Welcome

Welcome to the January issue of the USAPEEC ASEAN Regional Newsletter.

This newsletter seeks to provide readers with useful product and major market information for institutional and consumer users of U.S. poultry. Readers will find a variety of general market information, activities as well as useful product information in every issue.

This month's issue:

Contents

• Market News
  • Ushering in the Year of the Ox
  • Students Impress Judges at first U.S. Powdered Egg Bake Off
  • U.S. Festive Poultry Promotion at The Sapling

 

• Food Service
  • Food Waste Gets A New Life

 

• Industry Trends
  • Developing A Taste For Tech
  • Alternative Protein Explodes in Asia

 

• In The Region
  • ASEAN News in Brief

Additional Market Information Available

We have updated our website to include more information on market reports and export documentation guidelines.

You can visit our ASEAN website at: www.usapeecasean.com

Ushering in the Year of the Ox

On February 12, the Lunar New Year will usher in the Year of the Ox, as celebrants look forward to a fresh, new year after a turbulent 2020. The Lunar New Year marks the first new moon of the lunisolar calendars, traditional to many Southeast Asian countries including China. The Ox, symbolic of hard work, strength and earnestness is highly respected in Chinese culture. According to the calendar, the year holds positive energy with no catastrophic events on the horizon, making 2021 a prosperous foundation for economic recovery and growth.

The Lunar New Year is celebrated over 15 days, with the last day culminating in the first full moon after the Spring Festival, also known as yuán xiāo jié (first night of the full moon). In parts of China, where the holiday is called Spring Festival, bright floral arrangements and fruit trees liven up homes and streets. Peach and apricot blossoms hold special significance for the celebration of Tết in Vietnam which coincides with the Lunar New Year. In Korea, decorative cranes symbolize longevity. Singaporeans typically soak in the festive mood with celebrations across the island. From streetlight-ups, lanterns and fireworks in Chinatown, to colorful processions, seasonal markets and lively lion dances in the heartlands, it’s a joyous occasion to celebrate with friends and family, and enjoy a sumptuous feast together.

Red is the color of choice, believed to bring good luck and good fortune to all. Homes and commercial properties are decorated with red banners and lanterns, with touches of gold accents. Red packets containing cash are presented to young children and unmarried adults by elders. Brand new clothes featuring the season’s colors add to the vibrancy of the celebrations.

Festive Traditions and Feasting

The heart of the Lunar New Year is always a celebration when family and relatives gather around the dining table. The traditional Reunion Dinner is held on the eve of the new year. Family members (pre-COVID) usually rush back home (from overseas) to share this most important meal of the year with loved ones. The following days are spent visiting relatives and friends, feasting and sharing blessings for a fruitful year ahead. Some common foods eaten during the new year are:

Prosperity Salad: No celebration is complete without a big helping of Yu Sheng at any family or business gathering. Also known as lo hei or prosperity toss, the ritual involves a group of people gathered around a massive plate, tossing ingredients of a colorful raw fish salad with green radish, fish, shredded carrot, plum sauce, peanuts and spices. Each ingredient represents wealth, good health and happiness, and as each component is added, wishes of luck and prosperity are uttered loudly. These ingredients are then tossed up in the air and mixed. The higher they are mixed and lifted, the more prosperity it will bring.

Fish: Representing an increase in prosperity, the Chinese word for fish, “Yu” sounds like ‘surplus’. Everyone looks forward to receiving a surplus at the end of the year. The belief is that if you’ve managed to save something by year end, you are likely to make even more in the next year. Fish is often served as a main dish at the dinner table, with the head placed towards distinguished guests or elders. It can be cooked in various ways such as boiling, steaming and braising.

Dumplings: Chinese dumplings are considered lucky food. They symbolize wealth because of their shape which resembles a silver ingot (a form of Chinese currency). Dumplings are filled with minced meat like pork, fish or shrimp, as well as shredded cabbage, bamboo and other vegetables. These can be boiled, steamed, fried or baked.

Glutinous Rice Cake: Glutinous rice cakes are sweet treats consumed during the new year, consisting of sticky rice, sugar, chestnuts, Chinese dates and lotus leaves. In Chinese, the word for glutinous rice cake is “Niángāo” which means “getting higher year by year”. The cake is synonymous with a higher business position or income.

Longevity Noodles: These very long noodles represent a long and happy life. They are uncut during preparation, and diners are encouraged to consume them as whole as possible. Longevity noodles are either fried and served on a plate or boiled and served in a bowl as part of a broth.

Good Fortune Fruit: These are usually oranges, tangerines and pomelos that are exchanged as token gifts among friends and family. The shape of the fruit (round) and color (golden) represent fullness and wealth. Many Chinese like to eat and display tangerines and oranges as the pronunciation and the look of these words are similar to the word for ‘success’. Pomelos are believed to bring continuous prosperity.

Students Impress Judges at first U.S. Powdered Egg Bake Off

USAPEEC, in collaboration with SHATEC, a premier hospitality and culinary institute initiated a series of educational programs to introduce U.S. Powdered Eggs to students enrolled in the pastry and baking course. The programs equipped students with knowledge on the poultry industry, types of U.S. poultry products and eggs available, and their versatility in local and Western cuisine. A masterclass facilitated by well-known industry chef, Edwin Leow held on October 30, presented students with a hands-on experience to further reinforce the utilization of powdered eggs in a variety of pastry and desserts. Chef Leow’s demonstration of the Yuzu Ivory Chocolate Whipped Ganache Sable and Lemon Tea Cake captivated the students who appreciated the opportunity to learn from the master himself. Following the masterclass, SHATEC held its first pastry competition on November 21, testing the creativity and skills of the students in preparing cakes using U.S. Powdered Egg as the main ingredient. Chef Leow and Chef Edmund Toh served as guest judges, alongside USAPEEC’s Ms. Margaret Say and Mr. Michael Tan of M&D Prize Foods. The winning cake was featured as part of a three-week long promotion at The Sapling from December 7-26.

U.S. Festive Poultry Promotion at The Sapling

A three-week promotion held December 7-26, 2020 at The Sapling restaurant (SHATEC), offered a variety of festive goodies. From Roasted Whole U.S. Turkey with Sage & Chestnut Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce and Giblet Dressing, Roasted Herb Chicken with Rosemary Jus, U.S. Turkey Roulade with Sage Stuffing, and Honey Glazed Boneless U.S. Turkey Ham with Pineapple Raisin Sauce to pastries like Merry Red Velvet Log Cake, and Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, the promotion proved to be a hit among lunch and dinner patrons. And to celebrate the new year, SHATEC dished out another special menu promotion (December 28-31) featuring the Two-way U.S. Chicken served with Honey Mustard.

U.S. Turkey Roulade with Sage Stuffing, Pumpkin Mash, Brussels Sprouts, Giblet Gravy

Food Waste Gets New Life

Asia is responsible for generating over 50% of the global food waste, with the main culprits being industrialized urban areas in the region. While household food waste is part and parcel of the problem, businesses are also responsible for disposal of edible food throughout the supply chain. Governments are heavily invested in new innovations to stamp out food wastage in Asia.

The COVID-19 pandemic is also pushing for a more sustainable agenda, framed around ethical responsibility and global environmental concerns. A recent global survey commissioned by FMCG Gurus showed that the pandemic had intensified and altered consumer purchase patterns with 60% of customers now being more observant of their consumption impact on the environment.

In the U.S., there is a massive effort to reduce food waste through packaging made from neglected and underused parts of ingredients. Additionally, food is being upcycled from ingredients that would have otherwise be considered as food waste.

Savour!, a Singapore-based tech social enterprise, is a one-stop B2B e-commerce marketplace. The web and mobile app is giving food waste new life by connecting retailers, importers and other organizations to acquire expiring, blemished, and surplus food at a corporate bulk discount. To date, the organization has over 1,000 platform listings and about 140 merchants and B2B customers, including restaurants like Grain, and non-profit organizations like Beyond Social Services and the Salvation Army.

In a bid to prevent fruit and vegetables from being rejected at supermarkets, SG Food Rescue, Food Rescue Sengkang and Food Bank are upcycling fresh, blemished or non-alethically pleasing produce. Consumers tend to turn a blind eye to food that are deformed, or have an unusual color, shape or size, causing supermarkets to either reject or throw away perfectly useable goods before these reach the dinner table. Volunteers diligently scour through more than 30 food stores, collect boxes of unwanted goods and transport them to 10 distribution points as well as soup kitchens and charitable organizations across Singapore.

In the Philippines, innovation has struck again to lend a helping hand. Mapua University student, Carvey Ehren Maigue won the first James Dyson Award (an international design competition) for turning rotten food into renewable energy. The 27-year-old created a renewable energy system for windows and building walls, called the AuREUS that uses energy from the sun’s UV light and the bioluminescent compounds found in rotting fruit, vegetables and crops damaged by natural disasters to transform waste crops into electricity.

Though its arguable that much work still needs to be done to tackle the global issue of food wastage, the future of food innovation is well on its way to turn ‘ugly’ food into good use. Asia, however, still needs to abide by a more stringent and far-sighted approach towards food waste management.

Developing a Taste For Tech

Having undergone several advancements in the past decade, and recently withstanding a deadly pandemic, the F&B industry has emerged as one of the most resilient sectors in Asia. To cope with a competitive market and rising costs, the food manufacturing and service sector is proactively seeking new ways to not only meet the sector’s labor-intensive needs, but also attract a new generation of consumers. Food producers are rapidly transforming their business by integrating breakthrough technological innovations such as robots and artificial intelligence, to improve food quality, output and flexibility.

Here’s how some players are developing a taste for robotics:

Alternative Protein Explodes in Asia

An acute rise in the preference for sustainable, healthy, and long-shelf-life foods, has seen the popularity of less resource-intensive alternative proteins skyrocket in the region. Growing consumer demand has already seen an emergence of plant-based options and an increased preference for frozen and canned meats. The market is now introducing out-of-the-ordinary offerings such as cultured meat or cell-based meat, liquid and powdered eggs and insect-based proteins.