Category: Food & Beverage

USFDA recognized Antrodia cinnamomea mycelia (NDIN No.1170)

USFDA NDI notification of Antromax “Antrodia cinnamomea mycelia”

The history of Antrodia cinnamomea consumption by indigenous tribes in Taiwan dates back two hundred years ago, while people in the Western world know little about this ingredient.

The USFDA NDI acknowledgement without objection to Greenyn’s Antromax was the 1st notification after numerous attempts in the past 14 years. We are honored to establish a stepping-stone for the A. cinnamomea to the US health markets estimated at 10 billion US dollars.

Dr. Kao Shung-te (middle) of China Medical University Hospital and Dr. Houng Jer-yiing (left) of I-Shou University Medical School presented the study results of the randomized double-blind clinical trial and the bioavailability of Antromax in different dosages forms, respectively.
Antromax(R)– dripping pills, mycelia powder, emulsion powder (left to right).
Manufacturing site of Greenyn Biotechnology in Taichung
Health food of Antromax(R) in livercare in Taiwan (left) and Antromax(R) complex beverage (right).

USFDA acknowledged Antrodia cinnamomea as new dietary ingredients
On April 12th, Greenyn Biotechnology Corporation hosted a seminar – “The international development of Taiwan’s Antrodia cinnamomea and its clinical application,” and announced Antromax’s acknowledgement without objection by USFDA NDI. It was a great feat for Greenyn, and will certainly boost the morale of the Antrodia industry to devote more resources in the US market.

A. cinnamomea is an edible fungus grows on the endangered Cinnamomum kanehirae tree which is found only in Taiwan. This indigenous fungus is traditionally used to ameliorate liver disorders, hangovers, fatigue, and enhance immunity. “Ruby of Taiwan” was given to this miracle fungus.

“We are surprised that this time we have obtained the USFDA NDI No. 1170 notification without objection for Antromax for marketing in the United States,” pointed by Luo Hsuan, CEO of Greenyn. Over the past years, it was difficult to obtain such notification because A. cinnamomea is unknown to the western world; its’ safety data, eating and application history is very limited. “It is a significant milestone and a good timing for us to step into the global market. We do hope that Taiwan’s A. cinnamomea industry may take this opportunity to march into the global arena,” Luo Hsuan added.

According to Dr. Hsu Pang-kuei, the R&D director of Geeenyn, A. cinnamomea is rare and grows very slowly in the wild. For medicinal purposes, you need to wait three years until it is fully grown and it is impossible to increase production/cultivate indoor as the tree Cinnamomum kanehirae is protected under the plant conservation laws. Fortunately, with Greenyn’s solid-state fermentation technology, we are able to cultivate Antromax “A. cinnamomea mycelia” with active ingredients similar to the fully grown in just 3 months. This patented fermentation process will not only maintain the conservation of the tree, but will also lower the production cost, so the public may enjoy this natural healthy food at a reasonable price.

Clinical trials indicate Antrodia cinnamomea is effective as adjuvant treatment
During the seminar, Dr. Kao Shung-te, Attending Physician of China Medical University Hospital, shared the findings of Antromax in the clinical adjuvant treatment for hepatitis B. “Through medical trials, it is discovered that Antromax has an adjuvant treatment effect combined with the hepatitis B medicine. The liver function indexes are improved, and there are no adverse effect on the biochemical values in blood and urine.”

In addition, Dr. Houng Jer-yiing, Associate Dean of the I-Shou University Medical School, shared that the bioavailability of Antromax in different dosage forms have similar adjuvant effects – lowering liver function indexes, liver fat accumulation and alcohol-related liver injuries, as well as enhancing activities of antioxidant enzymes.

Greenyn’s facility is built to the international standards in the Central Taiwan Science Park with capacity of up-to 12 metric tons annually, which is sufficient for the global markets. Dr. Hsu says, “At present, we will focus on the US and Europe markets, and next we might start to promote in Asia such as Korea, Southeast Asian countries and Australia.” In view of the US herbal supplements market worth USD 9.6 billion, Greenyn is honored to lead Taiwan’s biotech industry to promote A. cinnamomea in the US markets. It is foreseeable that the health benefits of A. cinnamomea to the world during covid-19 will create another pride for Taiwan.

https://youtu.be/T1f84y2vzeY

Media Contact
Greenyn Biotechnology Co. Ltd.
Phone: +886-968-199-656
Contact: Nick Chen
Email: info@greenyn.com.tw
Website: http://en.greenynbio.com/index.php

NutryFarm Ventures Into Singapore’s Durian Market with Established Singapore E-Commerce Company, Ebuy

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of NutryFarm International Limited (the “Company’, and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”) wishes to announce that Global Agricapital Holdings Pte. Ltd. (“Global Agricapital”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, had on 11 May 2021 entered into a memorandum of understanding with EBuy Pte Ltd (“Ebuy”) to expand its durian business activities in Singapore (the “MOU”).

Under the MOU, Ebuy will import and distribute pre-packaged durians into Singapore from Malaysia and Thailand on behalf of Global Agricapital, and from the suppliers of Global Agricapital. Global Agricapital will ensure the consistent supply, quality and authenticity of the pre-packaged durians from its suppliers.

The parties expect to start the first shipment by 1 June 2021.

Established as an e-commerce company in Singapore since 2013, Ebuy is a leading distributor of fresh produce in Singapore, including daily fresh vegetables and fruits, to food service providers, retailers, restaurants and hotels. Ebuy has 13 refrigerated warehouses in 3 locations with 16 trucks.

Since December 2020, Nutryfarm has announced various agreements to sell a total of 1,480 containers of fresh durians from Thailand to major Chinese fruit importers. The total contract value of these agreements is estimated at approximately RMB 962.0 million as announced on 13 February 2021.

The Company would like to refer to the announcements on 28 December 2020 and 8, 18 and 29 January 2021, and 5 February 2021 (“Previous Announcements”), in respect of the wholesale trading of fruits through Global Agricapital. The affected risks involved under this MOU are substantially less than that of the contracts disclosed under the Previous Announcements, and are not anticipated to be significant.

The Company is intending to seek shareholders’ approval for a proposed diversification of the Group’s core business in view of the Group’s intention to build these capabilities. The Company has submitted the circular for SGX approval on 16 February 2021 and is intending to convene a general meeting to seek shareholders’ approval as soon as practicable.

DiMuto and OPAL Announce Agrifood Fintech Partnership to Tackle Trillion Dollar Global Trade Finance Gap

DiMuto, a global agri-fintech trade solutions company that provides end-to-end supply chain visibility for global agrifood trade, has partnered with OPAL, a Major Payment Institution (MPI) licensed by Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), to provide payment services on the blockchain-powered DiMuto Platform.

Lim Ming Wang, Co-Founder and COO of OPAL, with Gary Loh, Founder and CEO of DiMuto at the MoU Signing Ceremony

The two companies are collaborating to bring together the strengths of both companies to innovate and transform the future of payments and financing in the agrifood trade space. Working together provides an exciting opportunity to leverage OPAL’s expertise in international payment, multi-currency wallets, FX management and financing solutions alongside DiMuto’s strong network of agrifood clientele, robust trade digitalization technology and capability to collect asset-based data.

DiMuto and OPAL will develop a new first-of-its-kind payment module that will allow DiMuto’s agrifood customers to make payments directly tagged to the movement of goods on the DiMuto Platform, creating visibility of both the movement of goods and money for physical agrifood products tracked with DiMuto’s existing trade digitalization technology.

The DiMuto Payment module taps on OPAL’s expertise in servicing SMEs with payment and financing solutions. OPAL aims to be One Account for Payments and Loans (OPAL) for SMEs, by simplifying payment processes, lowering fees and providing easier access to financing. OPAL is able to facilitate safe and secure cross-border transactions in over 100 financial corridors with multi-currency accounts and competitive FX rates that are cheaper than conventional banking methods. With the new DiMuto Payment module, DiMuto’s agrifood customers will be able to conduct transactions that are in full compliance with Singapore regulations and international AML/CFT standards.

“We are excited to bring our experience in the financial, payments and technology industry to the collaboration with DiMuto. The partnership gives OPAL an opportunity to reach more small and medium businesses globally, particularly in the agrifood and perishables trade, that have not been serviced by traditional banking institutions. We look forward to helping them accelerate their growth with complex payments made easy,” said Lim Ming Wang, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of OPAL.

The digital payments collaboration establishes the first step to DiMuto’s trade financing solution for the unbanked SMEs in the agri-perishables sector that have traditionally been unable to access financing from conventional banking institutions. Despite being the largest contributors to employment and economic development, SMEs have struggled to obtain formal financing, due to factors including creditworthiness, collateral requirements, short-term liquidity, and political or currency risks. Asian Development Bank (ADB) found that over 40% of trade finance applications by SMEs are rejected and the global trade finance gap is a staggering US$1.5 trillion in 2019 and is projected by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to increase to US$3.4 trillion due to Covid-19. The exponential trade finance gap impedes the effort to reduce poverty and minimize inequality, two of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

By capturing and developing primary trade data through trade digitalization, DiMuto effectively reduces the risks associated with trade financing. With both visibility of movement of physical goods and movement of money on the DiMuto Platform, DiMuto can now further develop data-driven agrifood asset financing.

“At DiMuto, our vision is to power global agrifood trade with visibility. We have built a powerful platform that combines IoT, cloud, blockchain, and AI technology in our journey to bring visibility to global trade,” said Gary Loh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of DiMuto. “By partnering OPAL to enable direct payments on our platform, we are moving closer to this goal as this creates a complete solution tying the movement of goods to the movement of money. With this, we can transform global trade by tackling the financing needs of the unbanked agrifood market.”

The partnership between DiMuto and OPAL will enable trade that traditional trade finance cannot effectively support. DiMuto is implementing AI, machine learning capabilities and new predictive analytic algorithms for valuable insights into the trade health and credit score of agrifood companies to develop alternative financing and insurance services for the global agrifood market.

About OPAL
OPAL is a leading provider of end-to-end, regulated payment solutions based on a robust, proven platform and proprietary technology. Founded by a team of seasoned professionals with significant experience in financial solutions, banking, regulatory issues, cross-border payments and money management, OPAL offers a broad set of financial solutions to help clients meet their diverse needs in today’s ever-changing financial and business environment. OPAL is licensed as a Major Payment Institution (MPI) by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. For more information, please visit www.opalpayment.com.

About DiMuto
DiMuto provides agrifood companies with data they can see and trust, down to every single product of every trade, where they can easily see all that is happening for every trade transaction in an organized manner, on one single platform.

DiMuto simplifies every step of global trade – from produce, trade to market. DiMuto provides sales, marketing, operations, financing and insurance tools so businesses can trade better. Equipped with a data-backed growth roadmap, companies can now navigate the complex global trade landscape with ease and focus on what matters – growing a thriving international business. With Visible Trade, DiMuto powers companies and the world forward with confidence.

Since 2019, DiMuto has successfully tracked and traced over millions of pieces in produce and millions in dollars of trade value on our platform, working with a global portfolio of clients in over ten countries and five continents. DiMuto is founded by Chief Executive Officer Mr Gary Loh, who is also the Executive Chairman of First Alverstone Group. For more information, please visit www.dimuto.io.

Spritzer Malaysia Celebrates World Earth Day with Rainforest-themed Station at Pavilion KL

Experience “The Original Rainforest Water” and Bottle Recycling in the heart of Kuala Lumpur

In conjunction with World Earth Day, which falls on 22 April 2021, join Spritzer Malaysia (Spritzer or the Company) at its “The Original Rainforest Water” station in front of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Bukit Bintang entrance to get the refreshing taste of Spritzer Natural Mineral Water and Acilis by Spritzer while experiencing an interactive 3D Elite screen showcasing the source of this natural mineral water.

The Spritzer Station featuring the layers of sand, the natural water filtration to underground water

The rainforest-themed station is a collaboration between Spritzer and Pavilion Kuala Lumpur to drive the awareness of World Earth Day and will be there from 12 April to 23 May 2021. Visitors will have photo opportunities from this mini rainforest in the city set-up and can have a taste of original rainforest water through samples of Spritzer Natural Mineral Water and Acilis by Spritzer.

Visitors interacting with the 3D Elite screen towering across the mall’s entrance will see the importance of having clean water sources and its effects to the environment. The interactive screen introduces Spritzer’s pristine 330-acre site in Taiping, Perak surrounded by a tropical rainforest, where silica-rich natural mineral water is extracted from underground aquifers.

Visitors can recycle their bottles after enjoying samples by Spritzer as the bottles are fully recyclable, including the caps and labels, which are made with 100% polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Spritzer is calling for all to be a part in creating a second life to all PET packaging, which can be reproduced into items including containers, clothing, protective packaging, green energy and many more, within one day with the current recycling technology. Bottles for Acilis by Spritzer range, which is environmentally conscious natural mineral water in the Malaysian market, are first plant-based bottles made in Malaysia made with up to 30% sugar cane waste and is 100% recyclable.

Recycling used bottles will create a second life to the bottle and effectively reducing the percentage of landfill waste. Landfill waste will rot and decompose to produce harmful gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and Methane, which contributes to global warming, along with polluting the surrounding environment.

Come visit “The Original Rainforest Water” station to experience what it is like to be in a tropical rainforest and to learn more about where Spritzer’s natural mineral water is sourced from, taste original rainforest water and learn how PET bottles can have a second life.

For more information, please contact:
Hakim Juraimi
Tel: +6012 318-5410
Email: h.jurami@swanconsultancy.biz

About Spritzer Berhad
Spritzer Berhad (MY:7103; SPZ.MY; SPTZ.KL) is the largest bottled water producer in Malaysia. The brand, SPRITZER, is Malaysia’s best selling natural mineral water, produced and bottled from a vast environmentally-friendly 220 acre site replete with plentiful natural mineral water resources and lush greenery. Learn more at http://www.spritzer.com.my.

Spritzer Natural Mineral Water Passes Test for Plastics Contaminants

Laboratory test shows no microplastics detected in Spritzer natural mineral water sample

Spritzer Malaysia (Spritzer), Malaysia’s best-selling natural mineral water, has released the results of an analysis conducted by a reputable independent laboratory, SIRIM Berhad, showing that no microplastics have been detected in Spritzer’s silica-rich natural mineral water.

The laboratory had recently conducted tests from a sample taken from a 600ml Spritzer Natural Mineral Water bottle produced on 21 January 2021 and did not detect any synthetic polymers or microplastics, even when examined under 50 times magnification.

This is in contrast to research conducted by the State University of New York – Fredonia (SUNY-Fredonia) titled “Synthetic Polymer Contamination in Bottled Water” revealing that many international brands of bottled water were contaminated with microplastics, which, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the European Chemicals Agency, are very small fragments of plastic originating from various industrial and manufacturing processes and products that can contaminate natural ecosystems.

The tests done by SUNY-Fredonia covered 259 individual bottles from 27 different lots across 11 brands, purchased from 19 locations in nine countries around the world. The SUNY-Fredonia report noted that there was an average of 325 particles per litre, with concentration ranging from zero to more than 10,000 particles in a single bottle. From the samples, the report found that 93% were found to contain microplastics.

Most notably, the SUNY-Fredonia tests showed that microplastics were detected in the samples from these brands ranging from 6.5 uM (micrometre) to 100 uM in sizes. However, the recent analysis conducted by the independent laboratory showed that in these ranges and even up to 1uM, no microplastics were detected in Spritzer Natural Mineral Water.

The findings from SIRIM are a powerful affirmation of the stringent quality processes practiced by Spritzer, and a testament to its efforts in ensuring that the pristine 330-acre site in Taiping, Perak located near a tropical rainforest from which the Company draws the sources of its natural mineral water, is kept clean and safe for consumption.

Spritzer, which has won awards for the refreshing taste of its mineral water as well as various certifications for product processing, is committed to protecting the integrity, quality, safety and purity of this natural water source with automated and advanced bottling technology used to ensure that it is free from pollution.

Silica-rich mineral water has also been found to be beneficial to health, as research by UK-based Keele University has found. Those who consume 1- to 1.5 litres of Spritzer Natural Mineral Water can reduce or eliminate aluminium toxins found in their bodies as the silicate acid in the natural mineral water bonds with the toxins that are then passed out as urine.

For more information, please contact:
Hakim Juraimi
Tel: +60 12-318 5410
Email: h.juraimi@swanconsultancy.biz

About Spritzer Berhad
Spritzer Berhad (MY:7103; SPZ.MY; SPTZ.KL) is the largest bottled water producer in Malaysia. The brand, SPRITZER, is Malaysia’s best selling natural mineral water, produced and bottled from a vast environmentally-friendly 220 acre site replete with plentiful natural mineral water resources surrounded by lush greenery. Learn more at http://www.spritzer.com.my.

Ni Hsin to Expand Energy Coffee Business through Partnership with O&G Cooperative

BlackBixon Coffee to expand its market reach via new partnership

Ni Hsin Resources Berhad’s (Ni Hsin) food and beverage arm, Blackbixon Sdn Bhd (BlackBixon), has signed a brand partnership agreement with Koperasi Tenaga dan Petroliam Berhad (KTP), a cooperative for entrepreneurs in the oil and gas (O&G) industry, to grow the market for the ‘BlackBixon’ energy coffee drink.

The partnership will see BlackBixon retailing its drinks at various onshore and offshore O&G locations owned by members of KTP. This agreement will not only benefit BlackBixon through having more locations to distribute the energy coffee drink, but also benefits members of the cooperative, who will have another source of income through their participation in the BlackBixon business.

Present at today’s signing ceremony were the Guest of Honour, Encik Yazid Jaafar, President/Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation; Encik Sofiyan Yahya, Chairman of KTP and Mr. Khoo Chee Kong, Managing Director of BlackBixon.

Khoo said, “KTP is a cooperative established by professionals from the energy sector in 2019. One of KTP’s main mission is to enhance the economic and social well-being of its members through investment and entrepreneurial activities. BlackBixon’s business model fits in nicely, promoting small scale business which the members of KTP can participate.”

“As BlackBixon’s Brand Partner, KTP offers extensive networking and marketplace, primarily among the oil & gas and energy sectors. KTP also has an online business platform called edagang. We are optimistic this growing online business platform will further enhance the visibility of and offer business opportunities for BlackBixon. We view this Brand Partnership Agreement between KTP and BlackBixon as synergistic for both parties. Together, we are POWERING THE ENERGY PEOPLE!” he added.

BlackBixon represents the first venture by Ni Hsin into the F&B industry, with other plans in the pipeline to grow the business regionally given the heightened interest in energy drinks combined with the coffee-drinking culture of today.

Blackbixon recently appointed Red One Network Sdn Bhd, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), to market and retail BlackBixon coffee to its 1.2 million subscribers.

Subsequently, Ni Hsin also filed for a patent for BlackBixon’s invention, which includes the composition for boosting energy level, anti-fatigue and boosting mental alertness as well as use of the composition thereof, to protect the Company’s rights and to secure competitive advantage for its F&B business in selling products using the invention.

BlackBixon Energy Coffee is a composition providing the benefits of caffeine and ribose in combination when consumed. The drink accentuates the human body’s natural process of energy synthesis while at the same time lessening fatigue and boosting the mental alertness of an individual.

Please contact the below for more information:
Hakim Juraimi
Tel: +60 12-318 5410
Email: h.juraimi@swanconsultancy.biz

Azelis releases ‘Action 2025’, confirming sustainability as a key driver in growth strategy

Azelis, an innovation service provider, is excited to release its sustainability strategy, ‘Action 2025’, reinforcing its commitment to become the world-leading provider of sustainable solutions and services in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients distribution industry. Through its sustainability program and strategy, Azelis wants to turn the sustainability aspirations of its principals and customers into innovative sustainable solutions.

Highlights & rationale

  • Azelis’ sustainability commitments and efforts have further matured and are now crystalized into ‘Action 2025’, its new sustainability strategy.
  • With its strategy, Azelis aspires to become the world-leading distributor of sustainable solutions and services in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients distribution industry.
  • Together with digitalization and innovation, sustainability is a key strategic driver for Azelis’ future growth.

Azelis’ sustainability journey started in 2015 when the company defined the fundamentals of its sustainability program, following the Paris Agreement on climate change and the release of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations.

The Azelis sustainability program is based on the United Nations Global Compact (UN GC) initiative, ISO 26000 and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The program consists of four pillars – each with goals and KPIs – and with every pillar Azelis also contributes to the selected United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

– People – we will be recognized as a global employer of choice for our industry
– Products and innovation – we will be the leader in distribution of sustainable, innovative and safe chemicals
– Governance – we will be fair in business practices and compliant with all laws and regulations, embedding trust and ethics in the foundation of our operations
– Environment – we will continually reduce the environmental impact of our operations

‘Action 2025’
In its ongoing transition to an even more sustainable business model, the company has redefined its sustainability strategy – based on the four pillars set out above – and set targets for 2025. To reach these 2025 targets, Azelis will both be launching several new initiatives in the coming years and intensifying other initiatives which are already being implemented.

One very important target for Azelis is to continue to identify sustainable products within its extensive product portfolio to bring additional value to customers, helping them to achieve their sustainability goals with more environmentally-friendly products. This identification of the sustainable product portfolio is done in close collaboration with Azelis’ principals who are equally dedicated to contributing to a sustainable future. Being a proud member of Together for Sustainability (TfS) and measuring and reporting on sustainability efforts within the EcoVadis framework, Azelis will continue with sustainability assessments to help its suppliers in developing sustainability practices, improve the sustainability standards in the value chain and work on the reputation of the chemical industry.

‘Action 2025’ is based on learnings the company gathered from in-depth interviews with suppliers and customers, results and improvement suggestions from its EcoVadis assessment, input from Azelis business representatives, and the materiality assessment exercise Azelis performed last year in the context of its first sustainability report. Azelis is committed to publishing sustainability reports annually, communicating on progress and provide further information in this important area.

Dr. Hans Joachim Muller, Azelis Chief Executive Officer, states: “We are part of a global industry that plays a significant role in the economy of the world and we have an obligation to utilize the world’s resources in a sustainable manner. Aligned with our brand promise ‘Innovation through formulation’, it is our aspiration to contribute to a more sustainable future by connecting and empowering both principals and customers to work on the development of sustainable chemical solutions through innovation. Our innovations catalyze sustainability in the market segments we serve and their value chains, and will help realize concepts such as circular economy. Our sustainability reputation and our EcoVadis Gold ratings have already positively influenced commercial decisions of some our partners. It remains crucial to our sustainability ambitions that we continue to work with the best partners who equally respect human rights, environment and fair business practices.”

Maria J. Almenar Martin, Group SHEQ & Sustainability Director, adds: “Our sustainability ambitions have been captured in a more formalized way since the creation of our sustainability program back in 2015 and have now entered a new phase with the launch of our 2025 sustainability strategy. In an ever-changing industry and world, Azelis’ ambitions for a sustainable future will never stop. We want to engage our current and potential partners to contribute to our sustainable cause, next to converting the sustainability aspirations of our principals and customers into innovative sustainable solutions. We also wish to set an example for our peers and motivate them to also embark on the journey to a sustainable business model.”

To become a world-leading innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients distribution industry, Azelis has identified digitalization, innovation and sustainability as its growth drivers. Through Azelis’ connected solutions, the company is leading the way in customer engagement, whilst providing the digital insight that will drive new levels of chemical innovation. With its redefined sustainability strategy, Azelis is building a resilient, thriving and responsible business. Through these commitments, the company will meet the needs of its stakeholders, whilst also creating a positive and widespread impact on the environment and communities around the world. ‘Innovation through formulation’ is Azelis’ passion and promise to every colleague, customer and partner, as the company combines products, ingredients and ideas – providing the expertise that will always matter in our changing world.

Learn more about ‘Action 2025’ with this animation video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzUGfxubX5o

Contact information
Azelis
Sarah Van Alsenoy
Corporate Communications Business Partner
T: +32 499 22 36 62
E: sarah.vanalsenoy@azelis.com

About Azelis
Azelis is a leading distributor of specialty chemicals and food ingredients present in over 50 countries across the globe with around 2,500 employees. Our knowledgeable teams of industry, market and technical experts are each dedicated to a specific market within Life Sciences and Industrial Chemicals. We offer a lateral value chain of complementary products to about 43,000 customers, creating a turnover of EUR2.22 billion (2020).

Throughout our extensive network of more than 60 application laboratories, our award-winning technical staff help customers develop formulations. We combine a global reach with a local focus to offer a reliable, integrated service to local customers and attractive business opportunities to principals. And we believe in building and nurturing solid, honest and transparent relationships with our people and partners.

Impact through ideas. Innovation through formulation.

www.azelis.com

Australian Beef Companies Become Victims of Australian Government’s Political Crisis

Commentary by Scott Albert.

*The following is an editorial and represents the opinions of the author only.

In the past two years, Australian beef exporters have become victims of the trade war due to the acute worsening of trade relations between China and Australia. China stopped importing beef products from five Australian beef companies, four of which produced and exported 35% of the market from Australia to China. In August 2020, prohibited antibiotics were detected in imported beef, leading Chinese Customs to take action against the fifth beef company to be suspended.

The Chinese market has always been an important market for Australian beef products. Statistics show that in 2019, the exports of Australian beef products to China valued AUD2.87 billion (approximately RMB 13.9 billion), accounting for 24% of total export of Australian beef products. In 2019, China’s beef products import amount surpassed the United States by 17.04% of the world’s total beef imports and became the world’s largest beef importing country. In other words, Australian beef exporters will suffer heavy losses if putting the Chinese market aside, which is however seemingly inevitable in current situation.

Before June 2015, Australia had been China’s largest beef products exporting country. In recent years, its market share in China has been declining, to be surpassed by Brazil and Argentina. In 2019, China retained its position as the largest importing country of Brazilian beef products. Uruguay in the meantime is also expanding its market share and has now surpassed Australia to become the fourth largest beef exporting country. Australian media reported the share of Australian beef products imported by China had slumped to 15.8% during the first 6 months of 2020.

According to the AMIC, the decline of beef products exports to China in 2020 was underestimated by Australia at the beginning; instead, Australia once expected to rely on other countries including Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and India to reduce its dependency on the Chinese market. However, according to a scholar of the University of Technology Sydney, these countries are not all among Australia’s top ten trading partners, many of which have not even concluded a free trade agreement, and there is no other option to be selected to have the trade value closer to that of with China. The fact makes Australian beef exporters worried very much as Australian beef is likely to be ruled out from the Chinese market permanently and completely.

It is not difficult to see that the timing between Australia’s beef exports to China encountering a series of problems and the Australian government’s launching a new coronavirus traceability investigation against China directly coincide with each other. The Australian government’s inappropriate remarks on China and the COVID-19 global public health crisis lend reason to the tensions between China and Australia, while the Australian beef exporters have become the latest casualties in this ongoing political crisis.

Author: Scott Albert
Email: tigercbj@163.com
Scott Albert has been working as an editor of Expert feature news. His work covers economic, social, political and legal affairs. He has been recognized for his professionalism and awarded several times. More recently as an independent or working together with researchers he has delivered a number of public and internal reference reports, known as a representative and senior specialist in internet communications.

New Overseas Chinese Launches Osaka ‘Tan Ya Xue’ Under the Epidemic

The Taste of China Arrives in Japan

The February 25, the Japanese special issue of People’s Daily Overseas Edition published a theme report titled New Overseas Chinese Launches Osaka ‘Tan Ya Xue‘ Under the Epidemic. This report occupies most of the page and is extremely eye-catching.

In the article, Huang Youzhi shares his entrepreneurial story in detail, from his life in Japan to the development and transformation of his career. He sincerely explained his original intention of bringing “Tan Ya Xue Old Hot Pot” to Japan. During the interview, Huang showed extremely keen insight and excellent strategic vision.

Tan Ya Xue Old Hotpot is a hotpot brand from China. With the traditional Sichuanese hotpot flavor, it has been widely loved by the Chinese people once it was launched. Relying on the product characteristics of special soup base and the innovative digital marketing, it has become popular in Sichuan and Chongqing in a short period of time, and then swept the country and the world. Today, the brand ‘Tan Ya Xue’ has more than 700 restaurants in China, the United States, Canada, France, Japan, Singapore and other countries.

The epidemic has affected the development of all walks of life, and the catering industry has been hit hard. Huang, who chose to lead the expansion of ‘Tan Ya Xue’ from Tokyo to Osaka at this time, said: “We originally planned to launch the Osaka Tan Ya Xue in early 2020, but the epidemic has broken people’s face-to-face lifestyle and business model. In any case, people have to survive the epidemic and cannot leave food. As new overseas Chinese raised in Japan, we should give something back at this time. We decided to overcome all difficulties. ” Huang also said: “It is precisely through the development of ‘Tan Ya Xue’ under the epidemic situation to help Japan, the “second hometown”, emerge from the haze of the epidemic as soon as possible.”

In China, the brand ‘Tan Ya Xue’ has been developed for many years. In addition to the taste, its unique dishes and the food culture are loved by Chinese diners. Nowadays, ‘Tan Ya Xue’ restaurants are opened all over the world, which not only satisfies the stomach of overseas Chinese but also relieves their homesickness. Talking about the development plan of ‘Tan Ya Xue’ in Japan, Huang, who is committed to bringing authentic Chinese taste to customers, said: “Bringing authentic Chinese food to Japan is a dream of mine.”

The opening ceremony of Tan Ya Xue Old Hotpot Restaurant in Osaka has received close attention from the Japanese people and has become a social hot spot. After the test of the epidemic, the Osaka restaurant will consider the local conditions, spread and avoid risks through diversified operations. In addition to Tokyo and Osaka, Tan Ya Xue Old Hotpot will successively land in Nagoya, Sendai and other places, and 25 chain stores will be planned to cover Japan.

Huang, who led the taste of China into Japan, became the representative of the new overseas Chinese in the report of People’s Daily Overseas Edition. Tan Ya Xue Old Hotpot, the brand introduced to Japan by him, also represents a kind of taste of China.

There is an old Chinese saying: ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’. The cooperation between Huang and the ‘Tan Ya Xue’ is a successful example of a strong alliance between individuals and enterprises, adapting measures to local conditions, advancing against the trend, and seeking common development together. In the future, more Chinese delicacies will go out of China, and the taste of China will become its new business card to the world.

Media contact:
Sichuan Tan Gong Catering Management Co., Ltd.
Vincen Zhao, Email: tanyaxue@163.com
Web: http://www.tanyaxue.com/

NutryFarm Enters into Two New Purchase Contracts for a Total Volume of 570 Containers of Fresh Durians from Thailand

NutryFarm International Limited (“NutryFarm” or the “Company”, and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), is pleased to announce that the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Global Agricapital Holdings Pte. Ltd. (“GAH”), has entered into two binding purchase agreements with Royal Farm Group Co., Ltd (“RFG”) and Thung Thang Thong Co., Ltd. (“TTT”).

Under the agreements, GAH has entrusted RFG and TTT to purchase an estimated volume of 270 and 300 containers of fresh durians in Thailand respectively.

The price will be based on market price which is acceptable to GAH and the orders will be placed by GAH in batches. GAH shall made a pre-payment of not more than 30% of the order amount upon confirmation of each batch order with the remainder to be paid within thirty days after delivery.

It is also agreed that RFG and TTT shall guarantee the quantity of goods shipped from Thailand and exercise strict quality control based on the requirement of the logistics partner as well as during transportation and warehousing.

Led by the Group’s CEO, Mr. Cheng Meng, an industry veteran in the durian industry, the Group has entered into various agreements to sell over 1,480 containers of fresh durians from Thailand to major Chinese fruit importers since December 2020. The total contract value of these agreements is estimated at approximately RMB 962.0 million as announced on 13 February 2021.

Together with these latest two purchase contracts, the Group has entered into purchase agreements to collectively purchase 870 containers of fresh durians from various sources in Thailand to fulfil the sales orders. Shipments of the fresh durians have already started since 20 February 2021 and will continue throughout 2021.

In 2019, Thailand exported US$1.46 billion worth of durians to overseas markets, a rise of 54.6% from the previous year, with China, Hong Kong and ASEAN nations accounting for 98% of export volume.(1)

According to data from China Customs, China’s imports of fresh and frozen durians in the first half of 2020 reached US$1.62 billion, corresponding to a 73.5% year-on-year increase and almost reaching the US$1.82 billion imported during the whole of 2019. In the first half of 2020, China’s imports of fresh durians reached US$1.52 billion, corresponding to a 75.7% year-on-year increase.(2)

Mr. Cheng Meng, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of NutryFarm, commented, “China’s demand for durians has remained strong despite the COVID-19 pandemic and Thailand is the only country that can export fresh durians to China.

Specialised knowledge, industry experience and network are required in the durian trade, particularly when it comes to the cross-border trade of fresh produce, hence there are significant barriers of entry in this industry.

With China’s durian supply relying almost entirely on imports, we believe that the growing demand from the Chinese market can provide us with significant opportunities.”

This document is to be read in conjunction with NutryFarm’s exchange filings on 17 March 2021, which can be downloaded via www.sgx.com.

About NutryFarm International Limited
(Bloomberg: NUF1:SP / Reuters: NUTR.SI/ SGX Stock Code: AZT)

NutryFarm International Limited (“NutryFarm” or “the Company”, and together with its subsidiaries, “the Group”), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Nutryfarm Biomedicine International Limited (“NFB”), produces high quality nutrition and health food products formulated mainly from natural traditional medicinal herbs from across the Americas and regions in China, Europe and New Zealand for consumers in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”).

While Nutryfarm is in the business of manufacturing, sales and distribution of nutritional and health food business, the trading and distribution of fresh fruits to China is an extension of its business model as it capitalizes on the Group’s understanding of food certifications and connections in China.

Global Agricapital Holdings Pte. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is engaged in the wholesale trading and distribution of fruits, particularly in durians.

Issued on behalf of NutryFarm International Limited by 8PR Asia Pte Ltd.
Media & Investor Contacts:
Mr. Alex TAN
Mobile: +65 9451 5252
Email: alex.tan@8prasia.com

(1) bit.ly/3loM5TA
(2) bit.ly/3rXtmAN