Breaking News on Food and Beverage in Asia Pacific

Kraft Q3 operating profit falls 20 per cent

Kraft Foods Inc today posted a 27 per cent decrease in operating profit for the third quarter, blaming high dairy and other commodity costs for the tumble.

P&G to make products and operations greener

Proctor and Gamble (P&G) has become the latest processor to announce it would reduce the impact of its manufacturing operations on the environment, promising reduce CO2 emissions by a further 10 per cent by 2012.

Enzymotec makes pact to take ingredients to Japan

Enzymotec is set to take its proprietary heart and brain-health ingredients into the Japanese market, thanks to a new marketing collaboration with Itochu Chemical Frontier (ICF).

Brown marine algae mined for functional ingredients

Polysaccharides from brown marine algae could provide the ingredients for a new wave of beverages with health benefits, according to researchers in Ireland.

Governments form coalition on CO2 trading

The UK, Germany, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, some US states and Canadian provinces, New Zealand and Norway yesterday agreed to form a coalition that lead to a global emissions trading system.

Fake foods, drinks on the increase, says OECD

The amount of fake foods, drinks and agricultural products being traded worldwide is on the increase according to a new report on counterfeiting released today by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Bottled water springs towards soft-drink dominance

Bottled water consumption is set to outgrow the once dominant carbonated beverage segment within two years, according to new research.

Rising costs hit Kellogg's profits

Kellogg today said that high commodity costs led to a one per cent decrease in operating profit during the third quarter, despite a six per cent increase in sales.

Cocoa husks offer green pectin source

Cocoa husks, a by-product of cocoa processing, may offer an alternative, environmentally friendly, and cost-efficient source of pectin for food, suggests a new study.

Bunge sees earnings double in Q3

Bunge, a supplier of agricultural and edible oil products to the food industry, today reported that earnings more than doubled in its third quarter on the back of strong market conditions.

RFID project launched to test electronic product code

UK processors and others are being asked to participate in a pilot project to test the use of the international electronic product code standard in conjunction with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

Beta-glucan best in beverages and soups, research finds

Beverages and ready-to-eat soups are prime candidates as carriers of added beta-glucan so long as manufacturers maintain sensory properties, according to a new book.

Greenpeace targets dairy group over GM

A leading Australia-based dairy processor has become the latest company to incur the wrath of Greenpeace over allegations that it is using genetically modified (GM) feed in its supply chain.

Onion compound linked to lower blood pressure

Quercetin, the compound most commonly associated with onions, may reduce blood pressure by an average of five millimitres of mercury, indicates new research.

Sensient sales up, boosted by higher prices

Leading supplier of flavors fragrances and colors, Sensient Technologies, has reported solid sales figures and high profit levels in its third quarter.

WTO food safety database serves as handy reference

Finding out about the food safety requirements and alerts in other countries just got easier, with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) launching a searchable database of member governments' measures.

Weekly Comment

The weather excuse

With all the threats facing food and beverage production -- from contamination in the food chain, to rising input prices -- there appears to be one menace that towers above the rest, namely 'The Weather'.

Nestle weathers commodities storm, sales rise 7%

Nestle yesterday reported organic sales rose by seven per cent in the first nine months of this year, with the company successfully managing to offset rising raw material costs by hiking prices.

Coca-Cola counts benefits of global expansion

The Coca-Cola Company's revenues were up 19 per cent for the third fiscal quarter to $7.6bn due to the continued international growth of its operations.

Halal flavourings launched on market

Flavour firm SAFC today announced it has launched 350 halal-certified flavourings, many of which can be used in the bakery industry, as part of a bid to tap into booming Asian markets.

Obesity report lends weight to nutrigenomics

A shocking report which predicts more than half the population of Britain will be extremely overweight by 2050 could give an incentive for developing personalised nutrition as a tool for cutting obesity.

The right to food skips 854 million people

The UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) today called for governments around the globe to guarantee the world's population the right to feed itself.

Food Valley stirs Japanese soy sauce business in Europe

A second Japanese company has set-up operations in The Netherlands' renowned Food Valley this year, underscoring the region's strategic importance, both in R&D and in proximity to the high-potential European market.

Confectionery giants jostle for position

International firms such as Cadbury are the most successful confectionery companies in Western Europe, according to Euromonitor, suggesting that a global outlook is necessary to survive in an increasingly competitive market.

Danone sells Chinese dairy stake

Danone is a step nearer to going it alone in the Chinese dairy market after selling its entire 20.01 per cent stake in Shanghai-based Bright Dairy and Food and terminating a distribution agreement for its products.

Indian herbs offer natural antioxidant alternatives

Traditional herbal medicines from India may also offer a novel source of antioxidants for the food industry for boosting both the shelf-life and nutritional content of food, according to a new review.

Coca-Cola seeks medicinal and coffee kicks

Coca-Cola this week announced plans to scour China for traditional medicines to develop a more nutritionally beneficial portfolio of drinks.

Weekly Comment

Time to get serious on health claims criteria

The European Food Safety Authority's task to assess thousands of health claims is a headache in anyone's book - and one made worse through vague instructions to industry.

Green tea may halve prostate cancer risk

Drinking five cups of green tea a day may reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 48 per cent, reports a new study from Japan.

Boost chocolate profits in Asia, says report

There is great potential for Western chocolate manufacturers in China, India and Japan, despite the relatively small size of the markets in these countries, according to a new report.

Pepsi profits despite commodities crunch

PepsiCo's third quarter revenues increased by 11 per cent to $10.1bn (€7bn) over the same period last year, the company reported yesterday.

New Zealand re-opens milk safety review

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has called for further testing on two different proteins used in milk production, just one month after claiming there was no danger in consuming either of the products.

Crude palm oil may lower blood fat levels

A diet rich in crude palm oil, a trans-free product often procured in Malaysia and Indonesia, may reduce blood levels of triacylglycerol, Brazilian researchers report.

Chinese dairy demand drives Tetra Pak expansion

Tetra Pak has expanded its total packaging output in China to 40bn containers following completion of a €100m plant in a bid to meet the huge increases in demand for dairy products.

FAO fights for the Right to Food

The FAO is flagging events taking place to mark World Food Day next week, with more than 150 countries organising around the theme The Right to Food.

Cadbury confectionery sales rise 10 per cent

The Cadbury Schweppes drive to boost margins is full steam ahead, boosted by the demerger of an underperforming drinks arm, as the company today announced confectionery revenues grew by ten per cent over the third quarter.

Metro to penalise suppliers who don't use RFID

Suppliers to Germany-based Metro Group will pay a financial penalty if they decide not to ship pallets that are tagged with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

Weekly comment: Food prices

Will value-added lose out to the basics?

Food companies have been focussing on value-added products in a bid to reduce their reliance on commodities, which can fluctuate wildly and deliver slim margins. But now that prices of basic foods are at an all-time high, can value-added foods still compete for their share of the consumer buck?

Soy may aid men at high risk of prostate cancer

Men at high risk of prostate cancer, a cancer on the rise worldwide, may benefit from increased intake of soy isoflavones, suggests a new study from the University of Minnesota.

Mastertaste introduces new ethnic flavors

Flavor firm Mastertaste has expanded its portfolio to include a wider range of ethnic flavors, on the back of growing consumer demand for more adventurous food and beverage products.

Special edition: Food prices

China price hikes affecting global food chain

Food and ingredient prices are growing at a faster pace in China than anywhere else in the world, having serious repercussions for business both domestically and on an international field.

Probiotic soymilk makes calcium more bioavailable

Fermenting calcium-fortified soymilk with probiotics could enhance solubility of the mineral up to 90 per cent, thereby boosting bioavailability, new research reports.

Codex proposes guidelines for non-approved GMOs

The Codex Alimentarius Commission is to create guidelines for assessing the risk of imported food made with non-approved genetically modified plant material, which would help relax trade barriers.

Soy milk gets a functional makeover in Asia

Soy milk manufacturers in the US and Europe could take a page of out of Southeast Asia's book when comes to innovating and driving the market.

Tate & Lyle woos Asia with R&D drive

Tate & Lyle has opened a new research and development centre in Shanghai, China to help manufacturers develop food products that are targeted to the preferences of Asian consumers.

India gives boost to vanilla farmers

The Indian ministry of commerce is taking steps to help its vanilla farmers following a dip in world demand for the natural flavour.

Recipe unveiled for 'Green Super Rice'

A sustainable harvest of nutrient-rich, pest- and drought-resistant, high-yield rice could be within reach thanks to recent genetic advances, Chinese researchers have reported.

Pepsi raises profit estimates amidst restructuring aims

Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) has lifted its full year operating profit guidance by about two percentage points to between 10 per cent and 11 per cent after revenues rose by eight per cent to $3.7bn (€2.6bn) during the third quarter.

Dairy must meet environment challenge, says expert

The environment is now the biggest challenge facing the global dairy industry, Jimm Begg, president of the International Dairy Federation said yesterday.

Ginger shows potential against infant diarrhea

The popular spice ginger has potential as a herbal supplement against bacteria-induced diarrhea, suggest results from a preliminary study in animals.

Wal-Mart rating system not a standard says industry

The Wal-Mart environmental scorecard rating system for packaging does not work and should not be allowed to become the standard for suppliers, according to an industry organisation.

Sugar reforms prove bittersweet for ACP

The African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) sugar producing countries have said they are deeply concerned about the amendments to the EU sugar reform, which brings to an end "preferential access" to Europe's market.

Vitasoy promotes the bean for breast health

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and Vitasoy is trying to undo what it says is a misperception regarding soy and breast cancer.

Weekly comment

Ripping the red tape

They say that patience is a virtue. But when it comes to the regulatory process on both sides of the Atlantic, patience too often results in dust gathering in the "to do" box on some regulator's desk.