2 firms bringing in more Brazilian food products

MANILA, Philippines – Banking on Filipino consumers’ preference for healthier options, two foreign companies are seeking to expand their presence in the Philippines by offering different Brazilian food products.

Sambazon Inc. and Sapiens Global Pte Ltd are currently in discussions with local entities to distribute the products to the Philippine market.

Jim White, head of sales for Sambazon in Southeast Asia, said the company was expecting to double its sales from last year, observing an increased interest in healthy eating across many cultures, including the Philippines, post-COVID-19. White did not provide exact numbers.

READ: Brazil offers apples, acai in broader trade push with PH

“We’ve hit the market at the right time when people are looking for healthier foods. There is post-COVID growth in other markets, even mature markets are growing faster now … it’s the right time to enter and grow,” White said.

“The Philippines has actually one of the fastest adoptions of acai (compared to other countries),” White told reporters.

For Giovanni Lombardo, business development director at Sapiens Global, they see great opportunity to venture into the Philippines because of young people’s curiosity for new offerings and increased purchasing power.

“The society is changing. It’s not what it was 10 years ago. It’s the time to get rid of the stereotypes and embrace the new Filipino society which is curious and wants to know and explore new flavors and they can afford it,” Lombardo said.

‘Huge potential’

He added Sapiens Global was seeing “huge potential” to boost market penetration in the coffee segment.

Sambazon, which has offices in Japan, Singapore, Brazil and China, currently supplies organic and Fair Trade certified açaí products to different global markets. Its products include Smoothie Packs, Smoothie Cubes, Ready to Eat Açaí Bowls, Juices, Energy drinks and Açaí Bites.

According to Sambazon, it serves the açaí requirements of Starbucks for the latter’s Acai Berry Bowl Cheesecake and Jamba Juice’s acai smoothies.

Sapiens Global, headquartered in Singapore, offers business intelligence, trade and export/import support, and business matchmaking in Latin America, Asia and Europe. INQ