Food Empire partners AirAsia to launch ready-to-drink beverages

The tie-up kicks off with a Vietnamese iced-coffee product to be sold on board the airline’s flights

Mainboard-listed Food Empire will partner low-cost airline AirAsia to co-develop and launch a new range of ready-to-drink beverages.

The memorandum of understanding was signed between Food Empire’s unit Empire International and AirAsia’s Santan Food Services, said the statement on Thursday (Jul 17).

Tony Fernandes, chief executive of AirAsia and its Malaysia-listed parent company Capital A, said that the partnership aims to create a product that reflects South-east Asia’s culture and heritage.

It will also pave the way for the companies to collaborate on co-branded and private label initiatives, Food Empire and Santan Food Services said.

The partnership will kick off with a Vietnamese iced coffee product that will be sold on board flights of the Malaysian budget airline co-founded by Fernandes, and through regional retail channels under the Santan brand.

With evolving consumer preferences in mind, the companies said they aim to deliver “authentic and great-tasting Vietnamese iced coffee products that cater to modern lifestyle trends, including healthier options with less sugar”.

Tan Wang Cheow, executive chairman of Food Empire, said: “This collaboration with Santan aligns with our strategy to cater to consumer trends and bring an authentic CafePho Vietnamese coffee experience on AirAsia flights, so that more people can enjoy our great-tasting beverages.”

Food Empire is a multinational food-and-beverage manufacturing and distribution company headquartered in Singapore. Its portfolio spans instant beverages, snack foods and food ingredients, including coffee mixes, chocolate drinks, instant cereal blends and potato chips.

It sells products in more than 60 countries globally.

Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.