Changes related to COVID-19, dairy and health trends feature in our roundup

From convenience to awareness: Covid-19 pandemic is causing snacking priorities to shift – experts

Snacking has gone from a convenient and comforting experience before Covid-19 to a more diet-conscious and healthier activity during the pandemic, say two market experts.

Before the pandemic, consumers viewed snacks as comfort food for convenience, according to food tech platform Ai Palette and research firm Frost and Sullivan.

Nadiah Ghazalli, APAC Consulting Analyst for Chemicals, Materials and Foods at Frost and Sullivan, said: “Before Covid-19, snacking satiated us between meals and was also a meal replacement for busy professionals​.”

“The pandemic has revealed how important nutrition is for the body, especially when it comes to the immune system. People are more aware of the type of food they eat.”​

China’s Milk Momentum: Growing Awareness Attributed to Public Belief in Immunity Benefits​

Local acceptance of milk and dairy products in China has exploded over the past year, driven by some 96% of the population believing that consuming dairy products can help improve immunity.

These results were announced as part of the 2020 China Dairy Quotient Report, which was launched by the China Dairy Industry Association (CDIA), the China Association for International Care Exchange and Promotion. medical and health services (CPAM) and Friesland-Campina.

Experts believe this big leap was linked to another survey finding, that 96% of the Chinese population currently believe that dairy products can confer immunity-boosting benefits, particularly via the protein lactoferrin. .

“The primary immune-boosting component here is lactoferrin, which is unique to dairy products and plays an important role in proving the immune system – a view that the public is gradually accepting,”CPAM Executive Director Chen Wei said in a live-streamed statement.

‘Best drinks for you’: How functional drinks fizz as gas and energy sectors crash

APAC’s soft drink and energy drink markets are among the largest in the world, but growing health and sugar reduction trends within the industry have dealt significant blows to both beverage categories. . In this edition of FNA Deep Dive, we take a closer look at how beverage companies are innovating to survive these changes – or risk being overtaken by new players.Asia has always been a major consumer market for beverages non-alcoholic beverages, occupying two of the top three spots for revenue generated from non-alcoholic beverage sales worldwide – Japan came second with US$51.6 billion and China third with US$37.2 billion.

The traditional energy drink market, meanwhile, has been a very dominant player in Australia, where it is considered a “lifestyle drink” for everyday consumption, as well as in China, which has seen rapid growth. in the category over the past decade.

But as consumers become more aware of health and reducing sugar in the region, these two beverage categories are facing major challenges in their traditional product offerings which primarily need to be high in sugar to to have good taste.

Healthy Opportunity: Turkey seeks to eliminate trans fats in line with WHO targets

Turkey is seeking to eliminate trans fats from its food supply with new regulations stating they cannot be more than 2g per 100g of fat.

It will apply to all food intended for the final consumer and for retail sale, including bakery, confectionery, ready meals and ice cream.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diets high in trans fats are known to increase the risk of heart disease and premature death. In Turkey, 36.6% of all deaths in Turkey were associated with cardiovascular diseases.

In an official statement, Dr Toker Ergüder, National Officer for Non-Communicable Diseases and Lifelong Health Promotion, WHO Office in Turkey, said: “To prevent premature deaths, Turkey has shown great political commitment by adopting a mandatory approach to eliminating industrially produced trans fats from the food supply. This will reduce exposure to artificial trans fats and increase the availability of healthier alternatives to reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease​.”

Grocery sales will drive 5-6% growth in Middle East food industry as restaurants slump after COVID-19

The GCC food and beverage market is expected to grow 5-6% this year, largely driven by retail sales amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Traditionally, retail accounts for around 70% of the GCC F&B market, with hotels, restaurants and cafes (HORECA) accounting for the remaining 30%. After COVID-19, Retail is expected to increase to 90%, while HORECA’s contribution is expected to drop to 10%.

That’s according to Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis of processed F&B markets in the Middle East.