Food Bev Asia

CHIANG MAI’s food manufacturing industry combines tradition, technology, and sustainability, positioning the province as a cornerstone in Thailand’s food innovation ecosystem. The food industry’s competitive edge stems from a convergence of geographic, institutional, and innovation-driven strengths. It is contributing to the country’s ambition to become a future food leader. In April, Informa Markets invited the media to a tour of three manufacturers as well as the Glycemic Index Center in Chiang Mai University. Sunsweet Public Company Limited A taste of canned sweet corn from Sunsweet Public Company Limited, is convincing enough to know why its brand KC (King of Corn) is now known globally. The company offers frozen sweet corn cobs, cut corn, kernel corn, and corn ribs.  Sunsweet also produces and distributes other processed ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable products such as longan, pineapple, and lychee. These come in various packaging options - cans, carton packs, and retort pouc...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially recognized seafood’s essential role in a healthy diet, granting it automatic qualification for the "healthy" claim under its newly updated labeling criteria. This change, effective February 25, 2028, marks a shift in how nutritional claims are regulated. It allows seafood products to carry the designation without additional scrutiny as long as these contain no added ingredients except water. With this new rule, consumers can identify seafood as a beneficial choice based on today’s dietary recommendations. Industry leaders and nutrition experts said this update will not only advance transparency in food marketing but encourage healthy eating. In the following interview, Anna Benevente, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Registrar Corp, clarifies how the new norm impacts on manufacturers and consumers. Please provide a quick introduction for FDA’s “healthy” labeling criteria. FDA's new regulation for the "he...

Article by JOHAN CERSTIAENS, Commercial Director, SVZ Meeting consumer demands in today's beverage market can feel like an uphill battle, particularly in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region which dominates the global market with a staggering 40% share of worldwide health drink sales. [i] As countries across Asia are implementing or exploring front-of-pack nutrition labelling – such as Singapore's ‘Nutri-Grade’ and Indonesia's proposed ‘Nutri-Level’ systems – brands face mounting pressure to keep sugar levels low and boost nutritional content, all while maintaining great sensory attributes. At the same time, consumers want to make healthy choices but feel overwhelmed amid a sea of conflicting advice. [ii] As a result, shoppers are searching for straightforward ingredients with claims they can trust. By swapping a long list of E-numbers for instantly recognizable ingredients like fiber-rich kale and spinach, beverage brands can help consumers cut through the confusion and get ba...

Exciting products are emerging from the industry’s efforts to repurpose materials once considered food waste. From the farms to laboratories, innovators have discovered how to integrate husks, pineapple peels and banana fibers with other materials to create green packaging and textiles. Coffee grounds are finding their way into skincare products as exfoliants and skin tighteners, while fruit peels and seeds are antioxidant sources for beauty products. Broken rice or wheat grains are processed into flour. As Nestlé has proven, most parts of the cocoa fruit need not go to waste when making chocolate 1 . The list continues to expand rapidly as companies turn the burden of industrial waste into a green opportunity. Photo  © Eskymaks I Dreamstime.com Industrial waste consumes resources, causes operational inefficiencies, and impacts others and the environment. As we all know, food waste levels have not significantly improved, as 1.3 billion tonnes 2 are still generated from farm to for...

Earlier this year, FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal met with SIG's  Sustainability Manager for the Asia Pacific South region,  Huangyi Chen , for an interview about the company's sustainability initiatives as well as packaging solutions.  As a final thought during this meeting in Vietnam, we asked Ms Chen what steps individuals can take toward greater social responsibility. She mentions the following: Prioritize brands with credible certifications . Look for labels like FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or ASI (Aluminum Stewardship Initiative). These certifications ensure that the materials used are responsibly sourced, which is crucial for reducing environmental impact. For instance, when you see the FSC logo on a product, you know that the wood or paper used comes from forests that are managed in a way that respects the environment and local communities. Recycle packaging . SIG strongly encourages responsible recycling of our beverage cartons. To make recycling as easy...

World Food Safety Day which is observed annually on June 7, reinforces the vital role of safe and sustainable food practices. Among the many ingredients at the heart of the F&B industry, cocoa emerges a major component in many products, and a commodity with complex safety challenges. Any company knows that from farm and fermentation to processing and distribution, ensuring the integrity of cocoa is essential in safeguarding consumer health. Strict regulations, transparent supply chains, and innovative testing methods are necessary to meet demand for ethically sourced and contamination-free cocoa. For Olam Food Ingredients ( ofi) , these are all part of everyday operations. On World Food Safety Day, the company and its stakeholders acknowledge their achievements and engage in discussions on food safety initiatives and future campaigns. We learn more about these from the following interview with  Joan O’Shea, Senior Vice President Global for Quality & Food Safety ,  ofi ...

Precision nutrition is a data-driven approach to diet and nutrition, and is based on one’s biology, lifestyle, and health needs. It relies on information about one’s metabolism, genetic makeup, gut microbiome analysis, physical activity, and biomarkers. All these help in designing exact nourishment for one’s well-being and disease prevention. To compare, personalized nutrition is based largely on one’s lifestyle, preferences, and health conditions, and is not always supported by scientific data. Since precision nutrition requires data analytics, advancements in artificial intelligence enhance its effectiveness for meal planning, food tracking and dietary assessments. AI-driven platforms can analyze biomarkers, genetic data, and metabolic responses to create highly customized nutrition plans. At the consumer level, one can appreciate the ability to make quick informed decisions about diet, based on wearable smart devices that can track glucose levels, metabolism, and nutrient absorption...

The industry is always in search of better solutions to recurring challenges, and solutions often arise from collaborations. Identifying the right partners can be a challenge in itself, but we hope that in this April issue of  FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal ,  you can find the right supplier or partner to help you address production concerns, whether it’s in formulation, quality management, packaging options or automation. In any of these, sustainability remains a central focus in modern innovation and manufacturing. A success story in this context is one from Thai Edible Oil Co., Ltd, a company that has turned the lowly rice bran into award-winning healthy products. Our interview with CEO Mr Prateep Santiwattana on page 10 details the sustainable way. For this issue, we also sought updates from Ms Huangyi Chen, SIG Packaging’s Sustainability Manager for the Asia Pacific South region, and ePS Packaging’s Mr Pratheep Kumar Arumugam, Regional Director for APAC/GCC Packaging. ...