Opinion
The Free-For-All: Tofu love / The roaring 20s / Teething problems
Roses are red, Valentine’s tofu…
As I’m not especially keen on experiencing the damage a baseball bat can do my kneecaps, I chose to ignore the advice of Japanese company Yamaki Jozu and didn’t get my vastly better half some tofu for Valentine’s Day.
Yes, that’s right, nothing quite says ‘l love you’ like tofu, according to the 118-year-old firm, which created two special edition products for February 14
“Those who care about health tend to be concerned about the calories and sugar in chocolate, so our Valentine’s tofu could be an enjoyable, healthy and tasty replacement,” its boss told us.
A noble endeavor, but surely the whole point of Valentine’s Day, in addition to boosting Hallmark’s profits, is to indulge in the finer things in life?
So in yet another stunning display of unoriginality, it was champagne and fancy chocolates from me again this year.
Of course, the fact I know full-well it will be me that ends up consuming most of them has absolutely nothing to do with it whatsoever.
Who said romance was dead?
Admitting de-feet
The data crunchers at Ali Health have revealed the top purchase patterns in China over the recent Chinese New Year period.
While highlighting how spending on health foods and supplements is increasing, the stats also shine the spotlight on some interesting generational trends.
One of the biggest performers among 20-somethings was supplements for liver health and products that claim to offer anti-hangover benefits.
These have proven to be especially popular with women who account for nearly two-thirds of such sales.
Fast-forward 10 years. though. and the top concern among 30-somethings appears to be weight management.
And then into the 40’s and beyond, sales of massage devices and foot bath powders have been rocketing.
What a depressing, but accurate, description of the ageing process.
From fighting the effects of too much fun and frolics one minute, to fretting about your weight and prioritising soaking your aching feet the next.
If only someone sold supplements to treat rabid jealousy of the young.
From Brusher, with love
If, like me, you still think that stripy toothpaste is the height of innovation, it’s time to think again.
We’ve recently reported how Colgate brand Tom's of Maine has created a prebiotic toothpaste, while its recently acquired Hello Products has unveiled a CBD version.
It’s all highly innovative, but the PR is a tad over, er, polished.
Hello’s founder was quoted as saying: “We are proud to thoughtfully source innovative ingredients that our brushers seek, and deliver them in ways that continue to surprise and delight.
“We're confident we can provide a wide range of delicious tasting, highly effective, naturally-friendly products that our retail partners and their shoppers can fall in love with, and that elevate the everyday.”
I’m not sure 'surprise' is my number one priority when cleaning my teeth.
And If I can’t 'fall in love' with Valentine’s Day tofu, I don’t hold out much hope for toothpaste.
As for ‘brushers’, let’s hope they don’t launch a household cleaning products range, or presumably we’ll all be scrubbers too.
Gary Scattergood is Editor-in-Chief of FoodNavigator-Asia, NutraIngredients-Asia and CosmeticsDesign-Asia.
