Botanicals

Rhodiola rosea and Nelumbo nucifera extracts can improve sleep – pilot study

16-Jul-2024 By Audrey Yow

Rhodiola rosea and Nelumbo nucifera extracts improved sleep quality of participants without adverse side effects in a study trial.

Curcumin can help combat inflammatory chronic metabolic diseases – meta-analysis

16-Jul-2024 By Audrey Yow

Curcumin can fight chronic diseases by reducing key inflammatory markers, offering a promising natural intervention for conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to new research.

Brain booster: Singapore’s Flojo eyes opportunities in cognition and concentration with sparkling functional beverages

10-Jul-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Singapore start-up Flojo has debuted its sparkling drinks formulated with botanical ingredients aimed at supporting cognitive function, strengthening immune system, and improving mood and mental clarity.

UK launches ashwagandha safety consultation as Indian experts step up defense

09-Jul-2024 By Nikki Hancocks

Ashwagandha suppliers are being urged to invest in defense as the UK Food Safety Agency (FSA) launches a consultation into the herb and Indian experts refute safety concerns.

Trend tracker: Fish oil supply, innovation in ginseng, krill oil and more

05-Jul-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Here is the round-up of the latest nutraceutical trends in Asia-Pacific, including how fish oil supply is expected to recover from a fruitful first fishing season, innovation across ginseng, krill oil products, and supplements export trends in China....

Healthplex Expo 2024

Australia aims to take back China’s no. 1 health supplements exporter spot from the US

03-Jul-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Australia is aiming to topple the US as China’s number one health supplements exporter – a title which it first held in 2018 – on the back of warming political relations and market-focused NPD.

China approved nearly 600 infant formulas in 2023 – new national standards data

03-Jul-2024 By Tingmin Koe

China approved nearly 600 infant formulas based on the new GuoBiao (GB) or national standards last year.

Immune function support: Korean red ginseng can help improve immunity – RCT

02-Jul-2024 By Audrey Yow

Korean red ginseng could help improve immunity according to a new RCT undertaken in China and funded by Korean Society of Ginseng.

Brand new: Chong Kun Dang Healthcare rides on GLP-1 boom and new launches from Fast&Up, Kalbe

28-Jun-2024 By Tingmin Koe

See new developments from health and nutrition brands across Asia-Pacific, including Chong Kun Dang Healthcare’s launch of a probiotic formula that is said to work in the GLP-1 pathway, how effervescent tablet specialist Fast&Up is cracking India’s...

Squalene and tocotrienols’ effects on dry skin, eczema to be studied in 70-day trial

26-Jun-2024 By Tingmin Koe

PhytoGaia and Monash University are studying how oral supplementation of squalene and tocotrienols could benefit dry skin, including eczema, in a 70-day trial.

Milk in cans: Kalbe Nutritionals recreates flagship adult milk formula into RTD cans

24-Jun-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Kalbe Nutritionals has launched a canned milk version of its flagship adult nutrition brand Entrasol, which it said was designed to cater to busy and active individuals.

'Holistic beauty': Shiseido’s Ultimune makes beauty-from-within debut with probiotic powder

18-Jun-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Ultimune, a flagship sub-brand of the Japanese skincare conglomerate Shiseido, is debuting in the beauty-from-within space with a probiotic powder set for launch on July 1.

Antioxidants shown to aid treatment for kidney disease caused by aflatoxins – new study

18-Jun-2024 By Audrey Yow

Antioxidant supplementation has been found to benefit the treatment of kidney disease caused by aflatoxins, a new study reports.

Science shorts: Menopause, eye health, weight loss in the spotlight

14-Jun-2024 By Tingmin Koe

This round-up looks at the latest health and nutrition research on the benefits of soybean paste fermented with kōji mould and probiotic in alleviating menopause symptoms, how supplementation of fibre from resistance starch could support weight loss,...

Instant coffee, oat maker Gold Roast extends offerings with new dietary fibre brand

12-Jun-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Singapore’s Gold Roast Food Industry, which is known for its instant coffee powder and cereal products, is extending its product line with a new nutritional brand focused on dietary fibre supplementation.

Spray sensation: Suntory’s in-house venture program creates supplements in aerosol spray format

10-Jun-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Suntory’s in-house venture program has developed what it calls the “next-generation mist supplement” for better absorption and convenience.

Beyond morning sickness: Mental support key to maternal wellness for pregnancy health - start-up Daisy

10-Jun-2024 By Audrey Yow

New Zealand start-up Daisy has launched gingerol drink for morning sickness and says it has more science-backed products in the pipeline that support mental health for maternal wellness.

Regulatory review: New Zealand's natural health products, Japan's GMP requirement in the spotlight

07-Jun-2024 By Tingmin Koe

We look at the latest regulatory announcements happening across APAC, including what's next for New Zealand's natural health products regulatory landscape, Japan requiring all Food with Function Claims (FFC) in tablets, capsules forms to comply...

Growing market: CJ Wellcare extends blood sugar management offerings with two launches in a month

04-Jun-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Major South Korean supplement firm CJ Wellcare is adding to its blood sugar management portfolio, with two successive health functional foods launched this month, as it hopes to tap on a market that had expanded 18 per cent year-on-year.

Trend tracker: Eye health supplement sector booming in Taiwan, Japan

31-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Here is the round-up of the latest nutraceutical trends in Asia-Pacific, including exclusive analysis of Taiwan's nutraceutical market trends, where eye health is one of most popular categories. The high demand for eye health supplements is also...

Supplementation with a blend of botanical extracts found to increase muscle strength and endurance post-resistance training – GNC-funded study

29-May-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Daily supplementation of an extracts blend derived from East Indian globe thistle and mango tree bark could optimise muscle adaptive responses to resistance exercise training (RET) in men, according to new research findings.

Throat relief: Botanical lozenges ‘good alternatives' to antibiotics for treating pharyngitis - RCT

28-May-2024 By Audrey Yow

Botanical lozenges are effective in treating chronic pharyngitis, making it a good alternative to antibiotic treatment, which can cause side effects such as vomiting, diarrhoea, hypertension and weight gain, according to a new trial.

A new functional foods category in China? Proposal draws mixed reactions from regulatory experts - In-depth analysis

27-May-2024 By Audrey Yow

A proposal by Feihe Dairy’s chairman to add a new functional foods category to China’s regulatory system could offer financial and innovation benefits to brands, but there are concerns around its practicality and industry compliance.

Brand new: Wanglaoji, Dose & Co, Nestle India in the spotlight

24-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

See new developments from health and nutrition brands across Asia-Pacific, including China herbal tea brand Wanglaoji’s South East Asia expansion plans, New Zealand collagen brand Dose & Co bought over by UK's Vector Consumer, Nestle India and...

Swisse’s owner H&H Group reports double-digit growth in China’s adult nutrition market

22-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Swisse’s parent company Health and Happiness Group (H&H Group) is seeing strong demand for its adult nutrition products in China, where the company has reported 12.3 per cent year-on-year (yoy) growth in Q1.

Black seed marvel: Anlene Indonesia targets Muslim consumers with new herbal infusion milk powder

21-May-2024 By Pearly Neo

Anlene Indonesia has launched a new adult milk powder infused with habbatussauda, a black seed claiming to have multiple health benefits, which has long been revered by the Muslim community.

Two in five pharmacists believe more expensive dietary supplements are more effective – Malaysia study

20-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Two in five pharmacists believe there is a correlation between the efficacy and price of dietary supplements, new findings from a study that took place in Malaysia reveal.

China’s BGG establishing new HQ in Switzerland to pursue double business growth in five years

16-May-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Beijing-based branded ingredients supplier BGG recently announced the establishment of a new global headquarters in Switzerland as part of a major restructuring move to accelerate expansion and business growth.

VitamINSIGHTS

Taiwan nutra market: Eye health, beauty, probiotics trending, with food firms, influencers entering business

15-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Eye care is consistently cited as one of the top trending health supplement categories in Taiwan, alongside beauty-from-within, and functional probiotics that serve purposes beyond gut health, say leading industry players in our latest deep dive into...

‘Growing rapidly’: Indonesia could become SEA’s largest herbal tea market– Wanglaoji

15-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

China herbal tea brand Wanglaoji says Indonesia is one of its fastest growing markets in South East Asia (SEA) and could potentially become its biggest market in the region in the next couple of years.

Big bang: Pill-and-shot supplements trending in South Korea with major brands jumping on the bandwagon

14-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Major dietary supplement companies such as CJ Wellcare and CKD Health are launching new products that come in the pill-and-shot format across South Korea – in what is considered an emerging trend sweeping across the country’s nutraceutical sector.

Bringing into focus: Japan’s natural tech releases new eye supplement amid ‘skyrocketing demand’

14-May-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Japanese wellness firm natural tech Co Ltd says that lifestyle changes of modern consumers and the country’s ageing population have led to increasing eye-related problems, which it aims to address with its new supplement.

Urgent action needed: NZ natural products industry demands action to boost exports as Therapeutic Products Act repealed

13-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

The New Zealand natural health products industry is calling for urgent action to protect and boost exports after the country's health minister said the government would repeal the Therapeutic Products Act due to come into force in 2026.

GK Bio plans expansion in neighbouring SEA countries with fungi, probiotics launch

09-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Malaysia headquartered GK Bio International, which specialises in fungi and probiotics supplements, says it is expanding into the neighbouring South East Asian countries, including Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Nutrachampion podcast

“Hidden talents”: Malaysia’s biopharma firm sees vast R&D opportunities in over 3,000 local medicinal plants

08-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

There are vast R&D opportunities in the botanical health supplements and therapeutics sector across Malaysia, where there is already a pool of over 3,000 known medicinal plants to be tapped on, says the CEO of local biopharma firm Medika Natura.

GALLERY: The 10 most-read APAC health and nutrition stories in Apr 2024

07-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

From Japan's Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's red yeast rice supplement scandal to Unilever's hydration brand Liquid I.V. making its way into more markets, including China and Australia, here are the most-read stories on NutraIngredients-Asia...

Ginseng, brahmi, coffee fruit extract could improve mood, working memory – USANA-funded trial

07-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

A supplement formulated with American ginseng, Brahmi, and coffee fruit extract could improve mood and working memory, according to a 28-day trial funded by direct-selling company USANA.

Korean angelica-derived probiotic strain shown to be effective in reducing body fat – Kolmar-funded RCT

06-May-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

A plant-derived probiotic strain has been found to be effective in reducing body fat, and could potentially be a safer alternative for weight loss management compared to existing drugs, say Korean researchers.

AYUSH products should not claim nutraceutical value – Indian authorities

01-May-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Ayurveda and other related drugs or products are not allowed to claim nutraceutical value, the Indian authorities said.

Sweet relief: Amorepacific’s Vital Beautie adds new functional jelly product to body fat reduction range

30-Apr-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Amorepacific-owned brand Vital Beautie says that its “diet line-up” is now complete with the launch of a new jelly product that helps manage blood sugar levels for people who have difficulty controlling carbohydrate intake.

‘Mislabelling and contamination’: Almost 70% of protein products tested in India don’t meet label claims

29-Apr-2024 By Audrey Yow

India’s protein sector is beset with misleading labels and there is also a worrying level toxin and heavy metal contamination, according to a new study, with calls being made for tighter regulatory oversight.

Don’t miss out: Register for our Healthy Ageing APAC webinar to gain insights from major industry players

26-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

You can gain exclusive insights on healthy ageing from leading nutraceutical players, including H&H Group, Himalaya Wellness, Senescence and more in NutraIngredients-Asia’s upcoming editorial webinar.

Third pathway: Malaysia’s new ‘modern claims’ system could drive more clinical research and business

22-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

The introduction of a new ‘modern claims’ system in Malaysia has been welcomed by industry players as it could drive more clinical research, expand new product options for consumers, and open local and international market opportunities.

Mānuka honey helps reduce functional dyspepsia symptoms – Comvita study

22-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

The supplementation of mānuka honey has been shown to reduce symptoms of functional dyspepsia, New Zealand-based mānuka honey maker Comvita announced.

Behind the Big Story

WATCH: Japanese firms pursuing overseas expansion via M&A – the case of Rohto and Eu Yan Sang

17-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Japanese companies are actively seeking overseas expansion through mergers and acquisitions, as seen in Rohto’s and Mitsui’s acquisition of Eu Yan Sang recently.

Supplier news: Spotlight on Sami-Sabinsa, PhytoGaia, Synbio Tech, Kaneka

12-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

In this round-up, we look at some of the latest updates and insights from functional ingredients suppliers, including leadership changes at Sami-Sabinsa, PhytoGaia’s plans for a trial that examines multi-carotenoids’ benefits for weight management, Synbio...

Beyond NMN: New longevity supplement brand makes its debut in Singapore

08-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Elivity, a new longevity supplement brand, has made its debut in Singapore and it aims to move Asia’s understanding of the category beyond the use of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).

Trend tracker: A closer look at nutra markets across Vietnam, India, and South Korea

05-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Here is the round-up of the latest nutraceutical trends in Asia-Pacific, including exclusive analysis in Vietnam and India market trends, and how South Korea is seeing a fast growth for its functional probiotics market.

VitamINSIGHTS

Vietnam nutra market: Bone, cognition health trending, with botanicals and traditional formats popular – Exclusive insights

03-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Bone and cognitive health needs are cited as the trending nutraceutical categories in Vietnam, but companies should keep in mind how the market is still heavily rooted in herbal formulations with a preference for basic dosage formats, despite its rapid...

GALLERY: The 10 most-read APAC health and nutrition stories in March 2024

02-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

From NMN supplements quality to new launches from Nestle China, Meiji, and FY23 results of Haleon and Bayer, here are the most-read stories on NutraIngredients-Asia in March 2024.