Month: October 2019

Indoor farming หรือสวนผักในอาคารกำลังเกิดขึ้นมากมายในหลายประเทศ โดยเริ่มต้นจากเป็นแหล่งวัตถุดิบพืชผักที่มีอายุการเก็บเกี่ยวไม่ยาวนานสำหรับบริโภคในชุมชน และขยายผลจนสร้างรายได้ให้ประเทศ หรืออาจกลายเป็นทางออกสำหรับการจัดการด้านซัพพลายเชนอาหารของในบางประเทศเช่นกัน

 

สำหรับประเทศที่มีลักษณะภูมิประเทศเป็นทะเลทรายอย่างสหรัฐอาหรับเอมิเรตส์นั้นต้องเผชิญกับความท้าทายของสภาพภูมิอากาศร้อนและไม่ค่อยมีฝนตก จึงไม่ค่อยเอื้ออำนวยให้ประเทศนี้เป็นแหล่งวัตถุดิบอาหารเท่าใดนัก แถมยังพึ่งพาการนำเข้าอาหารจากต่างประเทศเป็นส่วนมากด้วย นครใหญ่สุดของสหรัฐอาหรับเอมิเรตส์อย่างดูไบแม้เป็นเมืองที่เฟื่องฟูด้วยเศรษฐกิจและการลงทุน แต่ร้อยละ 80 ของสินค้าอาหารนั้นนำเข้าจากต่างประเทศ อย่างไรก็ตาม เพื่อเป็นแนวทางหนึ่งที่ช่วยลดการพึ่งพาการนำเข้าอาหารของดูไบ การนำเทคโนโลยีการเกษตรแบบ Indoor farming มาใช้จึงกลายเป็นทางออกที่กำลังน่าจับตามองของเมืองนี้เพื่อให้สามารถผลิตอาหารบางส่วนได้เอง และกระจายต่อไปยังเชนร้านอาหารได้อย่างสะดวกและรวดเร็วขึ้น

Indoor farming…ทำได้จริงหรือ?

Indoor farming หรือการทำสวนผักในอาคารมักออกแบบให้เป็นสวนระบบปิดที่ควบคุมความชื้น อุณหภูมิ การให้น้ำ แสง และสภาพภูมิอากาศให้สามารถปลูกพืชผักได้มากมายหลายชนิด ไม่ว่าจะเป็นผักใบเขียว ผักสลัดหลากหลายชนิดไปจนถึงเห็ดและมะเขือเทศ โดยอาศัยวัสดุเก่าเหลือทิ้ง เช่น กล่องส่งของ หรือเครื่องบดเก่ามาเป็นภาชนะสำหรับปลูก มีทั้งแบบในอาคารหรือใช้พื้นที่ที่แต่ก่อนไม่เคยใช้ประโยชน์อย่างดาดฟ้าบนอาคารเป็นที่ตั้งเรือนเพาะปลูก เป็นต้น ส่วนผลผลิตที่ได้นั้นก็สามารถเก็บเกี่ยวแล้วนำไปใช้ในชุมชน ร้านอาหาร หรือส่งขายไปยังชุมชนใกล้ๆ ได้ในระยะเวลาสั้นๆ และมีผลผลิตที่แน่นอนตลอดทั้งปีด้วย นอกจากนี้ การทำ Indoor farming ยังมีข้อดีคือ ไม่มีตัวแปรสำคัญทางสภาพอากาศที่แปรปรวนหรือภาวะโลกร้อน อีกทั้งยังไม่จำเป็นต้องใช้สารกำจัดศัตรูพืชหรือสารเคมีกำจัดวัชพืช ในบางกรณีไม่จำเป็นต้องใช้ดินสำหรับเพาะปลูกด้วยซ้ำไป

ปัจจุบัน กลุ่มธุรกิจที่ให้บริการด้าน Indoor farming เป็นธุรกิจสนับสนุนที่มีบทบาทสำคัญ ไม่ว่าจะเป็นผู้ให้บริการระบบแสง ระบบการให้น้ำ ระบบปรับสภาวะอากาศ ไปจนถึงระบบควบคุมแบบอัตโนมัติและเซ็นเซอร์ต่างๆ โดยในตลาดโลกผู้ที่ให้บริการในธุรกิจดังกล่าวส่วนใหญ่เป็นผู้ประกอบการในสหรัฐอเมริกา ออสเตรเลีย แคนาดา และในแถบยุโรป เช่น เนเธอร์แลนด์ ฝรั่งเศส และเยอรมนี โดยมีปัจจัยขับเคลื่อนการพัฒนาเทคโนโลยีของประเทศเหล่านี้จากข้อจำกัดด้านภูมิอากาศที่หนาวเย็น ไม่เหมาะสมในการเพาะปลูกผักและผลไม้บางชนิด รวมถึงระยะทางการขนส่งผักและผลไม้จากแหล่งเพาะปลูกไปยังร้านค้าที่มีระยะไกล ก่อให้เกิดการเน่าเสียของผักและผลไม้ระหว่างการขนส่ง ส่งผลให้เกิดการมุ่งพัฒนาระบบการเพาะปลูกพืชที่สามารถเพาะปลูกที่ใดก็ได้เพื่อแก้ปัญหาดังกล่าว

 

อ้างอิง:

www.cnbc.com/2019/10/02/high-tech-indoor-farming-seen-as-key-to-fixing-dubais-food-supply.html

www.fastcompany.com/40420610/has-this-silicon-valley-startup-finally-nailed-the-indoor-farming-model

Economic Intelligence Center (EIC) ธนาคารไทยพาณิชย์ จำกัด (มหาชน)

There is no arguing that Europeans love their chocolate: on average three-quarters of consumers include chocolate in a typical grocery basket, while per capita consumption rates are among the highest in the world, with annual intakes of 10kg or more in six of the West European nations.

A new report from Innova Market Insights highlights the growing sophistication of many of Europe’s chocolate shoppers, with a push towards premium and indulgent products clearly reflected in new product development (NPD). For example, activity in chocolate blocks continues to grow and they represented 45% of the region’s launches in 2018, while wrapped chocolates showed fastest growth in launch numbers between 2014 and 2018. At the same time, NPD in more everyday chocolate bars or countlines has been sliding.

Premiumization of the market is further indicated by growing use of dark chocolate, which increased its penetration from 25% to 35% of launches between 2014 and 2018, while there was a comparative drop in milk chocolate products, down from 71% to 59%.

But it is no longer the case that innovators are restricted to simple milk, dark or white chocolate types. ‘Limits in chocolate development are being broken down,’ reports Lu Ann Williams, Head of Innovation at Innova Market Insights. ‘Ruby chocolate has emerged as an entirely new concept within chocolate formulation, while darkmilk choices are also hitting the shelves, offering a halfway point between rich dark and smooth milk recipes.’

Meanwhile, Barry Callebaut – creator of ruby chocolate in 2018 – has followed up with the introduction of WholeFruit chocolate, which it claims is the first to use the entire cacao fruit, rather than just the beans. This results in a fruitier flavor and will also appeal to eco conscious customers as it reduces waste. The US will see the first use of WholeFruit chocolate but as soon as European approvals are achieved, the region’s ‘chocoisseurs’ will certainly be ready for it.

 

Source: www.innovamarketinsights.com/european-innovators-target-the-chocoisseurs/

Nestle is launching what it describes as luxury, hand-crafted KitKats in the U.K. market, with the custom-made chocolate bars set to cost up to 14 pounds ($17.40) each.

The range, which will be sold at the “KitKat Chocolatory,” includes several special edition flavors, including gin and tonic, cherry bakewell and earl grey, which will cost £7.50 each.

Customers will also be able to create their own bespoke candy bars for as much as £14, with almost 1,500 flavor combinations on offer. Custom-made “Create Your Break” KitKats will be eight-finger bars, which will offer a choice of milk, white, dark or ruby chocolate and three ingredients, such as salted caramel chunks and rose petals.

 

A standard four-finger bar retails in U.K. shops for around sixty pence.

Every KitKat sold in the “Chocolatory” will be individually made, with customizable packaging that will let customers have personalized names and messages printed on the front of the packs.

The premium KitKats will go on sale at 30 John Lewis department stores and the Chocolate Story in the city of York later this week, with the online store due to be rolled out in November.

KitKat’s Chocolatory already has an international presence, with a boutique store in Melbourne, Australia, and several stores in Japan.

The KitKat candy bar is licensed under Hershey in the United States. Prior to being bought out by Nestle it was launched in September 1935 by the U.K. firm Rowntree.

 

Source: www.cnbc.com/2019/09/23/luxury-bespoke-kitkat-candy-bar-to-be-sold-in-the-uk.html

There is an old saying that “Time is Money”. For the manufacturers and bottlers of PET containers, this means optimizing PET production performance and organizing high-quality output. To stay competitive, processing plants must be continually improved.

Krones AG is a German packaging and bottling machine manufacturer. It is the world’s leading manufacturer of lines for filling beverages in plastic and glass bottles or beverage cans. The company manufactures stretch blow-molding machines for producing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, plus fillers, labellers, bottle washers, pasteurisers, inspectors, packers and palletisers. Krones product portfolio is complemented by material flow systems and process technology for producing beverages, plus syrup kitchens, for clients like breweries, dairies and soft-drink companies.

Understanding that Krones is essentially part of customers’ “production line” is what drives us to prepare and develop technical guidance through a collection of PET process  data. The purpose is to provide timely customer service and deliver customized solution at a minimal cost. For us, each customer is a person with diverse needs and requirements, and is treated as a partner – efficiently, reliably and honestly.

As the Head of PET Processing Asia/Pacific at Krones, Axel is responsible for building a team of PET Process specialists in the region. The team provides direct service point for bottle optimization, proposal design, light-weighting tests and troubleshooting.  Axel also develops energy saving approach for customers. Prior to Krones, he was involved in PET packaging and processing for biggest players in the market.  He has a proven professional track record with over 20 years experience improving overall bottle quality on biggest production lines as well as weight reducing of existing bottle for famous beverage brands. His passion is about the future of PET development and sustainability through innovations and technology that Krones is consistently improving.

The sports nutrition market is going through a major transformation, muscling its way out of its athlete-focused niche into the mainstream. Here, we highlight three trends emerging in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

 

Europe: Further Explore Plant-powered Sports Nutrition

The Mintel Trend ‘Power to the Plants’ outlines how the desire for healthier and sustainable lifestyles is motivating consumers to adopt a more plant-based diet. In response, more manufacturers are basing their formulations around plant ingredients such as nuts, seeds, grains and botanicals. This trend has made a great impact on mainstream food and drink, including sports/performance nutrition. According to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), in the 12 months to July 2019, 14% of total European launches in sports/performance and nutrition featured a vegan/no animal ingredients claim, a five percentage point increase since 2014.

Although plant-based formulations have seen a rise in public profile, brands must work hard to promote the benefits of plant-derived proteins to consumers. This will help plant-based sports nutrition products (eg pea protein) to more effectively compete with those featuring animal-based protein content.

PowerBar Natural Protein Banana and Chocolate Flavoured Sports Bar with Protein is made with high-quality and natural plant ingredients, including peanuts, protein, banana and dark chocolate pieces (Spain).

Fitness Boutique Apple Flavoured Pre-Workout Mix is made with 100% natural and functional ingredients such as guarana, green tea and ginseng. It is ideal to consume before a workout (France).

Fit Taste Herb Flavoured Protein Bites are made of pea protein, and are said to be an ideal savoury and healthy snack when on the go (Germany).

 

Asia: Communicate the health benefits of vitamins

Although the sports nutrition category in South East Asia remains small compared with other global regions, local brands have an opportunity to capitalise on the generally positive attitudes to fitness and active lifestyles which people have. For example, half of Chinese consumers consider themselves to be a “sports/exercise lover”, according to Mintel research on sports nutrition. This stems from a growing awareness around the importance of exercising and its impact on physical and mental health. Hence, sports nutrition brands can stay optimistic with regards to the future of the market, as it presents lucrative opportunities.

Vitamins are the most sought-after attribute consumers look for in sports/performance nutrition. However, there’s an opportunity to familiarise consumers with the health benefits of vitamins, presenting further opportunities for educational on-pack messaging.

Calbee Granola+ Nut Granola with Protein contains black beans, green soybeans, chocolate crunch, almonds and pumpkin seeds. It provides one third of the recommended daily amount of six vitamins, including fortified vitamin B6 for converting protein into energy and maintaining a healthy skin. It is suitable as a post-workout snack (Japan).

Suspo Sports Drink contains the nutrient HMB-Ca, which claims to help promote muscle synthesis and reduce muscle breakdown. It also contains citric acid which reduces lactic acid production, and taurine which replenishes energy (China).

 

Americas: ‘Clean’ recipes are in demand

Mintel Trend ‘Bannedwagon’ outlines how consumers are increasingly focused on product labels and ingredients, as part of the rising clean eating trend. The sports and performance nutrition category is under the microscope owing to concerns about artificial ingredients. This can prompt a stronger innovation focus towards cleaner labels, achieved by formulating with natural, unprocessed ingredients. That a majority of US adults aged 18-54 consider performance drinks to be too high in artificial ingredients reflects the need to eliminate such ingredients and focus on committing to cleaner labels.

Aloha Organic Chocolate Sea Salt Protein Drink is made of plant-based protein including peas and brown rice. It contains 6% juice, 18g of protein, 5g of sugar, MCT oil, prebiotics to improve gut health and electrolytes to replenish (US).

PaleoEthics Surge Pre-Workout Beverage is said to provide ‘clean energy and focus without crash, nervousness or jitters’ thanks to the use of ‘real’ whole food ingredients, such as bee pollen, cranberry and green tea. It’s also vegan, paleo-friendly and free from additives and fillers (Canada).

KIND’s High Protein From Real Food Peanut Butter Bar is a creamy and crunchy protein snack said to be made with real, whole ingredients. It is free from GMOs, artificial flavours, sweeteners and gluten.

 

By: Amrin Walji

Amrin is a Senior Innovation Analyst who specialises in analysing trends driving product innovation and development across the food and drink industry.

Source: 

www.mintel.com/blog/food-market-news/look-out-for-these-3-trends-in-sports-nutrition?utm_campaign=10918344_Mintel%20newsletter%20-%20Global%20-%2026%2F09%2F2019&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotm&dm_i=2174,6I0NC,PFFSFX,PT1IA,1

The inclination for convenient food is also a rising trend in Asia – 91% of Asians have snacking habits and 24% are snacking daily. While snacking is enjoyable and convenient, many of the products available come with unhealthy nutritional profiles. Though a growing number of Asians are conscious of their food choices, the significant volume and variety of salty and sweet snacks represents a great temptation.

According to Mintel Global New Products Database, Asia is home to four out of five of the world’s top innovators in salty snacks, accounting for 11% of the world’s salty snack products launches in 2018.

The good news is advancements in food manufacturing today means people can still enjoy their favourite snacks without feeling guilty and having to compromise on taste and texture. In fact, if done right, these convenient foods can play a huge part in a healthy lifestyle.

 

Guilt-free Snacking

Food manufacturers can play a role in educating and providing consumers with alternative snacks that are packed with nutrients.

For instance, food ingredients naturally derived from plants such as the chicory root fibres inulin and oligofructose help achieve the amount of daily fibre intake a person needs while providing a prebiotic effect which promotes good digestive health. In addition, they can help to reduce the sugar in final products significantly. With a mildly sweet taste, reduced calories and good solubility, these fibres can be easily applied in various food applications like cereals, baked goods, confectionary, and dairy products.

Additionally, inulin can act as a fat replacer, as it helps to stabilise water into a creamy structure and can thus be easily incorporated into moist or semi-moist food. Whilst reducing sugar and fat, BENEO’s chicory root fibres can also help consumers to eat less naturally.

The global beverage company Coca-Cola, for example, has introduced a good initiative in 2018 to address the lack of dietary fibre among the Chinese population by developing beverages with added fibre, which satisfies about 30% of the daily fibre requirements for a Chinese adult. Fans of Coke can now enjoy a sugar-free drink that is supplemented with fibre.

In another example, to create a healthier chocolate snack, the leading food and beverage company Nestle developed a technique to turn the white pulp that covers cocoa beans into a natural sweetener. Using this technique, the resulting chocolate bar has 40% less sugar as compared to similar bars.

One solution is to reformulate snacks with a healthier sugar from nature like Palatinose^TM (isomaltulose), which is a slowly yet fully digestible carbohydrate. Derived from the sugar beet, it has a molecular structure like sucrose but with a stronger linkage between its molecules. Since the body breaks it down 4 times slower than sucrose, it is considered low glycaemic and does not cause huge fluctuations in blood sugar levels but still provides the full carbohydrate energy. This makes it an ideal alternative sweetener for consumers concerned about their blood sugar or energy levels.

With global snacks sales recording an average of US$160,000m in revenue, there is an immense opportunity for food manufacturers to jump on the bandwagon and add healthier alternatives to their food products. Natural and functional ingredients such as chicory root fibres and Palatinose™ can help manufacturers create tasty and healthy snack products to support consumers in their efforts to maintain a balanced diet.

 

By: Christian Philippsen, Managing Director, BENEO, Asia Pacific

Reference:

hk.yougov.com/en-hk/news/2015/04/29/asian-snacking-habit/

mintel.com/press-centre/food-and-drink/snackings-heavy-hitters-china-india-indonesia-and-japan-among-the-worlds-top-five-salty-snacks-innovators

statista.com/outlook/40110000/100/snack-food/worldwide

International Spice Conference – World’s Leading Knowledge Dissemination Platform for the Global Spice Fraternity

 

In a world with challenging food safety standards and rapidly evolving industrial environment, addressing the concerns and imbalances of the industry by its stakeholders is imperative. Ensuring sustainability of crops and improving the livelihood of the farmers are also collective responsibilities. It is in this context that All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF)  launched the International Spice Conference, a platform for all stakeholders of the global spice industry—business houses, spice organisations, policymakers, farmers and end-users—to address their issues and interact with each other.

Today ISC has grown to become the world’s leading knowledge dissemination and unifying platform for the global spice fraternity. The four successful editions of the conference have created a positive impact on the industry and its stakeholders. The conference has had representation from 50 nationalities, consisting of 900 delegates, 60 exhibitors, and 50 speakers.

The 5th edition of the International Spice Conference (ISC), will be held from March 8^th to March 11^th, 2020 in Kochi, Kerala, India at Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty.

Every year ISC presents different themes and this year, the theme for ISC 2020 is Beyond Tradition: Shaping a New Spice World. ISC 2020 will address the need to look at futuristic approaches and innovative applications of spices for contemporary experiences in cuisines, health, and nutrition. The conference will highlight the direct impact on the consumers and industry and also covers the quality issues in the spice sector and appropriate solutions. Sessions on crops and markets with audiovisual presentations are an integral part of the conference.

ISC 2020, for the first time, is holding pre-scheduled buyer-seller meets, opening new avenues of global opportunities for every business.

You can register and become a part of ISC 2020 through our website: https://internationalspiceconference.com

Two-thirds of Americans now admit to buying meat alternatives, according to consumer research conducted by Innova Market Insights. While only 22% purchase from the category on rare occasions, as many as 10% say that they always buy meat alternatives, while a further 36% claim to do so often or sometimes.

The percentage of occasional meat purchasers represents the flexitarians who are choosing to cut down on their meat intake in favor of a healthier lifestyle. Ethical and environmental concerns are also increasingly influential in this decision-making process and this adds a new consideration to the marketing of meat alternatives. Lu Ann Williams, Director of Innovation at Innova Market Insights, suggests that, “Meat substitutes should now carry the right messages for both healthful and mindful customers, with plant-based diets emerging as the epitome of guilt free eating.”

Innovators in this market have certainly recognized the rise of veganism – particularly within younger age groups – and almost three-quarters of new meat substitutes launched in the US in 2018 carried vegan claims. But the need to balance this with flexitarian demands is clear: in earlier research conducted in 2017, only 14% of meat alternatives purchasers named vegetarian/vegan positioning as a factor influencing their purchasing decision, with higher levels of interest in simpler claims related to naturally healthy formulation.

As far as flexitarians are concerned, there have even been moves to develop hybrid products that combine meat properties with vegetables, while some alternatives even “bleed” or sizzle in order to emulate meat, ideas that would dismay many vegans. With such diverse attitudes in the customer base and no “one size fits all” solution, delivering choice is very much the name of the game.

 

Source: innovamarketinsights.com/more-americans-buy-meat-alternatives/

Growing international profile;

more than 19,000 visitors from 62 countries, with international visitors making up 30 percent

Stellar line-up of 325 international exhibiting companies

and brands from 30 countries and regions

Breaking records and exceeding expectations yet again is the 7^th edition of PACK PRINT INTERNATIONAL held at BITEC, Bangkok last month. Closing to resounding success, the biennially-staged International Packaging and Printing Exhibition for Asia welcomed over 19,000 packaging and printing trade visitors from 62 countries, representing a near 15 percent increase from 2017 and clocking in a high 30 percent of overseas visitorship.

Top five visitor markets registered from abroad were India, Singapore, Malaysia, China, and Vietnam. Similar upward trend was seen on the exhibitor’s front, where an almost 10% increase in participation was recorded. This brought to the bustling show floor future ready innovations and solutions by 325 companies and brands from 30 countries, including some of the best local players as well as national pavilions from Germany, China, Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan.

Proving its relevance and appeal as the region’s premier sourcing event for machine distributors, packaging and printing service providers, licensing manufacturers and finished goods producers, the exhibition also received growing interest from international visiting delegations from the Korea Packaging Association, Myanmar Paper & Pulp Association, Myanmar Printers and Publishers Association, several others from Japan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, as well as more than 40 local printing and packaging visiting groups from leading FMCG companies. Alongside these was an extended visitor profile that covered a wide range of industries and application areas, including print and packaging houses and converters, marketing, publishing and media sectors, vertical markets and those in the future technologies industry.

   

Exhibition Sales Success: A Proven Business Promotion Platform   
A joint collaboration by The Thai Packaging Association, The Thai Printing Association and Messe Düsseldorf Asia since 2007, the success trajectory of PACK PRINT INTERNATIONAL as an exhibition for the industry, by the industry was hard to miss.

Exemplifying this point this year were numerous first-time product launches by global brands at the exhibition. First up was the worldwide launch of the offset press Speedmaster CX 75 by Heidelberg and Masterwork. A German-made machine for commercial, label and packaging printing packed with optimisations in the feeder, delivery and colour configuration, the multi-talent press was sold by day two of the exhibition along with all the machines that were on show at Heidelberg’s booth.

Next was Canon’s Southeast Asia Premiere of its Océ Colorado 1650, a 64-inch production graphics printer featuring two innovations in the form of a new flexible ink, and Océ FLXfinish technology. To which, three units were sold by the end of the first day of the exhibition, with many more potentials in the pipeline.

“Southeast Asia is one of our biggest markets specifically Thailand, this is why we chose to launch our premier machine, the Océ Colorado 1650 here in Bangkok at PACK PRINT INTERNATIONAL 2019. The show has been really well-attended and a lot of people have been at our booth. We have also signed on several new customers for the Océ Colorado 1650. Great success has been achieved so there is no reason for us not to be back in 2021.”

– Mr. Steve Ford, Managing Director, Production Printing, Océ – Asia

In enhancing the capabilities of its print technology, HP opted to present its end-to-end web-to-print solutions at the exhibition. Some of these highlights included the debut of the HP Indigo 7000 sheet-fed digital offset colour press to the Thai market and the inaugural HP Digital Print Pavilion featuring real-life customer testimonials, case studies and the diverse applications of HP’s Indigo technology.

For Japanese brand, OKI, they presented their newly launched label printers – the Pro1040 and Pro1050 – the world’s first, small single-cut label specialised printers. Other packaging and printing heavyweights on show included; Koenig & Bauer, Konica Minolta, Riso, Fujifilm, Ricoh, Bobst, KURZ, Zund, Fuji Xerox, SCG Packaging, Sansin, Selic Corp, PMC Label Materials, and more.

“This is one of the largest packaging and printing exhibitions in the region and has a very strong international following. We have been able to meet with quality customers from Philippines, Myanmar and the surrounding region – so it has served to be a good meeting point and participation for us.”

– Mr T Masahiko, OKI Data (Singapore) Pte Ltd       

This optimistic sentiment and economic confidence in the domestic and regional markets was also echoed by Mr Gernot Ringling, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf Asia; “Sales and business promotion activities remain at the heart of a trade exhibition and we are delighted that many successful business dealings and collaborations were formed right on the spot at PACK PRINT INTERNATIONAL 2019. The energy and dynamism across all four show days coupled with the healthy increase in visitor numbers, particularly from those overseas, reinforces the exhibition’s draw as a focal point for suppliers and buyers to gain prospects and quality leads, as well as to make business connections and inroads into Thailand and the regional marketplace.”

   

Forward-looking Exhibition and Knowledge-driven Programme        
Driven by the confluence of disruptive digital technologies and the evolving momentum of Thailand 4.0, the rich menu of exhibition highlights were pervaded by thematic zones such as the return of the successful One Stop Pack & Print Pavilion which served as a hub for trade professionals to reach out to member companies and packaging users and get free professional advice, a Labelling Zone that covered advanced end-use packaging applications to a wider spectrum of label printing, a Prototype showcase, and displays of product packaging designs by students of Toyota Art Camp University and winning entries of the AsiaStar 2019 Awards.

As a knowledge-building platform for the packaging and printing sectors, more than 1,500 delegates attended over 50 industry-focused concurrent events spearheaded by 35 industry experts; these included: the ASEAN Printing and Packaging Conference held in conjunction with the ASEAN Printing Forum 2019, an Asian packaging seminar on sustainable packaging for the circular economy by the Asian Packaging Federation, a Food & Beverage Packaging conference, the 2019 Asian Print Awards, a workshop on professional product photography by Photo Business Association, Thailand, as well as free-to-attend technical presentations by exhibitors.

PACK PRINT INTERNATIONAL is modelled after the sectors’ leading trade fairs, drupa and interpack, by the Messe Düsseldorf Group in Germany. Validating its success, a host of companies have already signed up and confirmed their participation for PACK PRINT INTERNATIONAL 2021 which will be held from 22 to 25 September at BITEC, Bangkok. For more information, visit www.pack-print.de or follow our Facebook page ‘PackPrintInternational’.

As EMEA Research Manager, Chris oversees the Food & Drink Analysts in Europe, while focusing on the latest innovation, market shifts and trends in the bakery category.

Food and drink innovation in 2019 continues to be driven by unexpected crossovers and dietary requirements, delivering a sense of ‘familiar novelty’ that is both reassuring and exciting. From vegan alternatives to honey, to collagen-enriched gin, we highlight 9 innovative food and drink products launched recently in the UK – using Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD).

Marmite Crunchy Peanut Butter

Marmite, the well-known (and famously divisive!) yeast extract, is giving British consumers a new flavour experience this year. Inspired by a spike in customers posting pictures on social media of Marmite mixed with peanut butter, Unilever has launched a crunchy Marmite-flavoured peanut butter. This vegetarian spread is fortified with B vitamins and contains no palm oil or added sugar.

Coca-Cola Energy

This launch is part of Coca-Cola’s plan to be a “total beverage company”. Coca-Cola has long wanted to extend into the energy drinks sector as it keeps investing in growing drinks categories that enable it to offer consumers a wider range of products. Coca-Cola Energy contains caffeine from natural sources, guarana extract and vitamins B3 and B6 – and it’s available in regular and sugar-free variants. The absence of taurine is a point of difference with Monster and Red Bull beverages.

Lazy Vegan Provençale Veggies & Chunky Pulled Peaz

We’ve seen pea protein emerge as an animal protein alternative in the last few years, but it usually functioned as an ingredient in the background – part of what makes up the formulation, but not easily distinguishable by consumers. This convenient vegan ready meal casts peas in a completely new way, as a base ingredient with a texture similar to pulled pork or chicken. The ‘pulled peaz’ consist of pea protein, pea fiber, potato starch and seasonings.

Marks & Spencer Lemon, Gin & Tonic Sauce

Spirit flavors continue to expand into additional categories; here we see gin in a sauce that is intended as a dessert topping. This product is part of the UK retailer’s Tastes of the British Isles line, which focuses on traditional British flavors and product formats. The sauce is a traditional lemon curd, but with gin and tonic added. Alcohol-flavored sauces are a relatively unexplored innovation. Sauces with the addition of real spirits could have appeal for consumers who are increasingly interested in unique or signature cocktails, including the 38% of UK consumers who purchased any white spirits (including gin) in the last three months.

Young in Spirit’s Collagin Rose Gin with Collagen

This unique recipe has stayed true to the principles of a classic gin, with rose oil steam distilled from rose petals. It hosts 11 botanicals including pink grapefruit and orris, with the innovative addition of pure collagen. In Japan and other Asian countries, collagen has been used as an ingredient in foods and beverages for many years, touted for its supposed positive effects on skin health. In Western regions, it has now started to appear in the juice category, but it’s still rare to spot collagen-enhanced spirits. The result is a smooth, velvety gin with floral notes, finished with a subtle rose sweetness.

Other Foods Crunchy Oyster Mushroom Chips

Mushroom snacks are on the rise globally. Beyond their savoury, meaty and umami flavour, mushrooms are being positioned as functional ingredients to help boost immunity and energy, with some species of mushroom, such as reishi, known for their adaptogenic properties. This vegan-friendly snack is made with oyster mushrooms, which have been freeze dried and cooked at a low temperature, with just a pinch of Himalayan salt added. It is high in fibre and counts as one of the recommended five a day portions of fruit and vegetables. It is also said to be good for the gut.

Bol Bang Bang Sweet Potato Katsu Curry

Consumers are warming up to the idea of wonky/ugly produce, to avoid wasting fruit and vegetables that do not meet the strict specifications often enforced for top-grade retail products. A rare example of this message being trumpeted in the prepared meal space comes from UK-based Bol. A logo on the back of its vegan meals states they are “proudly made with wonky veg”. The website goes further, explaining that they use 100% wonky carrots and peppers, and are looking for other ways to expand wonky veg use.

Bee Approved Vegan Organic Alternative to Honey

This vegan-friendly honey alternative is made from organic brown rice. It contains no artificial colours or flavours, gluten or preservatives and claims to taste like bee honey. Honey alternatives can benefit from the popularity of plant-based eating and the migration of health-minded and environmentally conscious consumers towards vegan products. In addition, it represents a safe option for babies (eaten in moderation), as traditional bee honey is not recommended for children under one year of age.

Troo Pure Inulin Fibre Syrup

Also worthy of an honourable mention, this is another honey alternative that’s said to support a healthy digestive system by feeding friendly gut bacteria, contributing to physical, mental health and wellbeing while also helping to manage blood sugar levels. Packed with 65% fibre, it has a delicate sweetness providing no aftertaste and has no added sugar.

 

By: Chris Brockman

Source: mintel.com