One-in-five infants in Singapore are given a dietary supplement in the first year of life, while 5.7% take probiotics and 15.7% homeopathic preparations.
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.
Tropical red seaweed, G. changii, can become an important functional food ingredient and is a prime crop for large-scale commercial farming, according to new research from Malaysia.
South East Asia functional food and supplement firms need to help educate consumers that whey protein isn’t just for body builders, and formulate new products that can help treat the rising number of sarcopenia cases among the elderly in the region.
Despite Asia Pacific being a region with high incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), sales of cardiovascular health positioned foods and beverages are not high, writes Maria Mascaraque from Euromonitor International.
With more than 100 infant milk powder manufacturers established and thousands of product lines launched in the last 30 years, overcrowding in the segment appears to have hit Chinese businesses hard.
The status of green tea as a slimming ingredient in Japan should provide inspiration for companies elsewhere who are looking to use the product across the weight loss category, according to new market research.
The Asia-Pacific fish oil market is forecast to grow by 5% to 2020 helping the global total to hit US$1.5bn, with supplements and functional foods tipped to be the region’s fasting-growing industry segment.
The demand for ‘clean label’ products, especially in North America and Europe, is continuing to affect consumers’ acceptance of fortified foods, meaning manufacturers should focus their efforts on Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Demand in Asia Pacific for for anti-aging supplements and products is driving global growth for antioxidants, presenting suppliers and manufactures with a lucrative opportunity to boost sales, new market research suggests.
As 2016 draws to a close, we highlight the top seven most-read APAC food and nutrition trends stories, featuring exclusive market and consumer insights from Japan, South East Asia, India, Australia and China.
A Chinese financial website and a private equity fund have sealed a deal to raise capital form mainland China to invest in the US cannabis supplements and functional beverage sectors.
The sports nutrition market picking up the pace in Asia Pacific and can look forward to long-term growth, writes Allied Market Research analyst Ravi Chawat.
Analysis of the top 20 claims of new health supplement launches in China between 2014-16 shows products targeting female and seniors are on the rise, with claims related to bone, cardiovascular and brain health increasing rapidly. But is this want consumers...
Minerals and dietary supplements are leading the nutrition industry’s charge in China, with vitamins lagging behind, according to a new report which suggests the total market will reach RMB124bn (USD$20bn) by the end of the year, up 12.2 % from 2015.
They say that grey hair is a symbol of wisdom. This is so true as many Australian seniors are now taking a more proactive approach to their own healthcare by doing independent research to stay healthy and active.
Almost 9m Aussies (44.2% of the population) regularly take vitamins, minerals or supplements, with Nature’s Own being the most widely consumed brand, according to new research.
Tulsi, ashwagandha and cardamom are three of the hottest Ayurvedic ingredients right now, but the likelihood of them gaining mass appeal in Europe and the US is limited by scepticism of complementary medicine, it has been claimed.
Direct sales firm Arbonne is to officially launch in Taiwan this week, initially with a range of 10 nutrition products alongside its skincare offering.
Japan’s billion dollar nori industry, which produces 350,000 tonnes of edible and nutraceutical seaweed lauded for a multitude of beneficial health effects, could have a new competitor…Norway.
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.
