Food Bev Asia

Vitafoods Asia 2014 is just round the corner.     The region’s major event for nutraceuticals promises yet another year of attractive options for sellers and buyers of dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals and raw materials. While the latest products from leading and upcoming companies will take center stage at the New Products Zone, Innovation Station, and Finished Products Pavilion, make a note that new conferences and seminars are taking place as well. Launching this year, the Market Insights Hub will host free seminars from Frost & Sullivan, Euromonitor, the China Healthcare Association, and other organisations. With ASEAN integration soon to take place, organisers have set up sessions and workshops for knowledge exchange. The Vitafoods Asia Conference will cover 12 hot topics, and as a preview, we've asked three of the speakers, Kim Min Ji, research analyst for Euromonitor; Natasha D’Costa, research manager for Frost & Sullivan, and Alison Quesnel, di

Kim Fewster, owner of Fewster's Farm Honey, Australia Food critics have only good things to say about Jarrah honey, and for Kim Fewster, it is one of the best products that nature has to offer. Mr Fewster is the owner of Fewster’s Farm Honey in western Australia, and the country’s representative to the Asian Apiculture Association. His company has over a hundred years of experience in beekeeping and Jarrah honey production, so who can argue with that? In April, I had the opportunity to meet with him in Singapore. Below are some of the questions I asked. The rest of our interview is in the latest issue of FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal . How many honey producers are there in Western Australia? Western Australian honey producers have declined by over 300 percent in 30 years, due to poor returns for honey and younger beekeepers not entering the industry. Currently about 35 commercial beekeepers in Western Australia, over 700 hobbyists and part-time beekeepers wi

“I’ve been told it’s big, but it’s different when you’re already here,” a fellow journalist from Eastern Europe said. “I know!” Everyone else chorused in different accents. We and a number of other correspondents were at a table for lunch hosted by the Association of Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI). We didn’t know each other, but interpack’s sheer size never fails to break the ice. Yes, as usual interpack occupied 19 halls with each about the size of a football field. I’m tempted to use the word ‘ginormous’ – only because I will never be able to use that word to describe anything else related to my work, as far as I know. Me and my blistered feet know. For the past 56 years, Messe Düsseldorf has been hosting interpack, a major packaging and processing exhibition held in Germany every three years. While I cannot compare it to previous shows, I believe the 2014 edition was as huge, and as curious. interpack sees a participation of 2700 exhibitors every time.

The April 2014 issue of Food Manufacuturing Journal - Middle East & Africa puts the spotlight on Africa. As you know, 2014 has been declared the Year of Agriculture and Food Security by the African Union, which has set impressive targets of one day seeing Africa produce its own food to becoming a net food exporter. It has targeted zero hunger by 2025.  Africa has a long way to go, given the current situation and the challenges that food and beverage companies face such as storage, infrastructure, and other logistical difficulties. Whether or not Africa can accomplish its goals by then, the important thing is that governments now have initiated more programmes to accelerate agriculture, particularly in the sub-Saharan region, and have been partnering with more private companies to address food security.

This is an exciting time for everyone at Ringier as we finally publish our first supplement for the Vietnamese food and beverage industry this March.   We have also added a Vietnamese section on our website. Food processing is one of the industries experiencing rapid growth in Viet Nam, thanks in part to government policies that favor both local and international companies. For our first issue, we feature packaging for convenience foods. With a growing population – now at more than 92 million – the country is a market with huge potential for food and beverage companies. Like their Asian neighbours, Vietnamese consumers are demanding higher quality convenience foods, interested in imported food products, and are increasingly becoming sophisticated in their choices. Recently, McDonald’s opened its first outlet in Ho Chih Minh city. (Right, people have mixed feelings about it, health-wise, economy-wise, etc.) It seems late in the game for the fast-food g