Food export show IFEX Philippines returns on site today

IFEX PHILIPPINES, the country’s longrunning and biggest export-oriented food show, is back on the trade show floor at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City from today, (Sept. 22) to 24.

With the theme “Discover your love affair with Filipino Flavors,” the event is set to offer international food importers, buyers, and aficionados a multi-sensory food experience which has been missed by many at the height of the pandemic. IFEX Philippines is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“This is the first time that IFEX Philippines is going to be back on site since the pandemic in 2020. We look forward to welcoming our participants, especially buyers and guests, and for them to see and taste first hand what the Philippines has to offer in terms of food exports,” said CITEM Deputy Executive Director Ma. Lourdes D. Mediran.

Built on the Filipino concept of a “love affair,” IFEX Philippines 2022 seeks to “pursue and enthrall” participants and guests by capitalizing on the practice of “panliligaw” or local courtship traditions. “Love affair is the heart of Filipino food. We’re tapping into local culture to evoke a sense of discovery and romance in creating a unique Filipino food experience. Through IFEX Philippines, we want to highlight the reasons why Filipino flavors stand out in the world and why the Philippines is a premier destination for food products and ingredients,” said Ms. Mediran.

Expected to join the expo are more than 300 companies and enterprises all over the Philippines from the following sectors: beverages; fine food and specialties; fruits and vegetables; biscuits and confectioneries; snacks and crispy savory food products; meat and poultry; dairy products; cereals, grains, and starch; seafood and marine products; organic and natural; raw materials and food ingredients; and allied services.

IFEX Philippines 2022 will have multiple trade components including exhibitions, business matching activities, seminars and talks, and special events. The event will also feature a thematic showcase of distinct Philippine food and ingredients, dynamic cooking demonstrations, and product presentations. These on-site activities will be complemented by digital components such as virtual business-to-business (B2B) meetings and online streaming for special events.

This year’s trade show will also introduce a special section named Flavor Finds as its main highlight.

It will feature new and innovative products from NXTFOOD PH, the banner for products developed under CITEM’s food innovation program, as well as currently in-demand local products like ube, plant-based food, and handcraft beer among others; and new products from select exhibitors.

The event will also pilot CoconutPhilippines, the country branding of the most versatile food produce of the Philippines, through a showcase of coconut products from food SME exporters. CoconutPhilippines is presented through the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) under the Department of Agriculture (DA) which aims to increase the productivity of and modernize the country’s coconut industry.

IFEX Philippines 2022 will be held in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Regional Offices in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Bicol Region, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, and CARAGA, as well as the DTI-Export Marketing Bureau, DTI-Foreign Trade Services Corps, Philippine Exporters Foundation Inc. (PHILEXPORT), Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization, Inc. (PHILFOODEX), Integrated Food Manufacturers’ Assn. of the Phils. for Productivity (INFOMAPP), and Coconut Farmers & Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).

To learn more about the event, visit IFEXConnect.com.