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.

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.

The rise of new ingredients and innovations in the better-for-you confectionery space is shifting candies and other sweet treats into a guilt-free indulgence space, and has to the potential to progress further into the functional foods realm.

The rise of new ingredients and innovations in the better-for-you confectionery space is shifting candies and other sweet treats into a guilt-free indulgence space, and has to the potential to progress further into the functional foods realm.

The interest in cleaner and better-for-you snacks shown by big food and beverage brands, including Mondelez, Nestle and Vitasoy, is paving the way for a new specialised area of plant-based proteins to enter the market, namely the RuBisCo leaf protein.

The interest in cleaner and better-for-you snacks shown by big food and beverage brands, including Mondelez, Nestle and Vitasoy, is paving the way for a new specialised area of plant-based proteins to enter the market, namely the RuBisCo leaf protein.

Ensuring that brand focus is maintained after joining a larger company is crucial to sustain and boost growth, according to sugar replacement start-up Swiftlet which has become part of Vietnamese conglomerate Senix Health Group.

Increased consumer demand for premiumisation and alternative protein products, as well as inflation-driven price hikes, are driving the need for technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) in traditional ‘commodities’ that have so far not been exposed to such advances.

Flavour localisation is a crucial strategy for healthy snacking brands to win over Asian consumers’ ‘sophisticated tastebuds’, according to Vietnam’s Lecka, which is rapidly expanding across the region.

Sesame’s nutritional and sustainable properties could make it Asia’s best option for traditional milk replacement, despite it being a relative newcomer in region’s plant-based dairy alternative space, claims a Thai firm seeking to pioneer the sector.