Nutrition Asia video series

VIDEO: Functional foods in South East Asia - trending ingredients, pressing consumer needs and 'preposterous' health claims

By Gary Scattergood

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags South east asia Nutrition

In the first of our Nutrition Asia video series we take a deep dive into South East Asia's functional foods industry to gauge the state of the market and assess how it can meet the health needs of consumers across the region.

With the help of industry expert Dr Siti Abdul Malek, who is the ‎executive director at the ASEAN Food and Beverage Alliance and also oversees the regulation and science brief for Food Industry Asia, we analyse how functional foods are regulated and marketed in the region, revealing a diverse landscape where "preposterous health claims" sometimes still prevail ahead of sound science.

We also look at the burgeoning health needs that exist in the region and the potential for functional foods to help address them, from type-2 diabetes to beauty from within and also the emerging trend for personal nutrition.

Dr Abdul Malek also pinpoints the key ingredients that are booming and explains what needs to happen for the industry to grow across the region.

The functional food market in South East Asia is tipped to be worth around $35bn, with functional beverages accounting for around 40% of the market share.

Greater regulatory harmonisation in the region has long been mooted with many analysts saying it would help drive up standards and increase consumer confidence in the functional food sector.

But for now, check out our video to find out the state of the industry in South East Asia today.

Next up in our Nutrition Asia series we look at infant nutrition with insights from Danone, Mintel and CHR. Hansen.

Related news

Show more

Related products

show more

Gencor Pacific Limited

Gencor Pacific Limited

Content provided by Gencor | 05-Oct-2023 | Product Brochure

In a recent clinical trial backing its ingredient Libifem® for improved muscle strength, power, endurance and body composition with a females-only popluation...

4 reasons children need MFGM, according to science

4 reasons children need MFGM, according to science

Content provided by Valio | 19-Sep-2023 | White Paper

In this white paper, Dr Anu Turpeinen discusses the ample scientific evidence showing why milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is essential for children’s...

Full Vegan Protein Ingredients Solution

Full Vegan Protein Ingredients Solution

Content provided by Ingredients4u AG | 24-Jul-2023 | Product Brochure

Plant-based products have always been a hot topic in the market, the plant-based food market was valued at $29.4 billion in 2020.

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars

Nutra Champions Podcast

Nutra Champions Podcast