March 2024

FoodNavigator-Asia

Indonesia packaging rules updates, APAC food allergy challenges, Japan anti-counterfeit food facility and more feature in this edition of Safety First.

FoodNavigator-Asia

China-based Evergreen Food has developed a huge portfolio of convenience-focused ready-to-use seafood products in a bid to expedite exports of local seafood dishes that would usually be too complicated to prepare without expertise.

KhaoSod English

Ms. Kittiwan Anuvejsakul, Executive Chairman of McThai Co., Ltd., the operator of McDonald’s, announced on March 12, 2024 that McDonald’s achieved sales of 7.213 billion baht in 2023, a 31 percent increase from 2022. This is the highest revenue in the company’s history since its establishment in Thailand 38 years ago. Net profit also reached a new record high of 315 million baht, a 168 percent increase from 120 million baht in 2022 and a 276 percent increase from 2021.

BusinessWorld

The government needs to impose a buy-local quota for companies dealing in dairy products to support domestic milk producers, an industry association said. The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Inc. (PCAFI) proposed a buy-local quota of at least 5% for milk processors and traders. PCAFI said that its recommendation is in line with Section 17 of Republic Act (RA) No.

BusinessWorld

CENTURY PACIFIC Food, Inc. (CNPF) has earmarked $40 million, or P2.2 billion, to boost coconut water production, the company announced on Monday. The company aims to cater to the requirements of the US-based beverage firm The Vita Coco Company, Inc., which requires approximately 90 million liters of coconut water over the next five years, Century Pacific Food said in a statement.

BusinessWorld

The Marcos administration should work with the private sector in cutting logistics costs while building more storage facilities nationwide to ease the impact of rising prices, economists said. An archipelagic nation like the Philippines should ensure that storage facilities for basic commodities such as rice and vegetables, as well as logistics networks, are “sufficient and working well,” Geny F.

Nikkei Asia

Japan’s Asahi Group Foods has made a fresh start in Vietnam’s baby food market with a new sales strategy that emphasizes teaching good nutritional habits instead of assuming that consumers automatically associate its brand with quality.

The Malay Mail Online

Pouches of meat and flavour. This is perhaps the best way to describe the handmade dumplings by Gyoza For Life. The freshly wrapped gyozas are bursting with flavour and every bit as good as those found in brick-and-mortar restaurants. Gyoza For Life was founded by Adrian Choong, 30, who did not come about the F&B (food and beverage) field via the usual route. Rather than a culinary background, he majored in acting at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.