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.
The market for dairy permeate powder will “explode into life”—especially in Asia—once a global Codex standard is set, which could be as early as next year.
Friesland Huishan Dairy - FrieslandCampina's newly established Chinese infant formula joint venture - will introduce a new brand in China "in the near future."
In the harsh landscape of China’s northwest in the Gobi, where temperatures can fluctuate by 90 degrees over the course of a year, a bush with striking beneficial properties has been left to grow unnoticed for more than a thousand years.
China’s health food and supplements niches need filling, even if the current regulatory environment continues to put off some key international players.
A recent draft reform of China’s Food Safety Law, which is now available for public comment, is a great improvement for supplements exporters who have been increasingly frustrated at the time and expense required to gain certification in the country.
The United States alone stands to lose over US$8bn in dietary supplement exports to China as a result of the burgeoning market’s onerous regulatory environment.
Raisio has just launched its Benecol yogurt drinks line in Hong Kong, its latest push to broaden its reach in the emerging Bric markets. Wing Kee Produce will act as the Finnish company’s local distributor.
The world’s biggest manufacturer of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) outside of China has defended the quality of the sector as contaminated products continue to raise red flags with regulators in the UK, Hong Kong, Denmark and elsewhere.
In 2011, DuPont bought a food processing plant to the north of Beijing and straight away began to convert it into a blending and packaging site for its dietary supplements.
According to Pierre-Alain Ceralli, Firmenich’s vice-president for flavours in China, the country now represents 20% of the total flavour industry’s potential. Furthermore, as China transforms its economy from export-led GDP to a domestic-led economic...
Nestlé's $11.85bn (€9bn) acquisition of Pfizer Nutrition has been given the go-ahead by anti-trust authorities in China – taking the “strategic” takeover a step closer to completion.
PepsiCo’s investment to localize its Quaker brand in China with traditional herbal medicine fortification and texture adaptations has enabled it to thrive, an analyst says.
A court order has silenced Hong Kong research company, CER, and ensured the removal of its report damning Abbott’s infant formula product; action the US giant is ‘pleased’ with.
Naturex has just received novel foods approval in China for its flavour masking system, Talin. President and chief executive of the botanicals group, Jacques Dikansky, revealed the news and discussed the integration of Burgundy when we caught up with...
As Vitafoods Asia closes its doors on a successful three-day debut edition in Hong Kong today, event director Chris Lee shares impressions of the show with Shane Starling, and ponders refinements to the event in 2012.
Unusually inflated or deflated prices should alert food supplement manufacturers to the potential of adulterated or substandard chondroitin, says the managing director of UK supplier, Gee Lawson.
Aker BioMarine has signed its first agreement to supply a Chinese supplement maker with its branded krill oil, in a deal that paves the way for a new category in the country.
China-Biotics has filed five new patents for its probiotics as it plans to enter new condition areas like feminine hygiene and infant diarrhea, and microencapsulated probiotics for harsh manufacturing conditions.
Health experts in China have defended iron-fortified soy sauce as an effective and safe way to reduce anemia after claims emerged that it could cause cancer and other health problems.
China’s reputation as an ingredient supplier has suffered from a spate of food safety problems – but the food industry should not paint all China-based companies with the same broad brush, says stevia supplier GLG Life Tech.
Sanofi-Aventis has signed a joint venture agreement with Minsheng Pharmaceutical Group of Hangzhou to exploit the country’s booming OTC vitamin and mineral market.
The different language, culture and regulatory set-up may make running an ingredients company in China a daunting proposition for Western executives. But Yossi Gohary, general manager of Solbar Ningbo, says it’s all about cultural compromise.
The melamine milk crisis throws up some serious questions that foreign food firms must ask before they hop aboard a joint venture to take them into China. What food safety features is it fitted with? And are they robust enough to be life-savers if disaster...
The vast offer of aid to China following its devastating earthquake in May reflects the food industry’s increasing move towards displaying strategic corporate responsibility.
Biogin Biochemicals has received a patent for its standardized flax
seed extract, AlaLife Flax Lignan, as the Chinese botanicals
supplier bids to develop its international presence in the foods,
beverages and cosmeceuticals sectors.
Ocean Nutrition Canada is aiming to extend the reach of its Meg-3
fish oil ingredient to embrace the whole of Asia - a strategy that
may prove shrewd given estimates of a 200 percent increase in
market value in the next six years.
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.
If the Chinese government gives in to mounting international
pressure to revalue its currency, it could spell the end of cheap
exports, a move that many anticipate would have a knock-on effect
on raw materials costs for the food industry....
The mushroom industry's future is positive due to changing public
perceptions of the fungus, but the industry needs restructuring to
keep up with growing demands and declining profits.
Heat treatments used to kill harmful bacteria in soymilk may be
damaging the healthy compounds found in the beverage, according to
a Chinese scientist.
Cyanotech has signed a deal with a distribution company in China
that will see its astaxanthin ingredient sold in the promising
market for the first time - for both human nutrition and
aquaculture.
China's dominance of the vitamin C market was confirmed last week
as DSM halted all production of the bulk vitamin in the US, making
its Dalry plant in Scotland the only remaining major plant outside
of Asia.
As Chinese producers move in on western markets, the first response
by many established players is to protect and defend their previous
market positions. It's a doomed strategy.
Pressure on soy prices likely to continue with a new report
revealing China is expected to reduce its principal soybean
planting area, while increasing corn and rice planting in 2005.
A report published yesterday by the UN food and farm body showed
that green tea production increased in 2003, no doubt encouraged by
its purported health benefits.
Dutch chemicals and ingredients company DSM is to purchase a stake
in North China Pharmaceutical Group in a move that boosts its
presence in the country, writes Phil Taylor.
Chr Hansen breaks into the lucrative Chinese market constructing
its first production facilities to provide more flexibility to
serve the burgeoning local food industry, reports Lindsey
Partos.
China's massive drive to reduce the damage done by vitamin and
mineral deficiency, particularly to children, is paying rich
dividends for its economy, say children's charity UNICEF and the
Chinese Ministry of Health.
Joining the growing ranks of ingredients companies taking root in
China to defend their market position, US starch and sweeteners
firm Corn Products International has linked up with Shandong Juneng
Electric Power Group Golden Corn...
The recent escalation of raw material, manufacturing, energy and
packaging costs will result in an increase in price for soy protein
ingredients, says the Solae company, as soybean prices hit 15 year
highs and the firm passes rises...