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Singapore – Chef Pung’s Secret Recipes; A U.S. Poultry Digital Campaign

Philippines – Trade Gathering Event

Thailand – THAIFEX-Anuga Asia 2026

Philippines – Food Safety and Cold Chain Seminar for Retail Chains

Singapore – U.S. Poultry and Dried Egg Masterclass with Republic Polytechnic

Philippines – Food Safety and Cold Chain Seminar for the PYC Group

New Country Reports

Country Reports from USDA offices in the ASEAN region have been updated. See Export Assistance under Resources and Library.

In The Region

Brunei
Korean Fried Chicken Chain Taps Halal Market in Brunei
Korean fried chicken franchise, Genesis BBQ Group (BBQ), has signed a master franchise agreement with Brunei-based KB Company SDN BHD to expand its presence in the Southeast Asian halal market.
Stores will offer signature menu items, including its signature Golden Olive Chicken and seasoned chicken, along with other K-food items. The company also plans to offer localized menu items in the future.
“Following Malaysia, this agreement will further expand our brand presence in the Southeast Asian Muslim consumer market,” a BBQ official said. “We will work with our local partner to successfully establish ourselves in the Brunei market and broaden our foundation for tapping into Southeast Asia’s high-income halal market.”
BBQ has become a key player in the global halal market, thanks to its standardized operations and cooking systems based on the requirements for halal certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM).

Cambodia
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Indonesia
Unhealthy Food Regulations to be Implemented
The Indonesian government, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), will be implementing measures meant to boost transparency and discourage the consumption of unhealthy processed foods. Dietary factors have become the third-largest contributor to death and disability in Indonesia, largely due to the prevalence of cheap and convenient processed foods in the market, such as sugary drinks and instant noodles.
Adult obesity rates have soared, one in five teenagers are overweight, and nearly over the age of three drinks more than one sugar-sweetened beverage daily, while on 3.3% eat the minimum recommended portions of fruit and vegetables.
In response, the WHO provided the Indonesian government with a set of recommendations in 2024. The government enacted new regulations based on the WHO’s guidelines on July 26, 2024, with a two-year schedule to implement them.
Among the regulations are laws that mandate nutritional labeling on the front of food packages, menu labeling for ready-to-serve foods, and the reformulation of products to reduce sugar, salt and fat contents. Additional measures have been introduced to regulate how unhealthy foods can be advertised, and parliamentary discussions are underway on whether to introduce a new tax for processed foods.
Indonesia’s Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) is confident that such laws will shape what Indonesians eat, resulting in a healthier society. BPOM will continue working with the WHO to monitor the impact of these regulations and develop new measures as necessary.

Malaysia
Malaysians Urged to Consume Less Chicken During Crises
Researchers from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) have suggested that reducing chicken consumption during global crises may be the most effective strategy to mitigate the impact of supply chain disruptions.
Speaking on a podcast titled “National Food Security and the Era of Global Uncertainty,” Professor Anjas Asmara, director of UPM’s Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Malaysia’s heavy reliance on imported grain for animal feed leaves the country vulnerable to external shocks.
According to Anjas, Malaysia is the world’s third-largest per-capita consumer of chicken, behind only the United States and Israel.
“For example, in our diet, we eat nasi lemak with chicken in the morning. At lunch, chicken again. At night, chicken again,” Anjas explained. “Instead of eating chicken three times a day, we can cut it down to once a day.”
By diversifying protein sources and reducing chicken consumption, Anjas believes that domestic producers and consumers would be less vulnerable to price volatility in times of crisis.
“When a global crisis occurs, it disrupts the entire food supply chain. In the end, the people who bear the impact are consumers,” he said.

Myanmar
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Philippines
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Singapore
Largest Supermarket Chain Expands Price Freeze
FairPrice Group, a cooperative of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore’s largest retail organization, has announced an expansion of price freezes in all of its supermarkets for over 500 essential products until August 31.
Initially implemented in early April in response to supply chain risks and global economic uncertainty, the measure has been continually broadened to ease price burdens on households.
“We are expanding our price freeze to more than 500 daily essentials because consistency in prices is the truest form of support we can offer for all in Singapore,” said FairPrice Group CEO Vipul Chawla.
The broadened scope of the freeze will now include a greater variety of pantry staples in addition to previously selected fresh and frozen products. Included in the price freeze are fresh Malaysian chicken breasts, frozen Brazilian chicken wings and legs, and select shell eggs from Singapore and Malaysia.

Young Chefs Re-Open Beloved Former Egg Tart Shop with Original Founder’s Blessing
Since 1998, Madeleine’s Original Portuguese Egg Tart had been a staple of Singapore’s east coast until its closure in 2024. Feeling nostalgic for the classic treat, siblings Benjamin Zachary Ong and Vernice Ong reached out to the now-retired founders of the humble bakery about bringing the brand back.
The pair trained under the husband-and-wife team that had run Madeleine’s for 26 years, gaining a thorough understanding of the recipes and techniques that made the bakery into a household name. Eventually, the couple gave the siblings their blessing to relaunch the brand, but under a new concept.
Unlike the original shophouse bakery, the new Madeleine’s will act more as a café, with a dine-in menu inspired by Macau’s cha chaan teng cuisine. In addition to the iconic, no-frills Portuguese Egg Tarts, the café also offers a local-inspired Gula Melaka Egg Tart (Palm Sugar Egg Tart), Crab and Egg Congee, and Onsen Eggs as a topping to just about everything else on the menu. The café is set to open in mid-June.

Thailand
Layer Farm Scales Distribution of Egg Vending Machines
Thai layer farm King Eggs plans to scale its distribution of egg vending machines to 10,000 locations nationwide by 2029. The company has partnered with Advance Web Service to install 100 machines initially in condominiums, communities, and offices across Bangkok, each with a capacity of 600 eggs.
President Chanuwat Siwamok said the vending machine platform delivers eggs to consumers faster than traditional distribution channels, ensuring freshness direct from the farm. King Eggs currently produces 1 million eggs daily, with 10% currently distributed through the vending network.

Vietnam
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