Asia Pacific: Japanese regard quality packaging highly, finds report
The demand for high quality and aesthetically pleasing packaging will aid the growth of the Japanese plastics industry, according to Canadean’s report Latest trends and key issues in the Japanese retail packaging market. The Japanese plastic packaging industry is in rapid growth. The company says the demand for flexible and rigid plastics packaging in Japan will increase by 6.9 billion packs...
Asia Pacific: China makes better nutrition a high priority, says Arla Foods Ingredients
Arla Foods Ingredients says China’s reform of governmental institutions in 2013 leaves no doubt that nutrition and health are high on the national agenda. Accompanied by legislation focused on higher standards of infant formula and elderly welfare for example, recent developments are spurring the Chinese food industry to seek new nutritional opportunities. The drive towards more functional food was clearly reflected...
Asia Pacific: Bühler completes turnkey project processing rice, beans in China
The Bühler Group has completed a turnkey installation processing Chinese rice and beans at the Hangzhou Wahaha Group’s plant in Haining, China. Dedicated to the production of historic Chinese eight treasure porridge under the Wahaha brand, The new Bühler cleaning and grading plant has allowed the Chinese company to improve the quality and lower the cost of producing its Chinese eight...
Americas: Coconut water brand introduces lemonade flavor
To celebrate the brand’s 10th anniversary, Vita Coco coconut water brings together two of summer’s most popular drinks – fresh coconut water and homemade lemonade – to create Vita Coco Lemonade. The company says the new all-natural beverage will be made available in the US in April 2014. The beverage is made with Vita Coco’s unflavored coconut water, natural lemon puree...
Americas: Create healthy, reasonably priced products to woo US meat consumers, says report
Despite prevalent health trends encouraging consumers in the US to eat less red meat, and 90% of consumers eating some kind of red meat at least once a month – research from Mintel reveals that 39% of beef and other red meat consumers ate less in 2013 than they did in 2012. Furthermore, 25% of consumers who eat pork claimed...
Asia Pacific: Consumers in region concerned over food safety, health issues, finds report
A Mintel research has found that 40% of spirit drinkers in the UK and 67% of spirit drinkers in the US say they like to try drinks from other countries, such as sake, Chinese baijiu or Brazilian cachaca. In Brazil, imported vodka and whiskey have caused declines in sales of traditional sugar cane-based spirits. However, the research states that some modification...
Americas: Consumer concerns on GI issues to bring opportunities in the US
With Nexium losing patent protection this year and the return of Rolaids after a three-year hiatus in the US, the gastrointestinal (GI) remedies market is sure to see some shakeups in 2014, according to a Mintel research. About 86% of US consumers have experienced some type of GI or digestive issue in the past year, while 40% of those who...
World: Liquid water enhancers grow 85% and go international, finds report
The UK, France, Germany, Italy and China offer the greatest prospect for liquid water enhancers after their success in the US since they were first launched in 2011, states a report entitled 2014 Zenith Report on Global Liquid Water Enhancers. It finds pocket-sized packs of super-concentrated syrups did not exist until Kraft Foods Group introduced MiO in March 2011. By the...
World: New products containing vitamin K2 almost double over the past five years globally, says Mintel
The global functional food market has been steadily increasing in recent years and manufacturers have become innovative with the ingredients they include to bring benefit to the consumer, according to a research by Mintel. However, it says there may be a new ingredient that brands are realizing the opportunity of. New product launches containing vitamin K2 Mintel finds that new product launches...
Europe: Low carbohydrate products double over past five years, finds Mintel
Food and drink product launches with low carbohydrate claims in Europe have doubled (+95%) between 2008 and 2013, according to a research by Mintel. It finds the most popular categories are those traditionally associated with carbs – in 2013, 10% of new low carbohydrate food and drink launches were pasta products, 10% baking ingredients or mixes, 9% bread and 8%...