A high weekly intake of dairy products, such as cheese and yoghurt, among children and adolescents was associated with 42% lower odds of wheezing, compared to those who never or only occasionally consume these foods, say researchers in the Middle East.
There is growing interest in Middle East’s nutraceutical sector, says Taiwan biotech firm TCI Co. Ltd, which is hoping to gain market share first through its collagen offerings.
The rising prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) and disordered eating behaviours (DEBs) among adolescents and young adults in Saudi Arabia prompts the need to raise awareness of healthy food consumption, say researchers.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s heavy reliance on grain imports as a source of dietary calories and protein poses major risks to food security and nutrition level among its populations, say researchers.
Consumers in the Middle East are increasingly looking for protein-rich products to fulfil various needs, with claims ranging from sports performance to age-related muscle support.
Governments across the Middle East are ploughing in resources to increase food security and strengthen self-sufficiency, but where are the best opportunities for success, and how can considerable obstacles be overcome?
Flaxseed supplementation could benefit polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) sufferers, but was found to have no significant impact on sex hormones, a new meta-analysis reports.
Greater attention should be paid to diet and nutrient intake, especially vitamin D, to improve bone mineral density among premenopausal women, say Saudi Arabian researchers.
Beverage products entering the Middle Eastern market need to be clean label and low in sugar in order to gain a strong local foothold, with both regulatory pressure and consumer demand firmly pushing trends in this direction.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has announced implementation guidelines for its National Nutrition Strategy 2022 – 2030, eyeing the ‘virtual elimination’ of trans fats in the local food supply as well as a 30% reduction in consumers’ average...
Qatari dairy giant Baladna is looking at more markets in South East Asia to bring its sustainable dairy self-sufficiency model to, after successfully securing and setting up its joint venture in Malaysia.
Snacking giant PepsiCo has highlighted food security, healthier choices and packaging as major sustainability and business objectives in the Middle East and Asia.
Food and beverage manufacturers in the Middle East have been urged to stop toeing the line in terms of making any off-pack claims for their products, given increasing awareness and warnings raised by governments in the region.
India-based organic children’s food firm Slurrp Farm is targeting retail expansion in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a market which it believes is key to achieving major growth.
Australian Honey Ventures is set to launch its medicinal honey brand, Real Good Honey, in Kuwait and UAE this March, with plans to expand further into the Middle East.
A significant association was found between dietary glycaemic index (GI) and risk of breast cancer, but not glycaemic load (GL), according to the ‘first’ study in Iran to examine carbohydrate quality with the onset of the disease.
A sustainable and plant-based diet is key to mitigate climate change, enhance food security and improve peoples’ health in the GCC, but guidelines need to be grounded in realism, a new report claims.
Australian healthy snacking firm Slim Secrets has secured a listing for its protein bar range in Carrefour supermarkets across Dubai as part of its Middle East expansion.
US-based health and wellness supplement company HempFusion Wellness is gearing up international expansion with plans to introduce more probiotics and CBD products in China and the Middle East.
Researchers have consolidated the glycaemic index (GI) of 940 common Asian and Middle Eastern food items such as nasi lemak, chapati, dim sum, dates and habba hamra in a review article published in the Nutrition and Diabetes journal.
A cross-sectional study has found that functional foods contain fewer multi probiotic strains compared to over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products in the Middle East.
UK-based personalised nutrition company Nourished is eyeing the high vitamin deficiency levels in the Middle East region as an opportunity to expand its operations across the region.
Optibiotix says sales of its flagship weight management product, Optibiome, soared by more than 2500% year-on-year, with Australia the latest market in its sights as part of its ambitious expansion plans.
UAE-based importer Truebell is planning to increase the number of probiotic products in the next 12 months to tap on MEA’s growing US$15 billion probiotic market.
With its booming population and growing middle-income group, APAC is the region to watch for supplement and health food growth. In our exclusive feature on which markets to keep an eye on, we feature sports nutrition in China, probiotics in South East...
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) is to withdraw frozen vegetables and fruit products made in Europe that have been linked with a listeria outbreak.
Japan has contributed ¥400m (just under US$4m) to support nutrition and food security for Palestinians in Gaza, under the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP).
The Middle East is ripe for mass-market protein products that boost the health and wellness of active consumers, but is not yet at the stage where there is huge demand for high-end sports nutrition products specifically tailored for gym-goers.
Better cold chain infrastructure is boosting consumer preferences for frozen processed halal meat and poultry, cold drinks and flavoured milks across the Middle East — a region that is being tipped to drive industry growth to 2030.
