Nutraceutical experts from around the world will lead the new Vitafoods Asia Conference, which takes place alongside Vitafoods Asia, the only event in Asia exclusively dedicated to the nutraceutical, functional and fortified food & drinks sector.

The two-day conference offers delegates the opportunity to learn about the hottest topics while also answering the key questions in the industry today, including:

•    What are the latest ingredient innovations and trends?
•    What are the unique challenges and opportunities for ageing consumers?
•    How do you overcome regulatory challenges for functional food in Asia?
•    What are the issues and challenges with Halal functional food?

The conference, which further builds on Vitafoods’ track record for showcasing thought-leadership at Vitafoods Europe and Vitafoods South America, includes speakers whose expertise spans a range of technical backgrounds with the likes of Mintel, Frost and Sullivan, Euromonitor, US China Health Products Association and Blackmores all presenting. The event is also the perfect networking forum for like-minded people to share ideas and learn about nutraceutical innovation to help them develop successful new ingredients and products.

The conference is also unique in that it is presented in a modular format, meaning delegates choose and pay for only those sessions that interest them – leaving them free to explore other areas of the Vitafoods Asia Exhibition.

A truly international event, Vitafoods Asia features speakers from Australia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan as they look to further explore key trends within the nutraceutical industry including weight management, active ageing, indigenous ingredients, dietary lipids and functional beverages.

Asia is a region bursting with opportunity for nutraceutical companies that understand where those opportunities lie and how to tap into them. For instance, there are now more than 1.6bn Muslims making up around 24% of the global population. Asia-Pacific has the highest number of Muslims – more than 1bn – making up more than 60% of the population . Demand for Halal products and ingredients continues to grow, opening up enormous potential for Halal nutraceuticals.

At the conference, Shahlan Hairalah of Sahl International (Singapore) explores how understanding consumer perceptions of Halal products can benefit functional food producers, while Haji Sabri Haji Mohd Taha from the Halal Industry Innovation Centre in Brunei details how Halal certification in Brunei is leading the global market.

Another area where returns are high is probiotics, with the category in the Asia-Pacific region predicted to hit $523m by 2018  on the back of a growing awareness of products on offer and advances in technology which see scientists developing new strains that can withstand both high and low temperatures. Prof Nagendra Shah of the University of Hong Kong talks about latest developments and innovations in the market today, demonstrating how visitors can develop products that marry with customer demand.

As regulatory harmonisation in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan approaches there’s also a special module led by Jenny Li of Keller & Heckman Law (China) with further presentations by Calvin Chan of the Hong Kong Health Food Association and Prof Chi Fai Chau of the National Chung Hsing University (Taiwan) who explain in further detail how the sector will be affected and the issues and challenges that companies need to be mindful of.

For delegates who’d like a more exclusive networking opportunity, on the second day of Vitafoods Asia, there’s the Business Leaders Networking Event which accommodates no more than 25 senior industry players. Presented by a panel of Asia’s senior industry professionals and chaired by Mr Pushpanathan Sundram, MD of EAS Strategic Advice, it will detail the economic landscape and the opportunities, including the free trade agreements within ASEAN, of the nutraceuticals and functional food market in Asia.

Chris Lee, Vitafoods Portfolio Director says: “We’ve launched this conference and Business Leaders Networking event because the nutraceutical market in this part of the world is growing strongly, yet until now there were no forums for industry to swap expertise and insights. We felt it was the perfect time to build on the strength of our Vitafoods Asia exhibition by providing the right climate for thought leaders to share ideas with their peers.”

For a full list of modules, visit www.vitafoodsasia.com/conference and to keep up to date about the latest show news visit www.vitafoodsasia.com, or join the debate in our LinkedIn group www.vitafoodsasia.com/linkedin.