Malaysia

Dodo Vegan Hut's team

© Dodo Vegan Hut
Food & Beverage

Dodo Vegan Hut Sees Success with Wholesome & Halal-Certified Frozen Food Lineup

After identifying a gap in the market for convenient and healthy vegan food products, Manimegalai Parry founded Dodo Vegan Hut in 2022 in Penang, Malaysia. With only two years in business, the company, supported by an all-women team, plans to widen its distribution channels and scale operations to expand locally and internationally through strategic investments and partnerships.  Initially operating from a commercial kitchen in Bayan Lepas, Dodo Vegan Hut acquired a production facility in Simpang Ampat at the end of 2023 to expand its operations. Parry recently told the Malaysiakini that the popularity of plant-based foods has surged due to increasing awareness of health, environmental, and ethical concerns. In addition, in April 2024, Dodo Vegan Hut successfully achieved JAKIM’s Halal certification, broadening its market reach among …

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orange citrus fibre

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Ingredients

Study Finds Citrus Fiber Outperforms Methylcellulose in Plant-Based Meat

A study funded by the Master of Food Technology (MoFT) program at Universiti Putra Malaysia, exploring healthy and sustainable binders for plant-based meat, found that citrus fiber is optimal for replacing synthetic ingredients like methylcellulose (MC). The researchers evaluated the physicochemical and sensorial properties of plant-based meat patties made with protein texturates and tested pea, citrus, and apple fibers as possible candidates. Their focus was to understand the influence of these fibers on key attributes such as taste, color, texture, moisture retention, strength, pH, emulsion stability, and overall acceptability. The scientists prepared five types of patties to compare and choose the best binder to replace MC: a negative control without MC or enzymatically treated fiber, a positive control with MC, and three patties incorporating enzymatically treated pea, citrus, and …

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Berjaya Foods

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Company News

Malaysia’s Berjaya Food to Offer Innovative Plant-Based Products Amid Growing Demand

Malaysia’s Berjaya Food, which operates several retail and restaurant chains in the country, has announced plans to offer more vegan products in response to an increasing trend towards plant-based diets. Berjaya Food operates all Starbucks stores in Malaysia, and says it has already added healthier plant-based options to the chain’s menu. The company also has a Latin-inspired vegan restaurant called SALA, which offers dishes such as burritos, tacos, burgers, and chili. Under its Jollibean Foods brand, Berjaya Food offers traditional Malaysian food and drink, with freshly made non-GMO soy milk as the signature product. Additionally, the company owns Kelava, a producer of premium and handcrafted coconut-based vegan ice cream. Moving forward, Berjaya Food says it will work to introduce more innovative plant-based products across its …

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GoodMorning Global unveils new powdered plant-based meat, secures Malaysia's largest single ECF

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Protein

GoodMorning Global Unveils New Powdered Plant-Based Meat, Secures Malaysia’s Largest Single ECF Crowdfund

At the company’s 15th anniversary gala, Malaysia’s largest nutritional multigrain powder company GoodMorning Global, unveiled a unique powdered plant-based meat called WonderMeat, which the company claims provides complete nutrition.The NPD is set to be the company’s flagship product and will be launched in Q4 2023, joining its catalog of protein powder products. “It highlights the group’s commitment to promote affordable and nutritionally balanced plant-based protein food on a global scale”, said the company. Established in 2008, GoodMorning Global is a nutritional multigrain and biotechnology company focused on research to unlock the nutritional potential of grains and legumes. Its aims to provide consumers with the most nutritious, tasting, healthy, and safe choices in the beverage category. Its affordable multigrain health beverages and plant-based products are available …

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Petronas Towers Kuala Lumpur

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Cell AgriTech Set to Open Malaysia’s First Cultivated Seafood & Meat Plant by 2024

Malaysia’s first cultivated meat company, Cell AgriTech, says it will start the construction of its first cultivated meat production plant in Penang, set to be completed by the end of 2024 with a total investment of RM20 million.  Although regulations regarding the industry are unclear in the country and region — except for Singapore, which has granted approval for growth media and cultivated products — Cell Agritech aims to launch its products into the Asian market by 2025. Malaysia’s first cultivated meat conference Jason Ng Chin Aikm, Cell AgriTech’s founder, made the announcements at the country’s first Cultivated Meat Conference held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on the 15th and 16th of March. Cell AgriTech and Bioeconomy Corporation, a leading economic development agency for …

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©Phuture Foods
Company News

Phuture Foods Ramps Up Production Following Chicken Shortage, Expects to Double Revenue Every Six Months

Plant-based meat company Phuture Foods announces plans to expand its reach in Malaysia and beyond while ramping up production to offer a solution for the country’s chicken shortage. To improve its position in the industry, Phuture announced several new agreements earlier this year with well-known Asian food service companies. The company now disclosed plans to increase its foodservice footprint in Malaysia to 1,000 outlets, up from 300, by the end of the year. Chicken Shortage Malaysia is currently facing a drastic chicken shortage, fueled by growing challenges regarding labour scarcity, rising chicken feed prices, and sick chickens. As a result of the domestic shortage, the Malaysian government recently decided to stop the export of chicken to Singapore, which acted as a wake-up call for the …

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Oatly production line

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Beverages

Oatly And DKSH Expand Partnership as Malaysian Plant-Based Scene Continues to Thrive

As Malaysia continues to grow into a plant-based hub, following neighboring countries Hong Kong and Singapore, DKSH Malaysia announces plans to support Oatly Asia through its market expansion services. DKSH Business Unit Consumer Goods, a leading partner for FMCG companies seeking to grow their business in Asia and beyond, has announced an expanded partnership with Oatly Asia to expand the presence of the oat milk pioneer in Malaysia. Malaysia catches up in the plant-based game While many plant-based offerings in local supermarkets and restaurants are imported from Hong Kong or Singapore, the domestic industry for plant-based alternatives is starting to grow significantly. In June 2022, Malaysian plant-based producer Phuture Foods announced a series of new partnerships with leading Asian brands to strengthen its position in …

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©Phuture Foods
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Malaysia: Phuture Continues to Expand Across Asian Markets with Plant-Based Chicken  

Malaysian plant-based producer Phuture Foods has announced a series of new partnerships with leading Asian brands to strengthen its position in the market. The expansion comes after Phuture secured RM7 million ($1.5 million) in funding to develop its vegan alt meat products, particularly its successful high-fiber alt chicken range.  Phuture’s new deals include Korean chicken restaurant chain KyoChon, leading five-star hotel Grand Hyatt, and Korean convenience store CU Malaysia, amongst others. The plant-based brand hopes to strategically enable consumers to experience plant-based meals affordably through the new partnerships. Phuture’s main product across all markets will be its High Fiber Chick’n series, with its current retail footprint across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, and Thailand. Phuture has also recently secured RM7 million ($1.5 million) in funding …

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Nestle Malaysia

©Nestlé
Company News

Nestlé Opens Plant-Based Production Facility in Malaysia to Expand Harvest Gourmet Range

The world’s largest food and beverage manufacturer, Nestlé, has opened its first plant-based production facility in Malaysia. In order to cater to the rising demand for plant-based foods, the facility will be the first of its Plant-Based Meal Solutions manufacturing facilities in the ASEAN economic union and one of only two in the whole of Asia. 

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