The 2017 Fi Asia, a mega exhibition, is expected to attract over 750 companies from 56 countries showcasing food ingredients (Fi) and technologies and innovations for the food and beverage industry, according to its organiser, UBM Asia Thailand.

It said the annual event would be held from September.13 to 15 this year at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre.

More than 17,000 professional Thai and international buyers are also expected to attend.

Fi Asia has become a meeting point of great importance for suppliers and buyers of food ingredients across the region.

The event is really the only show that offers complete coverage of the food market in Asia, bringing together food ingredient companies and regional food producers.

Speaking about this year’s event, Rungphech Chitanuwat, UBM Asia Thailand’s director for the ASEAN Project Group, said: “Fi Asia 2017 highlights Fi products, technologies and innovations for the food and beverage industry.

“The 22^nd event will showcase food and beverage ingredient products and technologies from international producers and distributors.

“Trader, sellers, buyers and researchers will have opportunities not only to see and experience Fi products, technologies and innovations but also to get further knowledge through academic seminars, workshops and competitions on diverse foods made from local materials, displays of Fi innovation, and an exhibit on future trends in food products.”

All these would help in the development of technologies and production capacities in the food industry throughout the entire region, she said.

Asian FI industry

The Southeast Asian region has great potential for growth.

With a population of over 600 million consumers with changing tastes, the region is recognised by the industry and leading market research firms as one of the major emerging markets for food ingredients, and is increasingly influential in the supply of food and beverage ingredients.

As well as accounting for 35 per cent of global ingredients supply in this category, it is also a melting point of diverse trends and influences.

Southeast Asia is not only the third largest importer in Asia of foods from various places, the region is also a source of agricultural raw materials (chicken meat, seafood, cereals, fruits and tubers).

Among the biggest ASEAN FI suppliers is Thailand, one of the countries with the biggest potential in the region in the manufacture of food ingredients.

Chitanuwat said: “Thailand’s finished food industry is the main industry that drives the country’s economy. In 2016 Thailand was the No.1 exporting country to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Viet Nam, and was the 13^th leading finished food exporter in the world.

“It was forecast that the Thai food industry would likely grow by 8 per cent in 2017, thanks to geographical factors including being a hub for ASEAN countries, availability of natural resources and an abundance of farm produce, and modern production technologies that help increase the value of local farm produce.”

For these reasons, Thailand has been made the food production base for ASEAN, consistent with the public sector’s policy to make Thailand the “Kitchen of the World,” she said.

The Thai food ingredients industry has been developing well because of the active and professional contributions by many companies and research institutions as well as close co-operation between them.

They include Tipco Food, Arcadia Foods, Rama Production, Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, and Kastetsart University’s agro-industry faculty.

Indonesia is another big supplier and also buyer of food ingredients in Asia.

According to the Global Business Indonesia website, food and beverage processing is one of the most mature industries in the country with a large number of businesses competing for sales.

The Indonesian food processing industry serves a population of more than 250 million.

In 2014 the value of Indonesia’s food and beverage processing industry was $84.2 billion (IDR1,001 trillion). The Indonesian food processing industry produces products catering to all levels of consumers.

The factors that contribute to the growth of the food processing industry are the introduction of new flavours and products in various package sizes, a growing middle class, aggressive promotion, growth of modern retail outlets, and growing health awareness.

Viet Nam is a relatively new destination for international ingredients suppliers and buyers.

The Vietnamese food processing sector continues to expand supported by rebounding economic growth and macro-economic stability, the country’s deepening international economic integration, and a rapidly urbanising, youthful population which is shifting its diet to include more processed and packaged food products.

The growing and modernising retail system and changing consumption habits show a promising trend for the retail food industry, which will spur food and beverage sales in the future.

To take advantage of the modernising retail sector and changing consumer preferences, the country’s food and beverage industry is becoming more developed and westernised.

Besides, the following factors are influencing consumption trends and the type and quality of inputs being used in processed foods.

The country has a population of over 90.7 million people, of whom half are under the age of 30.

A growing number of young people have a modern, western lifestyle, especially in urban areas, and are more receptive to convenience and processed foods, leading to increasing demand for those products.

Viet Nam joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and tariffs on processed foods and ingredients have fallen.

As a result, Vietnamese consumers have more opportunities to be exposed to a wider range of imported food and beverage products.

According to BMI Research, the sector achieved average annual growth of 12 per cent in 2010-15. It is expected to be 10.9 per cent between 2017 and 2019.

Chitanuwat said many food ingredients producers and suppliers around that the world are interested in the Vietnamese market since the local industry has yet to develop.

Nearly 100 per cent of food ingredients used in Viet Nam are imported though demand for them has been surging in the market.

Following the success of FI Viet Nam in 2015, according to UBM Asia, a similar event is scheduled to take place from May 16 to 18 next year in Hồ Chí Minh City, which is expected to give ingredient suppliers an excellent opportunity to establish a sustainable relationship with fast-moving consumer goods producers and ingredient distributors and help them grow their business in the emerging market.— VNS