Moving fast and quick is crucial to tap on the “tremendous opportunities” that the South East Asia (SEA) market presents, according to Bayer’s ASEAN head who also spoke about the firm’s recent partnership with an airline and its promotional Tiktok dance...
Supplement and functional food firm Amado Thailand is consolidating the benefits of both online and offline as it remains on course to hit its annual sales target of THB$2500m (US$79m), despite the economic challenges brought by COVID-19.
Food fortification and developing healthier food options are crucial in tackling the double burden of undernutrition and obesity, but the unique cultural aspects of dietary patterns should not be neglected, says the guest who stars in our latest podcast.
Experts at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have continued to vouch for the merits of Golden Rice despite a recent weeklong-protest held against the genetically-modified crop across Asia.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has led a number of ASEAN countries in “fully recognising the importance of health supplements” in optimising or maintaining the public health, according to a regional trade association.
Malaysian insect-protein firm Ento has opted to shift its food production focus from whole-insect snacks to a ‘proteinisation’ focus in the hope of increasing consumer acceptability and encouraging mass consumption.
Some dietary supplement brands have adopted e-commerce or are planning to shift their manufacturing facilities in response to COVID-19, said the Philippines’ dietary supplement association.
Dietary supplement brands which sell through pharmacies are reluctant or finding it difficult to establish their own e-commerce operations, despite the importance of a digital presence in the COVID-19 era, according to the country’s health supplement...
A greying population is the trend in APAC’s advanced economies and in the case of Singapore, a team of researchers is committed to the mission of identifying ways to help the population live a healthier, happier, stronger life as they age.
Researchers from Thailand’s Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (RMUTI) Khon Kaen Campus are planning to develop herbal supplements that combine CBD with local botanicals.
The government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) has built of a new food safety and quality control centre with a Chinese partner, in the hope of providing a boost for the country’s economy and potentially graduating from its current ‘Less-Developed...
Singapore supplement start-up Nano Singapore Wellness Innovation has outlined plans to expand across the rest of the ASEAN region, with the firm keen to court the younger demographic via its social media strategy.
Netherlands’ ingredients supplier Sensus is eyeing the digestive health market in Thailand with its chicory root products after securing a new health claim.
Supplementation of tocotrienol-rich vitamin E could speed up nerve signal transmission and increase the serum level of nerve growth factor (NGF) in diabetic patients.
There is currently only low-certainty evidence to show that consuming galactagogues can increase breast milk production in nursing mothers, with a group of Malaysian researchers who conducted a recent Cochrane systematic review recommending further studies...
A cohort study in Singapore has found that the combination of vitamin D, magnesium and vitamin B12 (DMB) could reduce the rate of progression in older patients with Covid-19.
Researchers have revealed that the timing of carbohydrate-rich meals can significantly worsen glucose homeostasis – on top of the independent glycaemic index of the food – potentially revealing ways to minimise the risk of type-2 diabetes.
Health authorities and researchers in India and Philippines are testing the efficacy of ayurvedic formulations and melatonin as adjunctives to COVID-19 treatment.
An expert panel has recommended supplementation of calcium and vitamin D early in life to strengthen bone health in the largely deficient Indonesian population.
A lack of harmonised regulations continues to pose challenges for businesses looking to market their nutraceutical products across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, as well as consumers access to such products, according to...
A Singapore-based online customised supplement firm says the COVID-19 pandemic has helped consumers overcome scepticism to subscription services in the nutra space, after recording 60% year-on-year boost in sales over the last 30 days.
Singapore-based LVL Life and its plant-based superfood powder blends have seen sales surge during the COVID-19 outbreak with rising consumer demand and a resilient e-commerce strategy combining for its success.
Almost one-in-five Singaporeans with mental health conditions has used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the past 12 months – nearly four times higher than the general population.
VitaHealth is tapping into growing demand among Singapore’s myopic population to push sales of its eye health supplements, with screen use increasing as more people work from home and join virtual meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yangon-based FAME Pharmaceuticals is riding on the probiotics boom, with aggressive plans to expand its product range after introducing its first immunity-enhancement products.
Indonesia’s gummy supplement start-up, YOU, said sales of its adults’ and kids’ multivitamins have nearly tripled amid the COVID-19 outbreak, as more recognise vitamins as a means of preventive healthcare.
Diabetic patients who adopt a nutrition therapy consisting of whey protein and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) have lower fasting blood glucose during the one-month long Ramadan fasting period, a clinical trial in Malaysia has shown.
New Zealand-based Vitality Wellness has expediated the launch of its immune health supplement made from blackcurrants to meet health demands arising from the COVID-19 outbreak.
A group of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed what they believe is the first probiotic drink made from unsold loaves of bread and has now filed a patent for their creation.
Philippines consumers and pharmacies have been hoarding vitamins, with sales of such items skyrocketing by 10 times since Luzon – the country’s most populous island and where the capital Manila sits went into a lockdown – a local industry body has said.
The Philippines health department in the Central Visayas region is buying vitamin C supplements for school children in a bid to boost their immunity in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Singapore’s national regulator for health products, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), has removed a significant number of product listings claiming to prevent or treat COVID-19 from local e-commerce platforms.
Milk companies in Vietnam are increasingly turning to functional milk product development as the market competition intensifies, with vitamin k2 fortification becoming more common than before, data from Mintel has shown.
There is widespread confusion among Malaysia’s dietary supplement industry as to whether it is considered an essential service and production can continue under the country’s coronavirus lockdown.
Drinking whey protein-infused carbohydrate beverage pre-operation and starting on an early oral feeding post-operation can shorten hospital stay and preserve muscle mass, according to a Malaysia RCT.
The Philippines is looking to study virgin coconut oil (VCO) as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) which has since infected more than 80,000 people and killed more than 2,800 worldwide.
A study in the Philippines showed that children consuming milk catered to their age, such as toddler and infant formula, have higher intake of micronutrients including iron, zinc, vitamin B6, C, D, and E, as compared to those drinking other types of...
The nutrition discipline in South East Asia started relatively late, but one Malaysian expert has been active from the outset, clocking up almost 50 years of research experience and invaluable insights.
Asmara, a Singapore brand owned by F&B consultancy company NU3x, will be launching six functional powders in the first quarter of 2020, following success from its range of health beverages.
Researchers in Singapore have found five healthy dietary patterns consumed in midlife are associated to a lower risk of cognitive impairment in late life in Chinese adults.
Intake of tocotrienol-rich vitamin E for 12 weeks can improve the renal function of diabetic patients with damaged kidney, and the results persist even nine months after the washout period, a randomised-controlled trial in Malaysia has shown.
Tavelmout Biofarm (TVMB), the first company to open a factory for spirulina production in Brunei, is eyeing commercial success in Japan, with frozen raw spirulina soon to be launched in spring.
A Singapore start-up is aiming to launch lab-grown breast milk by 2021, and is seeking to work with major formula brands to deliver the “closest thing to real mothers’ breast milk”.
The bioactives from honey could help tackle obesity by curbing appetite and Malaysian researchers are now making a weight controlling dietary supplement on the back of their studies.