A Chinese probiotics specialist is hoping to tap China's burgeoning
middle class by inking a deal that will see its specialist
probiotic strains used in a range of dietary supplements.
Sabinsa is looking to bringing innovation to its resveratrol manufacturing capabilities after receiving a grant from the Indian government to move ahead with two new pilot trails for both nutrition and cosmetic products.
Swiss biotech Syngenta is investing US$65m in the construction of a
new biotech centre in China for to evaluate genetically-modified
and native traits in soy and corn.
Vitamin A supplementation, zinc fortification and improved breast
feeding could help save the lives of 3.5 million children who die
from undernutrition, a major study on infant nutrition has found.
Ocean Spray has reported huge growth in sales of cranberry
ingredients to the Asia-Pacific market in the past 12 months, as
health-conscious are tuning in to the red berry's health benefits.
Regulations concerning the addition of inulin, fructo
oligosaccharides (FOS) and galacto oligosaccharides (GOS) to foods,
both as a nutritive substance and as a sweetener, are being
considered in Australia and New Zealand.
Traditional herbal medicines from India may also offer a novel
source of antioxidants for the food industry for boosting both the
shelf-life and nutritional content of food, according to a new
review.
The future of research into the ability of phytochemicals to treat
modern disease lies in Asia because of restrictive laws and
"cynicism", a UK based research company has said.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is ironing out the
creases before finalising its proposed health and nutrition claims
standard with nutrient profiling and percentage daily intakes up
for comment.
China wants to boost consumption of the gut healthy carbohydrates, oligosaccharides, including the ingredient in next year's public health improvement programme.
Australian dairy company Montec has started the rollout across
China of its 'healthier' milk, hoping to appeal to the Chinese
awareness of food's nutritional qualities.
Foodmakers offering products designed specifically for the elderly
should look at exporting to Japan, a market with one of the fastest
growing elderly populations, says the Australian export agency
Austrade.
Chinese regulators are developing standards for bovine colostrum,
the first milk from cows that has a growing following as a health
product among Chinese consumers.
McDonalds New Zealand announced last week its intention to increase
nutritional labeling with percentage daily intake (%DI), following
a similar announcement by McDonalds Australia.
Researchers in South Korea claim that the country's spicy fermented
cabbage dish, kimchi, could help to cure bird flu, the avian
disease which has ravaged poultry stocks across Asia and killed
nearly 50 humans since 2003.
An international clinical study funded by New Zealand dairy giant
Fonterra is said to have proved that dairy products
prevent major childhood diseases such as diarrhoea and pneumonia.
