HCMCity (VNA) - As many as 50 Vietnamese food and beverage (F&B)enterprises, double the number last year, displayed and promoted their productsat the THAIFEX-World of Food Asia 2017 held in Bangkok earlier this month.

LeadingF&B companies in Vietnam, including Vietnam Dairy Products Joint-StockCompany (Vinamilk), Dan On Foods, Rita Food & Drinks Co Ltd and Minh PhongGreen & Agricultural Products JSC, have taken part in the trade show forthe last five years.

Manynew players, such as Seafarm Liability Limited Company, Lotus Rice Co Ltd and VinhHoan Corporation, attended this year’s trade fair.

Thisyear, Vietnamese exhibitors saw a 55 percent increase in total display area,with the introduction of a new seafood pavilion.

Theevent provided the exhibitors with an opportunity to consolidate theirpositions in the market and introduce their latest products, seek partners, andlearn about customer demand.

Thisyear, Vietnamese manufacturers brought both cultivated and processed “clean”products that are environmentally friendly and have non-toxic standards. Theyincluded organic rice, honey, bird’s nest and cereals, among others.

OtherVietnamese agricultural and food products were promoted as “safe, nutritiousand with high quality”, including fruits and vegetables, fresh meat, poultry,processed foods, and milk and dairy products, among others.

Theevent’s organisers said that Vietnam, as a rapidly growing ASEAN economy, had agreat deal to offer the global businesses attending the trade show.

VoThanh Vin, international business manager for Vinamilk, said: “This trade eventhelps establish new business networks. We’re excited to be able to leveragethis platform to pursue opportunities for our business to grow as well aspromote Vietnamese products to the world.”

“Thisyear, besides a focus on our key products at the Vietnam pavilion, we alsointroduced our organic milk to consumers,” he added.

“Wewere very impressed by the buyers’ programme. It gave us the opportunity toengage with major retailers from around the region, and it was a fruitfulsession, meeting buyers from both supermarkets and hypermarkets acrossThailand,” Vin told Viet Nam News.

TruongTuyet Hoa, sales director of Vinh Hoan Corporation, said: “This year was thefirst time we joined Thaifex. We see potential to join the show next year.”

“Thaifexis one of the largest food and beverage trade fairs in the world, and it offersus an opportunity to display our catfish to the world market, especially theAsia market. We closed trade orders worth a total of 200,000 USD during thetrade show,” Hoa told Viet Nam News.

“VinhHoan uses an integrated production chain, from seed to commercial fish farmingto processing to export,” she said. “We have been exporting catfish to the USsince 1999.”

“Topromote Vietnamese catfish to the world market, our standards must ensure foodsafety and have a traceability system, without causing an adverse impact on theenvironment,” she added.

Thaifexwas co-organised by Koelnmesse, a leading organiser of food fairs and eventsfor food and beverage processing, the Thai Department of International TradePromotion, and the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Thefive-day mega show attracted around 45,000 industry professionals, 2,000exhibitors and representatives from over 40 countries.

Theevent, Asia’s largest food and beverage trade show, saw a total of 55,111visitors from 130 countries, a 30 percent increase compared to the 2016 show.-VNA