Coca-Cola, Pepsi lose brand value as Nongfu Spring surges
Giants Coca-Cola and Pepsi retain the top beverage brand value spots, but rapid growth at Nongfu Spring and Eastroc highlight Asia’s rising influence
The recently-released Top 50 Non-Alcoholic Drinks 2026 brand value and strength list by Brand Finance saw US brands Coca-Cola and Pepsi maintain their positions as the top two most valuable beverage companies in the world.
Coca-Cola continues to reign supreme with a brand value of US$46.1bn, followed by Pepsi at US$16.8bn and then China’s Nongfu Spring at US$15.3bn.
‘No real Asian consumer’: Nestlé, CJ and ADM rethink nutrition
Nestlé, CJ and ADM explain why Asia’s diverse nutrition gaps demand localised, affordable food innovation rather than one-size-fits-all solutions
Many big food firms are starting to increasingly prioritise the integration of nutrition security into their long-term strategies, and this emphasis has also led to a renewed realisation that localised strategies are likely to be even more important than initially thought.
“There is no real Asian consumer because the region is so diverse. A Singaporean consumer will have very different wants and needs from a Vietnamese consumer and an Indian consumer and so on,” Nestle Nutrition (Malaysia and Singapore) Business Executive Officer Yeoh She Siang said during the recent APAC Agri-food Innovation Summit 2026 in Singapore.
How major F&B firms are applying healthy longevity in product innovation
From building gut microbiome databases to designing personalized nutrition, major food and beverage companies Nestle, Charoen Pokphand Foods and Calbee are innovating with healthy longevity in mind.
According to Aline Mor, head of R&D (South East Asia) at Nestle, the firm sees healthy longevity as an “interconnected opportunity” where nutrition and supplementation — which are both part of its portfolio—can help consumers age better.
“Nutrition plays a key role in our health since we are born. As we age, our metabolism changes and our nutritional needs become different. That’s where we come in and offer solutions that can be incorporated into daily lives,” she said.
Fonterra raises 2026/27 milk price forecast on stronger global dairy demand
New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra has increased its 2026/27 Farmgate Milk Price forecast, citing stronger demand for Whole Milk Powder (WMP) and Skim Milk Powder (SMP).
The co-operative has increased the midpoint of the 2026/27 season forecast Farmgate Milk Price from NZ$9.50 per kgMS to $9.75 per kgMS. It has also lifted and narrowed the forecast range from $8.50 - $10.50 per kgMS to $9.00 - $10.50 per kgMS.
CEO Richard Allen said stronger demand for Whole Milk Powder (WMP) and Skim Milk Powder (SMP) had underpinned the forecast.
Gut as core: Danone advances health span, early life nutrition in new China lab
Danone has opened a new research and innovation center in Shanghai, China, to advance research and product solutions to meet consumer needs in the core areas of the gut microbiome, healthspan, and early-life nutrition.
One of its main features is the 900 m² Danone OneBiome Lab dedicated to microbiome research. This is also the company’s third OneBiome Lab, with the other two already opened in Paris-Saclay and Singapore.
The OneBiome Lab, for example, is equipped with technical capabilities such as bacterial DNA extraction and analysis to deliver a precise understanding of gut microbiome profiles.
