Food Pacific Manufacturing Journal

AS consumers in Asia Pacific become more confident about spending, F&B manufacturers are mulling over what new concepts will work in the coming year. This competitive setting means food technologists must be ready to come up with creative concepts that will really work. As part of our annual Outlook beginning on page 14, which is meant to assist our readers determine what trends will influence purchasing decisions in the coming year, FPMJ sought insights from industry observers and players. This year, we asked our five-member panel what product concepts are expected to succeed in 2011, the flavour differentiations they expect to be on the shelves across the region, and the role the natural and organic ingredients will play in the near future. On our panel is someone who can provide market overviews and a pulse on consumer choices in the region: Sydney-based Katrina Diamonon, Asia Pacific Consumer Insight analyst for Datamonitor Group, a world-leading provider of premium global business information. The remaining members of our panel are from leading players in the functional ingredients industry are: Dr Ram Chaudhari, senior executive vice president and chief scientific officer of Fortitech, the science-based nutrient premixes and fortification ingredients company; Simone Bouman, market unit manager, Food Division, for Purac Asia Pacific, known for its extensive portfolio of natural food ingredients in the field of preservation, fortification and taste enhancement solutions; Eran Shani, regional marketing manager for Asia/Pacific, Africa and the Middle East at Solbar Industries, the specialty soy proteins and soy isoflavones specialist; and Udi Alroy, vice president Global Marketing & Sales, LycoRed, which specialises in science-based, added-value nutrients. From their insights, we hope you will be able to gain ideas and directions for new product development.