We are excited to announce that Metarom Asia will be participating in the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2026, taking place from 23 – 26 September 2026 at MITEC, Kuala Lumpur.

---

Experience the World of Flavour with Metarom Asia

Visit our booth and discover how our expertise in flavour creation can help bring your products to life. Our team will be on hand to share insights, discuss market trends, and explore customised flavour solutions tailored to your business needs.

To make your visit even more enjoyable, we have prepared a selection of beverage and bakery filling tastings, allowing you to experience the quality, creativity, and versatility of our flavour solutions firsthand.

Why Visit Us? 

Whether you are developing new products, enhancing existing offerings, or looking for fresh inspiration, we look forward to sharing our passion for flavour with you. 

---

See You at MIHAS 2026

Mark your calendar and visit Metarom Asia at MIHAS 2026, 23-26 September 2026 to experience our flavour innovations through exclusive beverage and bakery filling tastings.

📍 Register Now and Visit Us

For more information or to schedule a meeting with our team, please contact sales@metarom.my.

We look forward to welcoming you and creating memorable flavour experiences together.

With 52.2% of South Koreans regularly checking labels on new products and 39% of Thai ready meal consumers prioritizing clean-label products.

As demand for clean-label products continues to grow, natural flavours are becoming a key driver of innovation across food and beverage categories. Natural flavours are derived from sources such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and botanicals, offering authentic taste experiences tailored to today’s consumer expectations.

This shift is more than a trend. It reflects a growing desire for transparency, authenticity, and products that feel closer to nature. Natural flavours offer manufacturers an opportunity to deliver the taste experiences consumers love while keeping pace with changing market demands.

---

At Metarom Asia

We have invested significant effort alongside our R&D and sourcing teams to build a broad portfolio of natural flavours that can be produced locally in Malaysia. By combining market insights, flavour expertise, and reliable sourcing, we help customers respond to the growing demand for natural products across a wide range of food and beverage applications: 

Discover Our Natural Flavours Portfolio

Our natural flavour portfolio is carefully developed to meet evolving consumer preferences while delivering authentic and consistent taste experiences across a wide range of food and beverage applications. Explore our Natural flavour profile categories below:

Customers can request a curated Natural Flavours Sample Box tailored to their market and end application. Featuring a selection of our most relevant natural flavour profiles, it provides an easy way to explore flavours and identify the best fit for product development. 

---

Request Your Complimentary Sample Box

Reach out to sales@metarom.my to schedule an appointment with our team and receive your complimentary sample box. 

Whether you’re developing a new product, reformulating an existing range, or exploring emerging flavour trends, we’re here to help you discover the right natural flavour solutions for your application. 

Contact us today to learn more about our natural flavour portfolio. 

A Flavour Tribute to World Cup 2026

Once every four years, the world comes together for one of the most anticipated events in sport, the FIFA World Cup. For the very first time in 2026, the tournament is hosted across three nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches, the biggest World Cup ever held.

And in many ways, flavour does the same.

At Metarom Asia, we follow global trends closely to deliver flavours that are relevant, modern, and market ready. In line with this, we are introducing a specially crafted line up of chilli inspired flavours, each developed to reflect the character of a host nation.

---

Following the Trend: The Rise of Bold, Global Flavours

Today’s consumers are looking for more than taste, they want experiences. Flavours that surprise and excite.

Three Nations. Four Signature Flavours

In celebration of the 2026 World Cup, we are showcasing a flavour journey inspired by each host country, translating culture into taste.

Mexico — Chili Lime & Mango Chili

United States — Caramel Chili

Canada — Chocolate Chili

Did You Know?

To better understand the inspiration behind these flavours, here are a few interesting insights:

A perfect reminder that flavour, like football, has the power to bring people together across borders, cultures, and generations.

---

Bringing Flavours to Life: Application Opportunities

Our chili inspired flavours are designed to support innovation across multiple categories:

Flavour	Origin	Common Uses
Chili Lime	Mexican street food	Tortilla chips, beverages, marinades
Mango Chili	Latin American flavour pairing	Gummies, beverages, yogurts, sauces, fruit based snacks
Caramel Chili	Modern American flavour trend	Popcorn, chocolate products, desserts, beverages
Chocolate Chili	Traditional cocoa and chili pairing	Pralines, cookies, hot drinks, premium confectionery

These flavour profiles offer flexibility across formats, supporting a wide range of product concepts.

---

One World. One Celebration. Endless Flavour Possibilities

The FIFA World Cup 2026 reflects the global nature of today’s food landscape, shaped by cultural exchange, evolving tastes, and continuous innovation. At Metarom Asia, we support this evolution by developing flavours that align with market trends and consumer expectations.

From Chili Lime to Chocolate Chili, this range highlights how chilli based flavours can drive differentiation and product innovation.

---

Let’s Create Something Worth Celebrating

Whether you are developing a new snack, beverage, dessert, or bakery concept, our World Cup, inspired flavours are ready to support your next innovation.

Bakery Roadshow 2026

At Metarom Asia, we support the bakery industry with end-to-end expertise, from understanding market expectations to developing flavours for real applications.

With access to dedicated bakery laboratories and a broad flavour palette, our teams combine technical, marketing, and application expertise to help brands create bakery products that stand out in taste, texture, and identity.

---

Understanding Today’s Bakery Trends 

---

Our Concepts

Inspired by emerging bakery trends, Metarom Asia is bringing to life a series of concept creations that explore how flavour, texture, and format can elevate familiar bakery formats. These concepts are designed to spark curiosity and open new creative possibilities, offering a glimpse into where bakery innovation is headed.

---

Discover, Taste, Get Inspired

This roadshow is designed as a source of inspiration, an opportunity to explore ideas, discover flavour directions, and imagine new bakery possibilities.

---

Interested in exploring our prototypes? Feel free to reach out to us at sales@metarom.my for more information.

Modern Heritage Indulgence: Tradition, Reimagined

Lunar New Year is a season where food carries meaning. Festive treats are often chosen not only for taste, but for the blessings they represent—shared with family, offered to guests, and passed from one generation to the next.

This year, we celebrate Modern Heritage Indulgence: heritage flavours reimagined for today’s festive table—where every bite can evoke nostalgia while still feeling relevant in modern formats and lifestyles.

---

Three iconic treats that define the season

Across Southeast Asia, a few favourites consistently return during Lunar New Year. Pineapple tarts, black sesame treats, and nian gao each have their own symbolism and emotional resonance—anchored in tradition, yet endlessly adaptable.

---

Pineapple Tarts – ‘Ong Lai’ (Prosperity Comes)

Pineapple holds special significance during Lunar New Year. In Hokkien, it is known as ‘Ong Lai’, commonly understood as ‘prosperity comes’. Serving pineapple tarts symbolises welcoming wealth, good luck, and abundance into the home. Their golden colour also reflects success and happiness, making them an auspicious treat for the season.

Beyond symbolism, pineapple tarts are loved for what they represent at the table: togetherness, hospitality, and the sweetness of a new beginning—often homemade, shared with guests, and tied to cherished family memories.
Pineapple Tarts features a bright, jammy pineapple centre with a sweet–tangy lift, wrapped in buttery pastry. The finish is warm and baked—shortbread-like, soft, and comforting.

---

Black Sesame – Longevity, Vitality, and Quiet Comfort

Deep, nutty, and comforting, black sesame is traditionally associated with nourishment and vitality. In festive context, it is commonly linked to wishes for good health, inner strength, and longevity in the year ahead.

Its rich taste makes it a natural bridge between tradition and modern preferences: familiar, premium, and comforting—particularly suited to contemporary formats where consumers look for indulgence that feels balanced.

Black Sesame features a roasted sesame aroma up front, followed by a smooth, nutty paste-like depth. The finish is creamy with a gentle, cocoa-like bitterness that reads as premium rather than sweet.

Traditionally enjoyed in black sesame glutinous rice ball that represent unity and prosperity. 

---

Nian Gao – Growth and Rising Fortunes

Sweet and chewy, nian gao—often called the sticky ‘year cake’—has been enjoyed for over 2,000 years as a symbol of growth, success, and rising fortunes. Its name sounds like ‘higher year’ in Chinese, expressing hopes that personal and professional achievements will rise in the year ahead.

Its sticky texture is also commonly associated with family togetherness. Sharing nian gao becomes a ritual of connection—marking new beginnings and wishing everyone a year full of progress and sweet success.

Nian Gao features a gentle caramel sweetness, warm rice/cereal notes, and a soft, comforting finish. In modern interpretations, brown sugar and toasted rice often become the bridge that makes the profile instantly recognisable in beverages and desserts.

---

---

From Inspiration to Development

To support manufacturers planning seasonal innovation, Metarom Asia has developed flavour profiles inspired by these iconic treats—helping translate Lunar New Year heritage into practical development plans across different product categories.

• Pineapple Tart Cookie (Reduced Sugar)
• Black Sesame Oat Drinking Yogurt
• Brown Sugar Rice Milk Tea (Nian Gao Inspired)

Contact us today at sales@metarom.my  and experience our new flavour creation.

Gong Xi Fa Cai — wishing you a prosperous Lunar New Year.

---