25 Filipino Food Companies Represent PH in World’s Largest Annual Food Expo in Dubai

Some of the country’s top and emerging food companies are looking to get a bigger market share in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region as they gear up for their participation in Gulfood at the Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 17-21, 2019.

Led by the Department of Trade and Industry, through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (DTI-CITEM), twenty-five food producers and manufacturers will represent the Philippines in a showcase of the country’s top halal-certified food selections including processed fruits and vegetables, marine products, coconut products, among others.

“The Philippines’ leading and emerging food brands are ready to take on the export demands of Middle East countries to widen the country’s reach on the existing Filipino niche and mainstream market in the Middle East,” said DTI-CITEM Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan.

“In the Philippines’ 14th participation, we will feature seven new companies in Gulfood which have products that fit the demand for halal-certified tropical, ready-to-eat and healthy food selections across the MENA region,” she added.

Seven new companies under the Philippine delegation are Columbia International Food Products, Inc. with their tropical sweets and chewables; Alsons Aquaculture Corporation with their ‘Sarangani Bay’ milkfish; Fitrite, Inc. with their tropical juices, dried fruits and sauces; Leonie Agri Corp. with their frood supplement and organic products; LTH Food Industries, Inc. with their flavored creamers and cupcakes; Monde Nissin Corporation with their snacks and confectionaries; and Phil-Union Frozen Foods, Inc. with their premium canned pasteurized crabmeat and frozen seafood products.

Meanwhile, Philippine companies that are making a comeback in Gulfood includes Brandexports Philippines, Inc., Celebes Coconut Corp., Century Pacific Food, Inc., Gem Foods International, Inc., Krystle Exports Phil., Inc., Mama Sita’s, Marikina Food Corporation, Market Reach International Resources, Mega Global Corporation, Philippine Grocers Food Exports, Inc., Pixcel Transglobal Foods, Inc., Profood International Corporation, Q-Phil Products International, Sagrex Foods, Inc., San Miguel Pure Foods Company, See’s International Food, SL Agritech Corp. and Super Q.

“The sheer number of returning companies in Gulfood under the Philippine delegation indicates the great opportunities that are present in the Middle East, as well as the high confidence in the marketing boost that DTI-CITEM gives to its stakeholders,” Suaco-Juan said.

“These players are the same companies that started their export journey in IFEX Philippines and have gained experience in dealing with international buyers in our signature event—now they are taking it up to a notch in the global arena,” she noted.

Gulfood is one of the world’s biggest fairs for the food and hospitality industries held annually in Dubai. Its previous edition was attended by 98,000 visitors and participated in by 5,000 exhibitors from 198 countries worldwide.

For its 24th edition, the five-day event will carry the theme ‘The World of Food. The World of Good.’ with a highlight on the latest consumer trends and innovations. It also aims to present new trade opportunities, as well as cooking demonstrations by world-renowned culinary masters.

The Philippine participation in Gulfood seeks to expand the country’s market share in the global halal trade. According to Hexa Research, the global halal food market size is predicted to reach USD 2.55 trillion by 2024 driven by the rising demand for the consumption of halal meat.

In its past participation, the Philippine delegation generated USD 89.7 million worth of total sales, leveraging on some of the country’s best-selling products, including coconut and its by-products, rice, mangoes, canned fruits, canned seafood and fermented marine products.

For its next participation, the CITEM‐led food delegation is looking to bag at least USD 90 million export deals and meet at least 1,300 buyers during the five-day event.

The Philippine participation in the Gulfood 2019 is organized by CITEM, in partnership with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Dubai, as one of the DTI’s major efforts to intensify the promotion of Philippine halal food products in overseas trade shows.

CITEM is organizer of IFEX Philippines, which is the Philippines’ biggest export‐oriented food show, happening on May 24-26. IFEX Philippines 2019 will present “NXTFOOD ASIA” where it will showcase the next big thing in Asian food with the latest food innovations, trends and best practices in the Asian food industry.

For more information, visit citem.com.ph/gulfood.