HCM City (VNS/VNA) — Food Ingredients Vietnam, the only food and beverage ingredients exhibition in the country, will be held from October 9 to 11 in HCM City.

Fi Vietnam will bring together more than 150 exhibitors and attract more than 6,000 visitors from 30 countries and territories.

Part of the Fi Global exhibition series, it highlights the best the region has to offer in terms of ingredients, flavours and food and beverage technologies.

Speaking at a press briefing, Ly Kim Chi, Chairwoman of the HCM City Food and Foodstuff Association, said the food and beverage (F&B) industry has enjoyed remarkable growth of 10-12% a year on average.

“The F&B ingredients industry plays a pivotal role in the F&B industry value chain, not only driving economic growth but also ensuring national food security.”

But despite its huge potential, the F&B ingredients industry faces a number of challenges like the modest and inconsistent quality of raw materials due to small scale, fragmented production and outdated technologies.

Climate change, droughts and increasing salinity significantly impact agricultural yields and quality, and the lack of linkages within the value chain is also a persistent issue, she said.

To achieve sustainable growth, the industry requires close collaboration between businesses, authorities and research institutions, she said.

Improving product quality, increasing the diversity of F&B ingredients, adopting modern technologies, and building sustainable supply chains are key to ensuring the F&B ingredients industry is competitive, she said.

Investing in research and development of novel ingredients, flavours and spices would help the industry keep pace with consumer trends and preferences, she added.

F&B processing has emerged as a key industry, accounting for a 19% share of the manufacturing and processing sector, underscoring both its current strength and promising future.

The three-day expo will feature a number of conferences and seminars, and offer networking opportunities and a comprehensive experiences to industry professionals looking to expand their knowledge, grow their network and drive innovation in the F&B ingredients industry.

The event, to be held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7, will be organised by Informa Markets./.