Filipino snacks wow crowd in major trade fair in Paris

Filipino companies bagged more than $51 million in export sales at a major food show in Paris, a record for the Philippines in its years of participating in the event.

This is according to Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem), the export promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

In a statement, DTI-Citem said 26 Filipino companies attracted nearly 600 foreign buyers during the Salon International de I’Alimentation (SIAL) in France in October.

“The Philippines biggest delegation in SIAL Paris has also generated the highest export sales so far in its years of participation in the event,” said DTI-Citem Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan.

SIAL Paris is the second largest food show in the world. About 7,200 exhibiting companies participated in the five-day expo, which showcased 400,000 products from 119 countries, DTI-Citem said.

It was attended by more than 310,000 buyers and professionals, welcoming 135 official delegations and 26 top government representatives.

“The country’s strong showing in SIAL signifies that the Philippines is ready to captivate the palates of Europeans and other buyers around the world with our tropical food products and exquisite flavor profiles,” she added.

Among the country’s best-selling products and commodities were coconut varieties such as skimmed milk and ‘macapuno’ balls, tuna, banana (chips and dehydrated), mango (dried), corned beef, ice cream, ‘pili’ nuts, corn bits and other snacks and confectioneries.

“We were overwhelmed [by] the huge interest in our food group from Laguna,” said Suaco-Juan, citing the interest generated by macapuno balls, dehydrated banana and elongated banana chips, among others.