Greg Garrett, executive director of the Access to Nutrition initiative (ATNi), introduced ATNi’s initiatives as well as the need for industry to utilize government-approved nutrition profile models to ensure appropriate measurement and disclosers of packaged foods. Dr. Azucena Dayanghirang from the National Nutrition Council of the Philippines stressed the importance of displaying nutritional information in a simpler method, stating that nutrition labeling on the front of food packages is an effective consumer education tool. Dr. Naoko Yamamoto, professor at the International University of Health and Welfare Graduate School and director of Global Medical Cooperation Center, moderated the panel discussion at this forum, which was attended by two speakers, as well as panelists from Indofood, Acecook Vietnam, and NISSIN FOODS HOLDINGS. They discussed the importance of balancing nutrition and taste and the need for nutrition education for consumers.

Analiza Teh, undersecretary of the Philippine government, pointed out the impact of climate change on productivity and stressed the need to address it throughout the value chain. Steve Hardman, CEO of the NPO Plastic Collective, pointed out the current situation where a global plastic treaty has failed to come to an agreement, but noted the potential of new technologies such as chemical recycling. He suggested that new financing methods of “plastic waste bonds” could support environmental measures. Furthermore, a representative from Master Kong, a WINA governor company, took the stage and introduced the company’s own case studies, including the reuse of steam heat and the use of biodegradable plastics. A panel discussion moderated by Ping Manongdo of Eco-Business, a leading environmental media outlet, concluded with the statement that we must move toward a circular economy, and praised the instant noodles industry for its environmental initiatives.

Dnyanesh V. Darshane, senior adviser for South Asia at the Foundation FSSC, defined food safety as the building of trust and explained that in this digital age, information has a great impact on food safety. He pointed out the importance of quickly responding to misinformation spread through social media and counterfeit product problems. Roy Sparringa, chair of the Indonesian Food Safety Professionals Association, pointed out both the health risks and environmental impact of instant noodles. He introduced international initiatives, such as the setting of acceptable levels of contaminants by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and called for the establishment of consistent food safety standards especially in the ASEAN region. In addition, as a panelist, a representative from Monde Nissin explained the company’s food safety monitoring and early warning systems. During the discussion, Pauline Chan, director of Scientific Operations at the International Life Sciences Institute, moderated the panel discussion and stressed the need for comprehensive support, citing the differences in standards among the countries and regions where WINA member companies are based and the difficulties faced by small- and medium-sized companies as issues to be addressed.

WINA Chairman Koki Ando took the stage and pointed out that for the instant noodles industry to achieve further growth and development, it is necessary for the instant noodles industry to solve social issues and provide social value—something only the industry can do. Elvin Uy, executive director of the Philippine Business for Social Progress, took the stage next, introducing programs in the Philippines to improve nutrition while emphasizing that instant noodles can contribute to nutritional improvement through innovation in nutritional science and manufacturing technology. The panel discussion, moderated by Veronica Gabaldon, executive director of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, focused on concrete examples of the social contributions made by instant noodles in the Philippines and Japan during times of disaster as well as the importance of the challenge mindset regardless of the size of the manufacturer. After the panel discussion, WINA Chairman Koki Ando proposed the implementation of WINA Day as a new initiative and called for the promotion of social contribution activities by WINA member companies in their respective countries and regions based on the WINA Challenge Target philosophy.