Thirteen Philippine food export companies are attending the 2021 edition of Gulfood Hotel and Equipment Exhibition and Salon Culinaire (Gulfood), one of the world’s biggest fairs for food and hospitality held annually in Dubai.
The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that will lead the delegation under FoodPhilippines banner, said this year’s Gulfood will be in a hybrid format, comprising both physical and digital components given the current restrictions. The five-day exhibition opens today, Sunday, Feb. 21. Gulfood is one of the world’s biggest fairs for food and hospitality.
CITEM Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan said the Philippines’ institutional participation in Gulfood will feature halal-certified products with QR codes that interested buyers could scan to navigate toward the exhibitors’ inboxes.
The FoodPhilippines pavilion will be manned by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) Dubai team.
To build on the momentum created by the Philippine delegation, CITEM and PTIC Dubai will facilitate an extensive business-to-business (B2B) event between exhibitors and prospective buyers on March 14-16, shortly after Gulfood.
Comprising the 13 food export companies are Century Pacific Agricultural Ventures, Inc.; Century Pacific Food, Inc.; Doxo Trading; Federation of Peoples’ Sustainable Development Cooperative (FPSDC); JNRM Corporation; MagicMelt Foods Corp.; Market Reach International Resources; Mega Global Corporation; Philippine Grocers Food Exports, Inc.; Profood International Corporation; Sandpiper Spices and Condiments Corporation/Mama Sita’s; SL Agritech Corporation; and Super Q. All companies offer hearty, diverse, and halal-certified selections and are export-ready to deliver consistent product quality to represent the best of Philippine food manufacturing and processing.
To be featured in the FoodPhilippines pavilion are well-loved Pinoy products such as coconut water by Century Pacific Agricultural Ventures, Inc.; canned tuna by Century Pacific Food, Inc.; canned sardines by Mega Global Corporation; various branded goods by Philippine Grocers Food Exports, Inc; and special Filipino breads by MagicMelt Food Corp.
As one of the world’s leading exporters and producers of several tropical fruits such as pineapples, coconuts, and mangoes, the Philippines has also become fertile ground for the production of premium fruit products, as evidenced by Doxo Trading, Market Reach International Resources, and Profood International Corporation. The companies will be bringing in, among others, distinctly Pinoy pineapple juice and global favorite dried mangoes.
Rice, a Filipino dining staple, will also come in various iterations through the Philippines’ leading manufacturer of premium rice, SL Agritech Corporation, as well as through delectable rice cake snacks by JNRM Corporation and FPSDC’s selections of black, pink, brown, and red rice.
Pioneering brands Mama Sita’s (under Sandpiper Spices and Condiments Corporation), for its mixes and sauces accompanied by heirloom Filipino recipes, as well as Super Q, which transformed the Philippine noodle industry with its quality wheat-based noodles such as bihon, pancit canton, and palabok, round out the Philippine delegation for Gulfood 2021. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary for the Trade Promotions Group (TPG) Abdulgani Macatoman said, “We’re looking forward to showcasing our homegrown flavors, exemplifying the diversity that discerning taste buds all over the world know and love.”