Food & Beverage Trailblazers William Reed Business Media

Singapore cultivated seafood firm Umami Bioworks believes that strategic mergers are crucial to overcome doubts about the sector and achieve buy-in from major brands which can help the category scale-up.

Focusing on flexitarians and doubling down on the perceived health benefits of consuming less meat and dairy is the best way for APAC’s sluggish plant-based sector to secure significant growth.

The APAC tea sector need to focus on functionality and format innovation and not just increasing blend varieties if it is to enjoy sustained growth, according to Sri Lanka and Europe-based tea specialist English Tea Shop.

Singapore-based plant-based products firm Thoughtful Food believes that the sector needs to look more closely at dry and ambient innovation as a key driver, particularly for brands seeking to solve ultra-processing challenges or go more clean label.

Affordability is emerging as the main driving factor for insect-based foods in the APAC region, possibly even more significant than its often-lauded protein or sustainability factors.

The cultivated meat industry in APAC needs to focus on localisation and realistic pricing strategies to avoid repeating past alternative protein ‘pitfalls’, says pioneer Aleph Farms.