China’s well thought out regulatory policies for its hemp and CBD industry have been key to establishing a controlled, and growing, open market for downstream consumer products such as food and cosmetics, according to an expert panel.
Public health researchers have pushed for governments to develop policies and guidelines targeting ultra-processed foods (UPFs) as a whole, instead of focusing on individual nutrients such as salt and sugar, based on the findings of a new study report.
The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has introduced mandatory warning labels and tightened regulations governing ‘high caffeine’ beverages, including coffee and tea products.
India has introduced a ban on the sales, advertisement and promotion of all foods high in saturated fat or trans-fat or added sugar or sodium (HFSS) in school grounds as well as within 50 metres from the premises.
The New Zealand food and beverage industry has vehemently rejected anti-GM (genetically modified) group GE Free NZ’s suggestion that New Zealand should split from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and establish its own food standards authority.
Domestic legislation is finally on the horizon for the Australian organic industry, which would particularly benefit food and beverage companies looking to export by providing more efficient access to foreign markets.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) has revealed plans to make fortification mandatory for edible oil and milk over the next few months, in addition to intensifying its focus on local staples such as rice, wheat and salt.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has confirmed that the existing ban implemented on pure and highly concentrated caffeine food products will not be removed even with a new proposal underway to assess caffeine governance in the food supply.
Indonesia has called on the United Kingdom to implement equivalent regulations for rapeseed oil as stipulated in the the Due Diligence policy it is looking to apply to palm oil, in order to achieve proper ‘mutual recognition’ of each other’s regulatory...
The Chinese government has identified science, technology and manpower upgrades as areas of special focus over a ‘critical period’ across the next five years in order for the country to secure its national food supply.
APAC public health experts say they are optimistic that the UK’s recent moves to ban TV ‘junk food’ ads before 9pm will encourage governments in the region to adopt similar measures – but also want more comprehensive restrictions that cover digital media.
Indian trade association Federation of All India Vyapar Mandal (FAIVM) has called upon the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to completely waive license renewals for food businesses due to COVID-19, instead of just extending the renewal...
The Indonesian government is urging its local food and beverage industry to embrace digital advancement and shift towards the use of local raw ingredients for manufacturing as part of the national Making Industry 4.0 industrial strategy.
The United Kingdom’s intention to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) would greatly benefit food trade for APAC countries – but many hurdles lie ahead, according to expert analysis.
The Australian juice industry will need to play up the health benefits of consumption and its role in meeting current local dietary guidelines both on-pack and off, if it hopes to recover from the blow of its five health star rating loss.
Researchers in Thailand have called for the government to pursue more aggressive public health policies in addition to imposing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes in the country after an advanced simulation model revealed that this would have little...
Japan has banned the use of the terms ‘artificial’ and ‘synthetic’ to describe food additives on all food and beverage labels after consumer research found they were causing consumers to shun such products.
India has emerged as the top supporter of stronger alcohol policy implementation in a new study, where researchers also criticised labelling changes in Australia and New Zealand and called for stronger, more effective measures to be put in place.
The Australian government has released a range of sodium reformulation targets to be implemented on a voluntary basis by the local F&B industry over the next four years, but public health researchers believe that this should be made mandatory.
Sugar taxation has remained the most effective for of food taxation when it comes to reducing diet-related diseases as compared to taxes on salt, saturated fat and junk food, according to a recent New Zealand study.
The Chinese authorities has opened a public consultation to consider the use of milk minerals and a particular bacteria species as novel food raw materials.
India has moved to implement strict 0% ABV regulations for alcohol-free beer in the country as part of the country’s alcoholic beverages revision, while Thailand is mulling tax raises for the category - spelling tough times ahead for zero-alcohol beers...
The Philippines’ controversial new tax reform bill aims to help smaller local food and beverage pay lower taxes and stop larger firms from exploring existing system loopholes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak…but experts are warning implementation...
Asian countries that have implemented food export restrictions to protect local supplies amid the COVID-19 pandemic will harm their commodity prices and damage their trade reputations, according to an expert from the Food and Agricultural Organisation...
India’s newest food tax saga stemming from Southern flatbreads being taxed higher than Northern ones has placed renewed focus on the country’s controversial GST system, provoking claims of ‘cultural racism’ from campaigners.
Australia’s implementation of the revised Health Star Ratings (HSR) system is on track with a focus on sugar and sodium reduction via a new nutrient calculator, as well as plans for 70% of industry uptake, the Australian Department of Health has confirmed.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an extension of free food ration distributions for the nation’s poor till November, but recent government data has also revealed that distributions till date have been ineffective in several major states.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) recently announced that it would be making industry-friendly changes to the text requirements for pregnancy warning labels on alcoholic beverages – but its insistence to mandate coloured labels has left industry...
China recently announced new standards for dairy permeate imports, a first for the country and a prime example of how an industry can leverage resources to overcome regulatory challenges, according to a China trade regulations expert.
China’s COVID-19 focus has taken a clear food-related shift with a decided focus on stepping up food import regulations, despite this putting it at odds with foreign food firms and governments arguing against the probability of food-related virus spread.
Taiwan’s organic equivalence agreements policy means it risks losing over half of its organic imports, particularly those from its biggest trade partner EU, but despite this has shown no signs of shifting its stance.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) has announced that it will be retaining just one of three major quality parameters used to test honey pureness authenticity that were previously removed, whilst also putting the onus on syrup importers...
The recently-ratified EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has seen major gains in food trade for both sides, particularly in rice and seafood for Vietnam as well as alcohol and meat for the EU.
Many big food and beverage companies in Malaysia have made commitments to improve product and population nutrition, but researchers have found these to be ‘weak’, ‘non-specific’ and lacking in comprehensiveness.
China should accelerate the development of its local cell-based meat sector to catch up with other countries that have a head start in this area, with a major focus placed on technology, regulations and innovation.
China’s ‘milk bars’ have been issued with new guidelines that place them under stricter regulatory control, with a stronger focus on maintaining the freshness and safety of products as dairy consumption in the country grows.
Malaysia is considering a potential reviews of regulations governing alcohol sales and/or production following a rash of drunk driving accidents in the country, marking yet another hurdle for an industry trying to find its feet due to COVID-19.
The Philippines is considering implementing higher sugar taxes as well as new taxes on ‘junk food’ high in sodium and trans fat to offset the costs incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak this year.
The local food industry in India has welcomed the government’s plans to reorganise the local food production sector using a cluster-based approach, believing that this will help to reduce food waste and drive long-term growth.
The Australian alcoholic beverages industry has highlighted ‘glaringly obvious’ flaws and anomalies in the government’s recent review of minimum unit pricing, claiming that the results are erroneous and calling for an inquiry.
Tensions between Australia and China have recently been running high over barley tariffs and beef bans, but this nothing new nor solely due to ‘punishing behaviour’ over COVID-19, according to several trade consulting experts.
South Korea has moved to temporarily relax regulatory measures for food imports in view of the global COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, particularly concentrating on documentation and labelling requirements to prevent delays in custom clearance.
Disputes over Indonesia’s controversial omnibus law have taken a food-related turn, with various stakeholders now clashing over whether this will cause imported foods to be favoured over local supply, as well as the potentially negative impacts this will...
Cambodia is looking to reform its local organic food products market by putting new standards and procedures into legislation, as well as presenting a new unified logo for all certified organic fruits, vegetables and other agricultural items.
First it was beef, now it’s barley, with China seemingly staying true to its word to deal a series of trade blows to Australia in retaliation for its calls for a wide-ranging global inquiry into the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The F&B industry in Malaysia has called for food businesses in all states nationwide to ‘concurrently resume’ as per the government’s recent loosening of COVID-19 related lockdown restrictions, but has hit a snag with seven of the nation’s 14 states...
Thailand's retraction of a nationwide blanket ban on alcohol sales, which led to panic-buying and fears of a fresh wave of COVID-19 infections, has been defended by industry leaders who claim alcohol and social gatherings don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand.