August 2024

FoodNavigator-Asia

Carlsberg Malaysia, Carabao Thailand, Vietnam beverage taxes and more feature in this edition of ASEAN Focus.

FoodNavigator-Asia

Vietnam’s prime minister has instructed the country’s Ministry of Health to review rules governing functional food advertising.

Food IngredientsFIrst

The Chinese government is reportedly investigating claims that companies have been using the same fuel tankers to carry cooking oil and fuel, without cleaning procedures being carried out in between shipments. The allegations have reignited food safety concerns in the country, which has been rocked by a series of previous high-profile food safety scandals.

Food IngredientsFIrst

Singapore has approved the use of 16 insects as food and has developed an insect regulatory framework to ensure food safety. Insects declared safe for human consumption include house crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, locusts and silk moths, among others (at different life stages). Singapore’s low agricultural production means it has a high dependency (90%) on food imports, which this regulation aims to reduce.

Bangkokpost.com

The World Health Organization (WHO) has named Thailand as one of five countries that have successfully eradicated trans-fatty acids in the food industry.

KhaoSod English

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) has launched a new campaign, ‘Norwegian Thai Taste: Valuable Ingredients…for Thai Food in 4 Regions’, aiming to expand its market in Thailand by partnering with local restaurants and stores nationwide. Ms. Åshild Nakken, Director of Southeast Asia for the NSC, announced the initiative, which builds on the success of the ‘The Story from the North’ campaign in 2022.

The Malay Mail

Business Insider’s Food Insider account on Instagram has Malaysians, Indonesians and Thais up in arms after its latest video post was titled “How a 500-year-old candy is made in Singapore” in a feature on kuih lapis. Many decried the label of a sugar confectionery for the sweet treat, as well as its purported reference to Singapore, despite the video itself not making any claims to kuih lapis’ country of origin.

BusinessWorld

Amid growing concerns over the impact of advertising on children, industry leaders including global snacks company Mondelēz International took proactive steps to support and redefine ethical standards in children’s marketing during the educational session, “Responsible Marketing to Children” last July 5, 2024.

The Malay Mail

A special campaign to raise Malaysians’ awareness of the importance of healthy eating practices, through reducing sugar intake in their daily diets, called ‘Kurang Gula, Kurang Harga’, will be introduced soon, said Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh.