June 2021

China’s agriculture and grocery retail platform Pinduoduo and the Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) have signed a research project agreement to study the impact of plant-based meats on human health in the Singapore population.

Fibre and next-generation stevia are expected to play key roles in sugar reduction as a growing number of manufacturers seek out ‘no added sugar’ claims, according to Mintel.

A global shortage of rice flour is likely to lead to price increases across a broad variety of everyday food staples. The severe shortage and soaring prices have been created by a “perfect storm” of factors in key supplier nations, namely the uprising in Myanmar and the COVID-19 crisis in India, as flagged by the UK-based ingredients supplier Eurostar Commodities.

Cargill is building a new US$200 million palm oil refinery in Lampung, Indonesia. The development plans tie into the company’s goal to scale its sustainable palm supply chain and provide verified deforestation-free products to customers. The new refinery will play a key role in connecting the global agribusiness’ traceable crude palm oil production in Indonesia to demands in North America and Europe, through a fully integrated supply chain “from plantation to customer.

The global probiotics market size is expected to reach USD 94.48 billion by 2027 while exhibiting a CAGR of 7.9% between 2020 and 2027. This information is published by Fortune Business Insights in its report, titled “Probiotics Market, 2020-2027”. The report further mentions that the market stood at USD 48.88 billion in 2019. The growing consumption of nutritional food among the health conscious section of the market is gaining popularity in recent years.

PESCATARIAN A diet that is mostly vegetarian, but includes fish and seafood Approximately 115 million cumulative cases of COVID-19 have been recorded globally. SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, has emerged into several variants, causing this seemingly never-ending pandemic to cripple nations despite the development of vaccines and observing health protocols.

Food-tech start-up ChickP Protein is expanding into Asia-Pacific with the launch of a new office in Singapore. The strategic move is in response to the rapidly growing demand for plant-based products in the region.
ChickP specializes in a patented and highly functional chickpea isolate that boasts a 90 percent protein content. The ingredient saw a significant demand spike in the region, which makes up more than 85 percent of chickpea consumption globally, only behind India.

Chicory root fibers inulin and oligofructose have been approved for a prebiotic claim for the first time in Indonesia by the country’s National Agency of Drug and Food Control (Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan). Beneo says the approval is made possible by its continuous research and communication efforts with local authorities.

FoodNavigator-Asia

Hygiene standards, at-home experiences and the vegan and healthy trend are expected to form the post-pandemic future of the food and beverage industry in two of the world’s largest economies, China and India.

BusinessWorld

Monde Nissin Corp. will use some of its $1 billion initial public offering proceeds to expand its Quorn Foods Ltd. fake meat business in the U.S., the world’s biggest market by far for plant-based alternative food. The Philippines-based company, which also sells staple foods and is the owner of Lucky Me! instant noodles, will use Quorn’s substitute chicken product to take on heavyweights like Beyond Meat Inc. and Impossible Foods Inc.

Food Ingredients FIrst

Unilever is partnering with food-tech company Enough (formerly 3F BIO) to bolster its plant-based strategy by tapping into technology that uses a zero-waste fermentation process to grow a high-quality protein. nNatural fungi are fed with renewable feedstock, such as wheat and corn, to produce Abunda mycoprotein, a complete food ingredient containing all essential amino acids and high in dietary fiber.

NST Online

Nestlé Malaysia Bhd has extended its assistance with the distribution of nourishing meals for the front liners on duty at the Vaccination Administration Centre for AstraZeneca at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC), Shah Alam.