Food Bev Asia

Last month, McDonald’s introduced its McSpicy chicken burger in the Philippines. I knew about it on TV, and you know how it is with McDonald’s advertisements – they can make a burger look so wholesome, and a sundae look so innocent. And I say that with great admiration. TV runs many fast-food and snack food advertisements because it is the fastest way to get anyone’s attention, especially for food, which requires visuals. Needless to say, a short TV ad will get more impact over a photo in a magazine or a radio commercial. And many food ads involve children to convey family togetherness. True, ads are partly to blame for our bad choices in food. Studies have said so. A recent one from the scientific journal Obesity Reviews says that junk food advertisements haven’t gone down despite the food industry’s vow to make changes. The report analysed children’s exposure to advertisements of food and drinks with high sugar or fat content. Based on independent surveys done in Europ

Established in Penang in the 1970s, Adventist Bakery is known as the only maker of sprouted-grain bread in Malaysia . While the bread itself is not an Adventist original, it is made from sprouts that are grown, ground and processed in-house. Sprouted grain is essentially vegetable rather than flour since it has grown into tiny plants before being harvested and processed into bread, and as such is easier to digest as well. Compared to wheat bread or white bread made of flour, sprouted-grain is higher in fibre and protein. Adventist likes to be known as a provider of healthy baked goods, with sprouted-grain bread as its signature product. The company is marketing its product to Singapore this year, and hopes to meet potential partners to bring its products to other countries. For more, read our interview with manager Robin Ong Khong Theng in this month’s issue of FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal .

In 1985, three young apprentices in a foundry shop struck out on their own and started Hup Sheng Machinery in a garage in Melaka in Malaysia. They offered repair and maintenance services to begin with, and they moved to a shop once their small business started growing. Eventually they were able to set up their own factory for snack food processing and packaging machinery. From its humble beginnings, Hup Sheng Machinery has expanded to three factories and is now a major Malaysian exporter. Learn more about this company from our interview with business consultant, Mr Sim Tong Him.