Food prices have risen sharply since October 2007 on international markets, owing to supply shortages. This is particularly affecting basic staples such as rice, wheat, grain and soya, which form much of the staple diet of lower-income consumers in the Asia Pacific region...

Omega-3 has found its way into virtually all packaged food sectors – but, paradoxically, not into meal replacement products, whose consumers may be most in need of the magic nutrient. Euromonitor International highlights a prime opportunity for adding value to a sector with a patchy growth record...

Already the largest in both Africa and the Middle East, Egypt's US$7 billion foodservice industry is expected to surge past US$10 billion over the next five years, buoyed by an expanding economy, growing tourism, and an exploding population of young people. That said, foodservice operators in Egypt must still contend with a number of serious issues, including deeply entrenched corruption, often-stifling bureaucracy, and stubborn poverty, with over a third of Egyptians living on less than US$2 a day...