16 Top PH Firm Joins Major Taiwan Food Show

Sixteen Philippine companies are set to exhibit at Taipei International Food Show or popularly known as Food Taipei this June 21-24 June 2017, held at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. Organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and considered as one of Asia’s leading food shows, the show will coincide with five events and over 1,500 exhibiting companies.

The Food PHILIPPINES exhibition is part of the efforts of the Department of Trade and Industry, through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (DTI-CITEM), to strengthen the position of Philippines as a leading source of premium, natural, healthy, and ready-to-eat processed food and beverages in the Taiwan food market. Exhibitors will be representing the Philippines’ Premium Products such as Coconut, Banana, Cacao, and Tuna and other healthy products.

Tagged as one of Asia’s “Four Tigers,” Taiwan has a vibrant economy and is considered as one of the richest in Asia.

“Our aim is to increase market share of Philippine food exports to Taiwan by achieving at least USD 22 million worth of export sales. For the longest time, Taiwan has been increasingly reliant on food and agricultural imports due to the country’s limited arable land and agricultural production. This factor enhances the market opportunities for the Philippines, to penetrate the Taiwan food market,” says Clayton Tugonon, Executive Director of CITEM, or the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions.

The exhibitor team is composed of manufacturers and exporters of products from the southern regions, focusing on a mix of fresh and processed healthy/natural products, Halal, ready-to-eat food, and industrial ingredients.

Exhibitors includes: RAW BROWN SUGAR MILLING CO., INC. for organic muscovado sugar, PROSOURCE INTERNATIONAL INC. for virgin coconut oil, nectar, amino; PASCIOLCO AGRI-VENTURES for virgin coconut oil, coco sugar, coco jam, and coco sap vinegar; MALAGOS AGRI-VENTURES CORPORATION for unsweetened chocolate, roasted cacao nibs, and dark chocolate; FITRITE INC. for fruit juices, noodles, mixes, bagoong; YEAR LUCK FOOD AND INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION for soft-serve ice cream powder, as well as ice cream cones- waffles and wafers.

Also participating are TROPICANA FOOD PRODUCTS INC. with their virgin coconut oil; CJ UNIWORLD CORP. for banana chips, CELEBES CANNING CORPORATION for canned tuna, pouched tuna, and frozen tuna; DMI MEDICAL SUPPLY-FOOD DIV. for the MX3 Food Supplement, MX3 coffee and MX3 tea which uses xanthone from mangosteen; JNRM CORPORATION with native pre-mixed delicacies and flavor syrups.

DTI-CITEM also partnered with DTI-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) to feature in the Taiwan the export-ready products of companies under the Regional Interactive Platform for Philippine Exporters (RIPPLES) Plus Program. Under the RIPPLES Plus Program, participating are MAMA TINA PASTA with their Noodles, Pasta, Canned Meat; GREEN LIFE COCONUT PRODUCTS PHILIPPINES, INC. with their coconut butter, organic coconut cider vinegar, organic coconut spirit; TEAM ASIA CORPORATION with their coconut oil, VCO, and other coconut related products, coconut products, vegan coconut powder; and WEAMBARD INTERNATIONAL TRADERS, INC. with their canned fruit products in light syrup, mango slice, mango bits with nata de coco bits, banana (whole saba) mango puree with sago, young coconut strings.

The DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY – INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (DOST-ITDI) will also exhibit the products made using the Philippines’ state-of-the-art food technologies and equipment.

The food and drinks sector is the fifth largest industry in Taiwan and one of the market’s fastest growing sectors. Attendees are expected to range from local supermarkets, hypermarkets, and convenience stores as these increase range of imported foods to meet demand.

The Food Taipei 2017 visitor profile includes importers/wholesalers, distributors, hotel owners/representatives, restaurant and bakery owner, online retailers coming from China, Japan, and Hong Kong as well as Malaysia, USA and Singapore.

Philippine products to be exported to Taiwan must adhere to the requirements specified by Taiwan’s Food Safety and Sanitation Act (FSSA), a new and improved food safety system. As such, products have complied with their requirements for quality and package labeling.

The retail sector and consumer food service industry in Taiwan continue to emerge as lucrative markets for Philippine products, due to Taiwan’s busy lifestyle. Substantiating this is the rapidly expanding food service industry, which is forecast to reach sales of US$21.6 billion by 2017 (AAFC, 2014). The Taiwan food industry thus poses an attractive destination for the high-quality products of Philippine manufacturers, suppliers, and exporters.