PH to Highlight Top Products in Largest Halal Food Show in the Middle East

The Department of Trade and Industry, through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (DTI-CITEM) and in partnership with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) Dubai, will lead 24 companies from the Philippines’ halal and organic food sectors in the 25th edition of the Gulf Food, Hotel and Equipment Exhibition and Salon Culinaire (Gulfood) this 16-20 February 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC), United Arab Emirates.

After raking in $83.2 million in last year’s edition, the Philippine delegation will return this year under the FoodPhilippines brand to showcase a bevy of locally produced food products which include last year’s bestsellers like bananas, coconut products, canned seafood and dried fruits. Located at the Sheikh Rashid Hall of the DWTC, the FoodPhilippines Pavilion will feature local companies that are all halal-certified, with some also having additional relevant certifications like HACCP, USFDA, kosher and organic.

Gulfood is one of the world’s biggest food and hospitality trade shows and a quintessential meeting point for members of the global food industry. The international food trade show welcomes over 100,000 visitors from 200 countries every year and will be celebrating its 25th edition this 2020. Gulfood will launch its landmark anniversary under the theme, “Rethinking Food,” which challenges its visitors and participants to take the same direction with their processes, approaches and executions.

With Gulfood attracting not only buyers from the Gulf countries, but also from all over the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, these certifications are crucial in meeting the demands and capturing a bigger market share from the large portion of the US$ 3.3-trillion global halal market.

The Philippine delegation will mostly consist of returning exhibitors such as Century Pacific Food Inc., Mega Global Corporation, Profood International Corporation, San Miguel Foods and Mama Sita’s. These companies will be joined by three Gulfood newcomers namely, Mofels Food International Corporation, Jeverps Manufacturing Corporation and GAINCOCO. This upcoming Philippine participation is all set to showcase the country’s top food exports to the buyers from the Gulf states and the MENA region with the help of some on-site demos and samplings. The export food products that will be featured include fresh cavendish bananas, dried fruits, coconut products, mixes and sauces, canned seafoods, noodles, pastries and dairy products.

Promising future

According to DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, Halal is a good business venture for 2020. Secretary Lopez, who is also the Chair of the Halal Export Development and Promotion Board, said in a recent statement that entrepreneurs should start with a change in mindset and see halal as a lifestyle that can be enjoyed by everyone.

“Halal-certified food products connote positive attributes such as being clean, healthy and pure,” said Lopez. “We encourage more companies to apply for Halal certification because it opens more markets, so more consumers can buy their products.”

There are currently 10 Halal-certifying bodies in the Philippines, but the Trade Secretary is pushing for more certifying bodies to accommodate more applicants and encourage more businesses to tap into the continuously growing Halal industry. With this, Lopez looks at Singapore as a benchmark on how the Philippine halal industry can be grown and improved since Singapore is known to be largely Muslim-friendly and both countries have 10% of their respective populations belonging to the Muslim community.

DTI Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman emphasized that the global halal industry is still relatively untapped by Philippine businesses. With the global Muslim populations concentrated in the MENA and Asia-Pacific regions, Macatoman notes that this creates suitable conditions for local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to make a breakthrough in these regional halal markets. This can be achieved by growing the Philippine halal industry and by participating in relevant trade fairs in the Middle East.

“With the steady growth of Muslim populations worldwide, and consequently the halal market, it is even more important now that the Philippines pushes for improved and expanded halal accreditation among its concerned industries,” Macatoman said. “This is in order to penetrate the market and address the needs of the underserved halal markets locally and worldwide.”

“Having harmonious halal certification processes and accreditation policies and standards for the Philippines is the key to improving the country’s integrity and credibility in both the national and the international communities,” Macatoman added.

Discover what sets Philippine halal food products apart in the 25th edition of Gulfood at the Dubai World Trade Center this 16-20 February 2020 as the Philippine delegation continues to strengthen the promotion of Filipino halal products in the Middle East and North African regions.

For more information on the Philippine participation and FoodPhilippines in Gulfood 2020, visit www.citem.com.ph/gulfood.