Indonesian regulators didn’t have the ‘full picture’ when they slashed the permitted daily limit for omega-3 health claims earlier this year, claims the country’s trade association boss.

Studies comparing the differing anti-obesity effects of Asian and American ginseng are urgently needed, it has been claimed, not least because they are thought to have opposite medical effects in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Meat traders from India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, are on indefinite strike to protest the new Hindu nationalist state government’s forced closure of slaughterhouses and meat shops.

Halal is no longer the sole domain of Muslims, and is instead “a new culture many countries are keen to embrace” as they seek healthier and more sustainable food supplies.

China’s food regulator has acknowledged that it still faces severe challenges in maintaining food safety, even though it has seen improvements in recent years.

Chinese police recently seized 300,000 counterfeit chocolate pieces during the 2017 Lunar New Year worth around 700 RMB ($102) per box, after a wedding candy store owner received complaints from local consumers.

Southeast Asia’s food and drink market will be dominated by four trends this year, according to Mintel.

Comprising hydrocolloids, protein and starch, the food thickeners market is expected to reach US$15.8 billion by 2022, reports Markets and Markets.

Crickets could become a functional protein ingredient to rival casein and whey in nutritional beverages and sports drinks, researchers suggest.

Medical cannabis has gained traction in recent years along the same timeframe that health food trends have sky rocketed. Marijuana is slowly taking its rightful place in the ranks as not only an extremely effective medication, but as a healthy food product as well.