China Huiyuan Juice Group, Yeo Hiap Seng to launch halal beverages

The China Huiyuan Juice Group will launch a new juice brand, YAMI to Malaysia in conjunction with Yeo Hiap Seng (Yeo's), a well-known food and beverage company in Malaysia. It will be the Huiyuan Juice Group's first fruit juice beverage product in Malaysia.

Source: Huiyuan Juice. The first product, YAMI juices.

In March 2016, Huiyuan and Yeo's, agreed to establish a joint venture to build up a long-term strategic advantage in the international market. The joint venture, established January 2017, will take advantage of Malaysia's stable political and economic environment and enable Huiyuan to expand its business to other ASEAN countries with preferential terms on tariffs and trade while perfecting alignment with local halal product regulations. The joint venture will focus first on Singapore and Malaysia, and then expand to countries like Cambodia and Myanmar thereafter.

Huiyuan is also planning to import products that suit the Chinese market and consumers into China by taking advantage of resources from the joint venture and selling them through related channels.

By focusing on Malaysia and Singapore in its first phase of development, the joint venture established by Huiyuan and Yeo Hiap Seng will launch juice products under the joint venture brand YAMI. YAMI beverages are designed to appeal to the tastes and preferences of Southeast Asian consumers and will be sold through local sales channels related to Yeo Hiap Seng.

Huiyuan and Yeo Hiap Seng will launch their first YAMI beverage product in May. With juice content of up to 10%, the beverages will feature apple, pear, orange and white grape flavours, and will be available in 250ml tetrapaks as well as 350ml bottles. This launch will be closely followed by another functional juice beverage with the addition of iron, calcium, dietary fibre and collagen and other nutrients, which will be available in four flavours - orange, red grape, mango and grapefruit.

YouGov probes haze-related behaviour in Southeast Asia

Many Southeast Asian countries experienced significant haze – caused primarily by forest fires burning in the region - this year. According to a YouGov survey*, there was high awareness of the haze issue in Southeast Asia within the region.

Almost eight in 10 (78%) Asian people say they are aware of the haze caused by Indonesian landscape fires. Awareness was lowest in Hong Kong (at 48%) and Mainland China (at 44%), but in the three countries most affected by the haze (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore), only 2% of respondents in each location claim not to know about the haze.

Mask-makers did well during this period. Two-thirds (65%) of those in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore wore a mask when the haze was present. Among those who chose not to wear a mask during the haze, 39% say that they don’t find it necessary, 38% think it’s uncomfortable to wear masks, and 18% think that the mask cannot protect them from the pollution anyway.

Among those who are aware of the haze, 58% of them think palm oil companies setting their plantations on fire are a cause of the fires in Indonesia. Some 48% think the fires are caused by farmers setting their plantations on fire. And 44% think that dry weather causes the Indonesian fires.

When asked who they think is responsible for the resulting haze from the fires, with multiple answers possible, 63% of respondents said the palm oil plantation companies. An almost equal number, 62%, think it is the Indonesian Government. A smaller number, 18%, think it is the brands which use palm oil in their products that are responsible for the haze.

Two in every three people in Asia (67%) think the Indonesian government has not done enough to solve theproblem of the haze, believing the government can do more to reinforce the law regarding the use of fire to clear land for oil plantations. Within Indonesia itself, responses on this aspect are quite diverse: 45% believe the Indonesian government can do more to solve the haze problem, but 44% think their goverment has done enough by enacting legislation that prohibits illegal forest fires to clear land for farming.

YouGov also asked Asian respondents if any other regional country governments (or other parties) can do more to help solve the haze problem. Two thirds (65%) of Asian respondents think governments in other countries can do more in terms of investment in monitoring and enforcing existing bans on the use of fire as a method for land preparation. About half (51%) agree that companies using palm oil in their products should be able to verify that the palm oil used does not contribute to deforestation. 42% agree that consumers should also let manufacturers know that they want to know if the palm oil used in their products is grown on plantations free from deforestation.

Source: YouGov infographic.

One-in-five people (20%) in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore suffered health problems due to the haze. More than half (57%) of Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean respondents said they stay at home more when there is haze. Only 13% said the haze had not affected their lifestyle in any way.

For 69% of people in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, outdoor activities became less attractive. Four in 10 (41%) of them also said they spend less on travel and holidays because of the haze.

While 43% of respondents in the three countries most affected by haze haven’t had any visible health impact as a result of the haze, about one in three (32%) have suffered some haze-related health problems that they addressed themselves, while one in five (20%) suffered haze-related health problems for which they had to see a doctor.

When asked “If haze did not affect your country, how concerned would you be regarding this issue?”, more than half (52%) of respondents in these countries says that they would still care. Only 5% claim they would not care at all.

Upon hearing that the haze would continue on until early next year, 66% of respondents are disappointed, 54% are angry and 53% say they want to do something to help. Some 22% say in this situation, they will be resigned to fate.

Regarding the Pollutants Standard Index (PSI) readings or equivalent produced by the national environment authorities, 57% of respondents in Asia sees the readings as ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ trustworthy. A quarter do not trust the readings and the remainder do not look at the PSI readings at all.

The haze has changed the travel behaviour of people in Asia Pacific. Almost seven in 10 (68%) say they would only visit cities/countries that remain unaffected by the haze. Only 7% of respondents would still visit the affected cities/countries and think the haze is not a problem. Another 18% would still visit the affected cities/countries due to business travel, family visits, or because they already paid for the trip.

In fact, regardless of the haze, Singapore is among the top five countries in the Asia Pacific region where respondents would want to visit the most:

1. Japan (50%),
2. Australia (43%),
3. New Zealand (38%),
4. Singapore (33%), and
5. Thailand (25%).

However, the above ranking doesn’t stay the same in some countries. In Mainland China, half of the respondents (50%) want to visit Singapore most, while over 50% of Malaysians want to travel to Australia most.

Interested?

View the full infographic

*YouGov polled 7,536 respondents online across Asia Pacific from 17 to 23 November 2015. All data was collected from YouGov panellists and weighted to be representative of the online population. 

Halal cosmetics find favour in Southeast Asia

Halal products are witnessing increased demand in Southeast Asia, according to Halal Cosmetics Market: Asia Pacific Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2020, a Future Market Insights report.

According to FMI, tSoutheast Asia accounted for 61.2% share of the total Asia market, and FMI expects the region to remain lucrative during the forecast period.

The key factors fuelling the growth of halal cosmetics in Southeast Asia include increasing awareness about the transdermal nature of cosmetics, rise in personal grooming needs, demand for organic/vegan-friendly cosmetics, and strengthening of the distribution channels.

Key halal cosmetics companies are looking to consolidate their position in the highly lucrative market in Southeast Asia by widening their product offerings. The companies are leveraging the reach of social media to raise awareness about their products and connect with their target audience.

The Southeast Asia halal cosmetics market is currently valued at US$945.8 million, and FMI expects it to surpass US$1 billion by 2016. FMI said the market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.2% from 2015 to 2020.

Consumer awareness about the use of porcine and other animal-derived ingredients in cosmetics is prompting Muslim consumers in Southeast Asia to opt for halal-certified cosmetics. Botox procedures in Malaysia and Indonesia have witnessed a drastic reduction owing to concerns about the source of ingredients used in some products, FMI adds.

Demand for halal skincare and halal colour cosmetics is robust in Southeast Asia. According to FMI, these two product segments accounted for over 70% share of the Southeast Asia halal cosmetics market in 2014.

According to FMI, colour cosmetics will remain the dominant product type in Southeast Asia halal cosmetics market, owing to strong demand for anti-ageing products. The colour cosmetics segment is projected to expand at a CAGR of 10.5% during the forecast period and reach a valuation of US$641 million.

Demand for halal haircare is also anticipated to witness robust growth in Southeast Asia in the near future. According to FMI, the hair care segment will expand at a CAGR of 10.1% during the forecast period and be valued at US$240.9 million by 2020.

Challenges for the market include a lack of standard certification guidelines, as rules and regulations concerning halal certification vary from country to country. 

Key players in the Southeast Asian halal cosmetics market include Martha Tilaar Group, Wipro Unza, Clara International, Ivy Beauty Corporation, and Paragon Technology and Innovation.

Martha Tilaar Group has a strong presence in halal skin care, colour cosmetics, and haircare segment. The company has built a positive perception among consumers in Indonesia. Its Sariayu-Martha Tilaar brand received top brand awards for face powder and face masks. In a bid to expand its herbal business in Indonesia, founder Dr Martha Tilaar has established an association with herb sellers in Indonesia to provide guidance and training and hone their skills.

Wipro Unza group has a strong presence in the halal skincare and haircare segment. The company is focusing on expanding its key brands, such as Safi, Enchanteur, and Romano to target new audiences in Southeast Asia.

Clara International is focusing on expanding its relationship with online and offline retailers to make its products easily available to the consumers. The company has a strong presence in Malaysia, and it is planning to expand its presence to other countries to improve its market position.

Interested?

Browse the Halal Cosmetics Market: Asia Pacific Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015 - 2020 report 

Read the Suroor Asia blog post on FMI's Asia Pacific outlook for halal cosmetics

Read the Suroor Asia blog post about halal facial cleansers

Read the Suroor Asia blog post about Martha Tilaar's alliance with herb sellers

Read the Suroor Asia blog post about the Sariayu Martha Tilaar brand

Fukuoka Shoyu to expand to Southeast Asia, invest in Singapore

Asahi Shimbun has reported that Fukuoka Shoyu, a soy sauce brewing house from  the Mie Prefecture in Japan, is expanding to Singapore to promote its Hasamezu brand of soy sauce and related products. 

The company has made changes to its manufacturing process in order to ensure its products are halal certified, the newspaper said. "We have obtained halal certification, and are ready to deliver our products to all parts of the world," stated the company on its website.

Source: Fukuoka Shoyu website

The halal-certified portfolio at Fukuoka Shoyu include different grades of soy sauce and lemon sauces.

Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau ramping up support for Muslim travellers

Source: YCVB website

The Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau (YCVB) announced on March 28 that the Muslim Tourist Information site within the English version of the official Yokohama Visitors' Guide website is getting noticed from Muslims in Southeast Asia.

The Muslim Tourist Information website was set up in December 2013 to introduce places such as tourist facilities, restaurants, halal shops and mosques based on recommendations by Muslims living in Yokohama. In a questionnaire concerning this website conducted on Muslims in Southeast Asia, more than 90% said they find the information on restaurants, mosques, and suggested itineraries to be useful.


YCVB has focused on attracting tourists from Southeast Asia from 2013, setting up booths at tourism fairs in countries like Thailand and Malaysia as well as receiving media organisation representatives from Southeast Asian countries to show them around Yokohama.

As part of its efforts to welcoming Muslim tourists, YCVB has been working on ways to help Muslims feel more comfortable during their stay in Yokohama, including organising training for tourism-related businesses on how to receive Muslim travellers and distributing brochures for Muslim travellers at tourist information centres.

Yokohama is Japan's second biggest city after Tokyo, located near the capital with a population of 3.7 million. The city has an eye on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as it works to increase its tourism infrastructure for visitors.