Food Bev Asia

Meat, fish, poultry are widely available for our consumption today. Many of the world’s population have access to protein sources not only from animals, but from plants. It may not feel like there’s a need to augment current protein sources, but this will be more pronounced in the future as the population increases, as part of food security. When I come across reports on cultured meat, test-tube meat – future meat, I admit it does pique my curiosity and I begin to imagine flavors and textures. Cultured meat refers to any meat that is grown outside of an animal. The most recent report is from Memphis Meat, which in February this year debuted meat grown from cells of cows, pigs, and chickens. The US-based tech company said among its first products would be sausages, hot dogs, burgers, and meatballs made using recipes from award-winning chefs. You’ll have to wait for about five years to taste those products, which by the way would probably taste “normal” if we take the word o

It’s interesting how one fruit can be perceived as beneficial and harmful at the same time. I’m talking about soursop or graviola ( Annona muricata ), a common fruit in Asia as well as in other parts of the world including South America, Mexico and the Bahamas. On the one hand soursop has been elevated to a “superfruit” for its supposed ability to destroy certain cancer cells. On the other, this fruit is said to contain neurotoxins associated with Parkinson’s disease, and so must best be avoided. These opposing views however have yet to be substantiated with further research.  What's clear is that the fruit, with a somewhat sweet, sour and succulent white pulp, contains nutrients and is enjoyed in many countries. About 100 grams of the humble soursop contains 1.0 g protein, 0.79g fiber, 10.3 mg calcium, and 29.6 mg ascorbic acid, plus other nutrients * .    In the March issue of FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal , we feature Royal Food Production Company Ltd , a ma

Rio de Janeiro's Carnival may be over, but we still have the sweets! Read the latest from Abicab and its members, producing delectable chocolate, confectionery and other treats in Brazil. And know what’s going on in the country’s cocoa industry. The sweet taste of Brazil ABICAB – Sweet Brazil is taking the country’s chocolate and confectionery to the Middle East and the world (Photo: Olga Danileiko I Dreamstime.com) Nugali: Bean to bar The company, which is the first in Brazil to create a link between consumer and the cocoa plantation, offers sustainable chocolate products Peccin’s Brazilian treats The company produces a wide range of sweets, from lollipops to gum to chocolate, which have been recently showcased in trade shows in the Middle East and other regions