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Reynald Ricafrente: IT man turns cake boss

What does it take to become a successful entrepreneur outside your own country?   In the February 2014 issue of FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal , we find out from Reynald Ricafrente. This Filipino sought a position in IT in a New Zealand firm a few years ago, where he is happy right now. But on the side, he has put up his own cake shop/restaurant serving Filipino dishes. Proof of a successful concept, he has expanded the business in Australia as well.   It seems unusual for someone with your background to be launching a major food business. How did it all start? The business simply started as a small university café called “Café 79” at Unitec Institute of Technology in Mt. Albert, Auckland, back in March 2010. I love cooking and baking. So, my business partner, Omar Ramos from Sydney, Australia, encouraged me to explore the food industry. Now, we have four stores under Gold Ribbon Foods: Café 79 (which is inside the university and caters to students), Kelston branch (a

Talking ingredients in next month's issue

What is the Asian market like for food & beverage ingredients makers? FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal February 2014 has its own answers. This issue contains our Outlook report on ingredients, which packs exclusive interviews with companies – Chr. Hansen (Stern Estrup), Corbion Purac Asia Pacific (Edwin Bontenbal), DuPont Nutrition & Health (Kobus de Klerk), Frutarom Health (Holger Riemensperger ), LycoRed (Eran Shani), and more. We also feature a Ringier one-on-one with Michael Brennan, vice president of Novozymes China. That’s not all. We have a Beroe report that weighs in on cocoa bean sourcing. If your business relies heavily on cocoa products, should you be considering alternate sources for these ingredients? In this issue, we also gathered some of the latest news on immune health and cholesterol in Health & Nutrition . We sum up the health feature with an article on fortified water products in Beverage . That's just a sneak peak. T

Marching on to 2014

The  Middle East and Africa are two of the most important markets for the food and beverage industry. Trends that we saw this year will continue into the following year, with greater emphasis as we know on producing for the needs of the middle class – convenience foods, healthier options and speciality products.  “The prospects look very bright for the F&B industry in Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the GCC at large. The growth in tourism is one major factor behind this,” said Mohamed Jalal Al Rayssi, director of Communication and Community Service at Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), during an interview with Ringier. "Internationally important events of the food industry such as SIAL Middle East being held in Abu Dhabi every year continue to draw attention to the country and the capital as a major center for food businesses, attracting new businesses and investments.”   Our Outlook report on the region also features the Savola Group, the Americana Group, Mondelēz Middle

What's in store for 2014? Experts in the food & beverage industry speak

Toward the end of each year, FoodPacific Manufacturing reaches out to food and beverage experts to find out what the year ahead holds for the industry in Asia. We consolidate their thoughts in the Outlook report of our November issue.  This year, the report includes insights from Sharon Nowak, business development manager of Coperion K-Tron, Joseph Salaertz, president of Crown Asia Pacific Holdings Ltd, Andy Sharpe, product director, Global Food and Feed at B ü hler Aeroglide, and Wong Mong Hong, president of the Singapore Food Manufacturing Association. Find out what they have to say about the industry.  Read the report and tell us what you think.

Doing business in Southeast Asia? Ringier is in step with you

The coming years will be critical for the ASEAN region as member countries prepare for the commencement of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in December 2015. While the AEC aims to enhance the competitiveness of member nations as one entity, the steps toward it for some food sectors will prove to be challenging. For the food industry, the ASEAN Food & Beverage Association (AFBA) was established in April 2013, to eliminate barriers to trade and to help members come up with common food standards. But do companies fully understand the different markets, cultures and ways of conducting business in the region? How competitive can they truly be? Ringier understands this. For the past 10 years, it has been arranging high profile conferences for global companies who wish to conduct business in China. And as all eyes are now in Southeast Asia as well, Ringier is setting up conferences for companies who see their potentials growing in this business environment. Take advantage