Industry Trends

April 2023

See what has been happening in Asia’s food and beverage industries over the last weeks. What are experts and industry magazines talking about?

What has been happening?

Precision fermentation predicted to disrupt the food system, Microalgae from volcanic hot springs as promising protein source, Sustainable chocolate, and more. Find out what journals and industry experts have been discussing in the last four weeks.

Latest Industry Articles

Precision fermentation predicted to “disrupt the food system as we know it”
Food IngredientsFIrst

A new category of food and ingredients is coming to the market produced by precision fermentation. The technology that has been around for decades to make insulin and vitamins is now gaining speed in new applications – for the sustainable production of traditionally animal-based foods.
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Microalgae from volcanic hot springs erupts as promising protein source
Food IngredientsFIrst News

A microalga species that grows in volcanic hot springs could unlock a new alternative protein source predicted to disrupt the spirulina market because of its natural blue pigment. The nutritional functionality of Galdieria sulphuraria is also hailed as superior to other microalgae and for the first time in F&B developments, it’s being examined as a potential food source.
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Sustainable chocolate: Upcycling cacaofruit, combating waste and leveraging fermentation for Easter eggs
Food IngredientsFIrst

As Easter approaches, sustainability in the chocolate and cocoa supply chain comes into heightened focus. FoodIngredientsFirst looks at a range of projects and innovations, including how WNWN Food Labs is looking to entirely subtract the cacao ingredient from the chocolate equation with what it claims is the world’s first cocoa-free chocolate Easter egg, developed by its in-house chocolatier.
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Nestlé leverages oats and fava beans in new plant-based beverage
Food IngredientsFIrst

The Swiss food and beverage giant continues its focus on plant-based products with high nutritional value with the launch of a milk alternative that combines a blend of oat and fava. Hailed as containing 5g of protein per serving and all the amino acids needed in the diet to ensure high-quality protein, Nestlé says Natural Bliss oat milk has a mild, nutty taste and smooth texture from the fava and oat.
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World Food Prices Decline for 12th Consecutive Month
Khaosod English

World food prices declined for the 12th consecutive month in March, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported on Friday. It was the first time the index has fallen for a full year. FAO’s broad Food Price Index slipped 2.1 percent in March, and it is now down 20.
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Sugars reduced in berry fruit juice by up to 50% using sugar-reducing beads
BeverageDaily

Better Juice, an Israeli start-up, has used sugar reduction technology to lower the levels of sugar in its fruit juices, including, in a recent trial, several berry-based juices. Their technology is able to reduce three sugars found in fruit juices ‘ fructose, glucose and sucrose ‘ and turn them into non-digestible fibres.
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Is MSG making a comeback? Perceptions shift among younger consumers
BakeryAndSnacks

Monosodium glutamate ‘ better known as MSG ‘ might be shaking off its negative perception as CPG brands look to the ingredient to create savory flavor profiles and products with lower sodium.
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Less can be more
MEAT+POULTRY

Processors are embracing packaging options that minimize waste and environmental impact.
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Almonds can help brands innovate the next generation of clean label products
BakeryAndSnacks

The clean label trend shows no signs of slowing down as simple ingredient lists remain a priority among 82% of global consumers, with almost as many willing to pay more for products they perceive to be ‘cleaner’.
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Expo West trendspotting: Mushrooms have their moment in snacks, beverages
BakeryAndSnacks

Over the last several years, mushrooms have increasingly become a popular functional ingredient in a range of products, from plant-based burgers to snacks to ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages. And at Natural Products Expo West last week, many of these latest innovations were on display for attendees to try.
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Caffeine culture: Nestle, Suntory among coffee brands highlighting localisation and RTD innovation as key drivers
FoodNavigator-Asia

Coffee consumers in the Asia Pacific region are increasingly making purchasing decisions that are driven by by localisation and ready-to-drink format innovation, according to industry heavyweights such as Nestle, Suntory and Movenpick.
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Combining ginger intake with an anti-inflammatory diet improves fatty liver disease in children
FoodNavigator-Asia

Ginger supplementation, coupled with an anti-inflammatory diet, has been shown to be effective in reducing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children.
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Vietnam eyes $30B in food, food stuff exports annually
VnExpress International

Vietnam has issued a national action plan on building a sustainable food and food stuff system to 2030, with a goal of maintaining the export turnover of over $30 billion each year.
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Grasshoppers for lunch, anyone? SFA to approve 16 species of insects to be sold as food here
AsiaOne

Foodies here may soon get to chomp on insects in eateries, or as fried snacks and protein bars. Also on the menu: silkworm cocoons. Sixteen species of insects, such as crickets, silkworms and grasshoppers, will receive the green light from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for human consumption in the second half of 2023.
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With Malaysian flavours like ‘pengat nangka’ and ‘bingka ubi’, Elevete Pâtisserie promises nostalgic Raya gatherings
The Malay Mail Online

What looks like a macaron but isn’t, not quite? The hefty specimens before us resemble conventional macarons — two meringue shells sandwiching a filling of buttercream — but for their size, which are frankly gargantuan. These are Elevete P’tisserie’s “fatcarons” — an homage to the viral South Korean ttung-carons (“ttung” is the Korean word for fat).
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Singapore Food Agency recalls Eu Yan Sang’s Brown Rice Si Shen powder due to excessive levels of arsenic and aflatoxin
The Malay Mail Online

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said that it is recalling two batches of Eu Yan Sang’s Brown Rice Si Sheng powder, after detecting excessive levels of aflatoxin B1 and arsenic in its samples. In a statement released yesterday, the agency said that it has instructed the manufacturer, Eu Yan Sang Singapore, to recall two batches of the said product with the expiry dates of May 13 and May 17, 2024.
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With their Pandan & Gula Melaka Croissant, Cake Jalan Tiung in Shah Alam blends the best of French ‘viennoiserie’ with Malaysian flavours
The Malay Mail Online

I never understood why folks bother to slice croissants open other than to reveal the honeycomb pockets within. I mean just one tentative bite would reveal the layers of laminated dough and rich butter, right? That is until you discover Cake Jalan Tiung’s Pandan & Gula Melaka Croissant, with its flaky exterior and airy interior suffused with fragrant pandan and not-too-sweet gula Melaka.
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Shun softdrink lobby, PBBM urged
Daily Tribune

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was urged Sunday to deny the request of beverage companies to directly import sugar for their needs as that would allegedly cause serious harm to local sugar producers. The President concurrently heads the Department of Agriculture whose Sugar Regulatory Authority, or SRA, had been rocked with controversies pertaining to sugar importations and even smuggling.
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Emerging new hope: Carlsberg Malaysia to bolster branding and premium portfolio as part of new 5-year strategy
FoodNavigator-Asia

Carlsberg Malaysia has announced a continued focus on its premium portfolio as well as some strategic new branding will be major parts of its newly launched five-year business strategy to cope and grow amid recession and inflationary pressures.
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Hot fuss: China kiwifruit sector faces uncertain 2023 after heatwave wreaks havoc on production
FoodNavigator-Asia

The kiwifruit sector in China is facing an uncertain 2023 after one of the most severe heatwaves ever recorded wreaked havoc on production, with even large firms having to rely on government aid to maintain resilience.
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Tea is trending but novel innovation needed to entice younger consumers – Unilever, Asahi, YATE insights
FoodNavigator-Asia

Tea-based beverages are emerging as a growing trend in APAC, but manufacturers need to integrate novelty and excitement into their beverage innovation in order to attract and maintain the attention of younger consumers.
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Whole egg consumption promotes growth and gut microbiota in young children
FoodNavigator-Asia

Prolonged whole egg supplementation has been found to positively impact adolescent growth by promoting HDL-cholesterol and health-promoting bacteria growth, according to a study on Thai rural children.
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