

Heineken announced yesterday that it has doubled its forecast for net profit growth, with strong sales in emerging markets offsetting slow growth rates in Europe and the US.

Friesland partnership to boost prebiotics

A partnership between Warrnambool and the Dutch company Friesland Foods has now been finalised, which will see a €30m factory producing whey-based ingredients for the worldwide food and infant nutrition market.

US urges China to lift pork and poultry ban

The US has asked China to lift the ban it imposed last week on imports from seven pork and poultry processing plants.

Vietnamese food safety must improve, say experts

Vietnamese food safety needs to be improved as part of wider modernisation requirements, according to officials from both home and abroad.

Aluminum form breaks the mold for hot-filling

A new aluminium mold has been created to more efficiently form polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles for hot-filling or pasteurisation, the manufacturer claims.

Xanthan gum may improve tapioca stability during freeze-thaw

Addition of xanthan gum to tapioca starch gel could improve the stability of emulsion during freezing and thawing, says new research.

Ginseng standard to cover one species?

A regional standard for ginseng in Asia currently being drawn up by Codex should only cover one species of the herb, the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA) has said.

Campbell's focus on China and Russia

Campbell's Soup Company has announced plans this week to expand its presence in China and Russia, the world's two largest soup consuming countries.

China expects to close half of smaller processors

The number of small processors operating in China will halved, following an announcement made by the national food regulator this week.

Nestle invests in low-fat noodle technology

New technology to produce noodles with lower fat and salt content will form part of Nestle's Malaysian RM100m ($29.1m) investment plans to upgrade some its manufacturing facilities.

Cadbury spreads further into developing markets

Cadbury has launched its Bubbaloo bubble gum in India, as part of its continuing bid to take advantage of developing markets.

'China-free' label stokes import debate

In the ongoing controversy surrounding ingredients derived from China, one dietary supplement company has taken the bold move to label its products as "China-free".

New Zealand invests to facilitate food exports

New Zealand today launched a major initiative to boost its food and beverage exports, including NZ$19m earmarked for new market development and a roadmap for innovations.

Currency value blamed for plant closure

The surging value of the New Zealand dollar has been blamed for the announced closure of a Hawke's Bay food processing plant.

Australian RFID pilot achieves 100 per cent read rate

The results of a two-month Australian pilot testing radio frequency identification (RFID) tags attached to pallets prove the technology can raise productivity and efficiency in the supply chain, the study consortium claims.

Weekly comment

The aspartame science kerfuffle

The publication of a new animal study on aspartame last month has - as expected -sparked yet another bout of head butting from the two opposing sides of the debate. But it also highlights a bigger issue: one of transparency.

Campina keener on Thai yoghurt cultures

Campina will end a local joint-venture agreement for private label milk production in Thailand to concentrate on creating yoghurt-based products with another.

Kirin discusses further dairy diversification

Japanese brewer Kirin yesterday announced that it had opened "preliminary discussions" with rival San Miguel over the possibility of acquiring a stake in its Australian dairy and soft drink subsidiary National foods.

Volume and safety to drive drinks packaging demand

Demand for beverage containers in China is projected to increase 8.9 per cent per year to 2010, to about 181 billion units in 2010, according to a new study.

Guide helps processors avoid allergen risks

An allergen management and labelling guide, revised for 2007, has been published to help Australian and New Zealand processors recognise potential risks and avoid contamination.

Exporters in high spirits over Indian charge change

The cost of imported wines and spirits in India are set to drop following the decision yesterday by the country's Central Board of Excise and Customs (CEBC) to withdraw additional duties on foreign alcohol products.

Global cereal production to rebound, forecasts FAO

Global cereal production is expected to recover from the shortfalls experienced in the past year, according to a report released today.

China standards unveiled, but safety woes continue

As China unveils a raft of changes to food safety standards, its inspectors are investigating the excess additives and preservatives found in children's snacks made in the country.

Ho Chin Minh City chiefs plan development

A project to improve the quality of food production in Ho Chin Minh (HCM), will increase the city's competitiveness in the global market, the local administration has said.

Bangladesh success reflects Arla's Asian ambition

Dairy group Arla continues to profit from its partnerships within the emerging markets of Asia as sales of its powdered milk brands in Bangladesh continue to rise rapidly.

Sampler tests air for pathogens

A new automatic air sampler is designed to monitor pathogens at food manufacturing sites.

New Zealand campylobacter fight shows early promise

New Zealand's fight against campylobacter is beginning to show signs of promise, after years of problems, the national regulator said last week.

Weekly comment

M&A: Urge to merge

Mergers and acquisition activity is always ongoing in every segment of industry, but this summer looks to be a particularly hot one for food and beverage manufacturers.

Amcor agrees to sell PET business

Amcor will sell its polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging business in a deal worth €425m.