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.
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 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.
Indian-based but global-facing herbals player OmniActive Health Technologies has won a $35 million (€33m) investment from venture capitalist Everstone Group, as it pursues expansion and acquisition targets.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued its long-awaited rules for functional foods and supplements – publishing a 79-page set of criteria on its website.
Water extracts of a fermented tea, known as Pu-erh tea, could help to reduce oxidative stress and protect the liver against damage caused by a high fat diet, research in rats has found.
Nutrition has the power to make or break the vast majority of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – but not enough nutrition or food firms are pledging to help solve the problems of hunger, malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.
Singapore health officials will launch the county’s first Diabetes Action Plan next year in response to the City State being identified as having the second-highest proportion of diabetics among developed nations.
Direct sales firm Arbonne is to officially launch in Taiwan this week, initially with a range of 10 nutrition products alongside its skincare offering.
Australian nutraceutical firm BioCeuticals has picked up two awards, one for a new health portal, and another for its health and lifestyle brand IsoWhey.
Nutrition professionals, scientists and other public interest bodies are staying on the sidelines and allowing the food industry to dominate Australia’s nutrition policy-making, according to research analysis.
Several superfoods are now becoming mainstream in Japan because consumers are acutely aware of the “nutrient powerhouses” and their functional benefits.
New research from New Zealand suggests that people managing type 2 diabetes should walk after carb-heavy meals to gain the greatest blood sugar-lowering benefits.
Specialists in Myanmar are warning that unhealthy lifestyles and the low intake of essential vitamins and minerals is leading cardiovascular problems to spiral out of control.
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.
China will have 48.5m overweight children by 2025, the largest number in the world, after witnessing the eighth largest global increase in percentage terms over the period 2000-2013.
The use of nutritional labelling schemes in South Korea has made it easier for consumers to make heathy choices, with their use associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases, say researchers.
Taiwan botanical manufacturer and supplier Aquavan is targeting international expansion after establishing an ingredients offshoot to complement its finished products offering.
Consumption of the green tea compound EGCG could help to stop daytime overeating brought on by a high-fat diet, claims research backed by Abbott Nutrition.
University of Sydney and Ramazzini Institute researchers are claiming widespread bias in industry-funded research into artificial sweeteners, arguing those financially backed by business are far more likely to have favourable results.
The United Nations health agency has called for a whole-of-society approach to address the double burden of malnutrition which affects populations across southeast Asia, particularly women and girls.
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.
Using yeast to churn out the fruit protein brazzein could enhance its commercial potential as a low calorie sweetener and aid the fight against obesity and diabetes, according to studies taking place in Korea.
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.
Blaming fat, carbohydrate or sugar in isolation as causes of an obesity crisis has run its course and is limiting the ability to tackle its associated health problems.
The regular intake of meat and alcohol are among the primary nutritional factors causing one-in-three adults in a Chinese province to be overweight and one-in-seven obese, new research has found.
A father’s metabolic health can be passed from generation to generation, affecting not only his children but also his grandchildren, Sydney scientists suspect.
Expanded education programmes and networking opportunities at Vitafoods Asia 2016 will help businesses share knowledge and grow new partnerships, say event organisers.
Breakfast is officially the most important meal of the day and can help reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, Singaporean scientists have found in a limited study.