Net profits at Australian vitamin and supplement supplier Blackmores fell by 46.6% in the first quarter, with daigou sales – items bought by Chinese entrepreneurs in Australia to ship back to China – plummeting.
A joint venture between Blackmores and Bega Cheese to supply infant formula across APAC - and in particular China - has missed its sales targets, hitting Bega’s financial performance.
Several superfoods are now becoming mainstream in Japan because consumers are acutely aware of the “nutrient powerhouses” and their functional benefits.
Omega-3 trade body GOED is entering a partnership with the US-China Health Products Association (US-CHPA) to better serve its member companies in the Chinese market.
The Japanese economy may be sluggish, but the country’s health food, nutrition and functional foods sectors are holding steady, with 10 key trends affecting the market.
As global krill oil major Aker Biomarine awaits regulatory approval for its new Superba 2 product line in China, increased consumer demand for omega-3s is bringing increasingly more local suppliers to the market.
The sports nutrition potential of New Zealand blackcurrants, the superfood status of Canadian maple syrup and the functional benefits of Canadian barley – these were three of the high-profile pitches at the HI Japan tradeshow from international organisations seeking...
In the second part of our interview with DuPont’s Asia regional president Dr Li Yongjing, we assess the potential for the dietary supplements industry in South East Asia and examine why probiotics may be about to go mainstream in emerging markets.
Functional food innovation in developed Asian economies is increasingly influencing consumers in South East Asia’s emerging nations, with protein products, superfoods, herbal extract powders and fortified breakfast snacks making their presence felt on...
The functional food ingredients market in Asia Pacific is being tipped to rise from $2.85bn at the end of 2016 to $5.04bn in 2026 with probiotics projected to be the fastest growing segment over the forecast period
The rise of China’s functional food and dietary supplement industry is continuing to outstrip overall economic growth, and will continue to do so with sports nutrition and goods for the elderly likely to drive future increases.
With FI Asia taking place this week in Jakarta with 15,000 visitors, 650 exhibitors and a host of industry experts in one place, we caught up with Olav Masseling, brand director at event organiser UBM to talk about the Asia market, the major trends are...
Over 80% of Malaysian pharmacists believe their profession should play a greater role in recommending supplements and other ‘complementary medicines’ (CM) to their customers, but most are having to teach themselves about the benefits of such products,...
Indian manufacturers and suppliers can tap in to the latest wave of superfood trends both domestically and internationally by playing to the strengths of the country’s traditional ingredients.
Asia has a chance to tackle obesity through a more personalised approach to weight management providing it avoids the mistakes made in the West where not enough attention was paid to the needs of the individual, according to Nestlé’s nutrition head.
Welcome to NutraIngredients-Asia.com, the home of authoritative and independent news and insights about the nutrition, health and dietary supplements industry in Asia Pacific.
Manufacturers in China should be looking at moving past traditional soy-based drinks by incorporating multiple types of plant protein in functional beverages, says Mintel.
Sales at Chinese infant nutrition firm Biostime dropped by 14% in the first half of 2016 to RMB1.46bn (US$220m), with the Biostime brand – which accounts for 86% of the company’s sales – down 5.4% and the value brand Adimil down 65.7%.
India’s “shockingly low” level of EPA and DHA intake is storing up a potential health crisis, especially because life expectancy and therefore the rate of chronic illness is forecast to rise considerably over the coming decades.
Indian consumers are increasingly aware that all fats are not bad, are demanding more products that offer “complete wellness” and are becoming increasingly opening to exploring alternative proteins and natural sugars.
Australian women are well aware that folic acid (PFS) and iodine (IS) are recommended supplements to take during pregnancy, but only a quarter of them adhere to the recommendations, scientists report.
A study of wild edible fruits found in the Himalayas indicates they are a rich source of antioxidants, with researchers concluding they can help meet the nutritional needs of the local population and play a crucial role in nutraceutical development.
Trying to tackle obesity in women when they become pregnant is usually “too little too late”, according to two authors from the University of Sydney and Charles Perkins Centre.
Worsening dietary trends and soaring blood pressure levels will contribute to millions of new cases of heart attacks and strokes in China over the next two decades, researchers claim.
More high-quality Asia-specific research on local foods and their impact on the population is needed to help improve nutrition and combat the growing number of diet-related illnesses across the continent, a seminar in Singapore has heard.
A study has found the majority of Australian professional rugby and football players taking beta-alanine supplements have little knowledge of its benefits – with less than 20% of respondents taking it frequently enough or in sufficient quantity to meet...
Sending dietary advice to people in low and middle income countries (LMICs) by text message has shown to positively influence recipients’ nutrition choices, a new study reports.
Caffeine combined with artificial bright light improves the driving performance and alertness of chronically sleep deprived young drivers, according to a Queensland University of Technology study.
Bangalore-based firm The Himalaya Drug Company is expanding its “wellness and nutrition” offering as it seeks beak through the US$1bn revenue barrier by 2020.
The chief executive of the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest hemp supplier has returned to Australia after meeting Japan’s first lady to discuss the future of the industry there.
Strong demand for healthcare products and growing recognition of overseas brands is driving more Chinese companies to find overseas corporate targets, according to market intelligence provider CCM.
A focus on functional health benefits has allowed India to become the world’s largest market for malt-based hot drinks, according to Euromonitor International.
Expanded education programmes and networking opportunities at Vitafoods Asia 2016 will help businesses share knowledge and grow new partnerships, say event organisers.
Probiotics manufacturers are increasingly witnessing the rising importance of Asia-Pacific as growing awareness of the health benefits of “good” bacteria continue to drive global growth.
The complementary medicines industry has hit out at the decision by Australia’s state broadcaster to air what it calls a “sensationalised story” about the safety of some American supplements.
China’s vitamin A manufacturers got a further boost after Zhejiang NHU, one of the country’s production giants, once again raised its sales price for the vitamin.
By Angelo Di Sapia, head of sales and innovation at Lipa Pharmaceuticals
Have you ever tried to bake a cake? As therapeutic and fulfilling as some people find baking, I never seem to be able to get it perfectly right and results seem to vary every time.
On-the-ground programmes in Singapore and beyond are significantly boosting nutrition levels for population groups that need it the most – like migrant workers – the inaugural Food Vision Asia congress was told this month.
More than half of Australians regularly exceed official recommendations on the consumption of sugar, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Food security is expected to worsen in North Korea, where total production of cereals, soybeans and potatoes is estimated to have fallen in 2015—the first drop since 2010.
The simultaneous crises of over- and undernutrition are causing a “double burden of malnutrition” for children in some middle-income Asean countries even though these have seen sizeable economic gains over the last decade.
India’s government has taken a US$51.2m loan from the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development for a project designed to improve livelihoods and increase food and nutrition security for tribal groups in the east of the country.
