Page 8 - Plant Based Development News Today

Singapore food tech firm SoiLabs says it aims to launch finished products made from soy waste (okara) within the next year, and has partnered with Sanyo Chemical to accelerate commercialisation of upcycled foods in Japan.

South Korean healthy foods firm PhytoCo has tweaked its marketing strategy to focus on both rising health and sustainability demands from consumers with marked results, having recently secured recognition from the national government as a provider of viable sustainable food products.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has assured food firms dealing in ‘vegan by default’ products that they do not need to have the new national vegan logo displayed on their products and need not undergo the certification process as a result.

Food and ingredient firms riding the plant-based wave in Asia should not neglect the ‘bottom of the pyramid’, where affordable and nutritious products have huge scope to boost both public health and the industry’s long-term financial prospects.

Taiwan’s largest plant-based food manufacturers claim consumers are increasingly adopting vegetarian diets for sustainability and health reasons, as opposed to religious factors, and say that recent government policies are helping propel further growth.

Consumer demand for alternate proteins is unlikely to end up growing at a uniform rate due to local dietary differences, much of which will still prioritise animal protein in the long run, according to an expert panel.

New Zealand’s market for pea protein will grow 10-fold in the next decade, with key sectors being sports nutrition, infant formula, and plant-based dairy and meat alternatives, according to a report from trade officials.

Plant-based brands in South East Asia need to step up their game by integrating unique health and localisation features to stand out in the increasingly crowded market, according to a Philippines brand blazing a trail in the sector.

India’s hemp industry is predicting a wave of product innovation, from protein bars to flavoured powders and snacks, in the wake of recent regulatory advances that will see hemp seed, oil and flour products classed as food for the first time.

India’s first certified clean label brand True Elements has incorporated a traceability component for all its products down to the ingredient level to provide an added measure of assurance to consumers looking for cleaner, healthier products.