Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) spearheaded Malaysian companies' participation in ANUGA 2017 trade fair held in Cologne, Germany recently as an effort to promote local innovative Food & Beverages (F&B) products to the European markets.

The event, which took place from 7 to 11 October 2017, involved 34 Malaysian exporters, who under the Malaysia Pavilion, showcased their innovative and award winning products to 6,500 potential business partners from over 100 countries and to more than 160,000 trade visitors from 180 countries. The participation not only allowed local companies to present their latest offerings but provided a platform for Malaysian companies to gather various information on global trends particularly on taste, preference and lifestyles of consumers from around the world, especially Europe.

According to Mr Badrul Hisham Hilal, MATRADE Frankfurt’s Trade Commissioner, Germany is Malaysia’s largest trading partner in the EU and MATRADE is optimistic that the continued participation in trade fairs around the region will facilitate Malaysian exporters’ F&B exports to the EU. “The increasing consumer awareness in nutrition value and healthcare has created a demand for functional food, healthy processed food and organic food in the European continent. These are the areas our exporters can capitalise on when exporting F&B to Europe.”

Apart from the exhibition, MATRADE has also coordinated more than 400 business meetings for Malaysian companies to meet up with importers, distributors and wholesalers from many parts of the world.
MATRADE’s Chairman, YB Dato’ Dr. Noraini Ahmad who attended ANUGA 2017 to support Malaysian companies’ presence at the event said, “Malaysia is known to manufacture products made with high quality ingredients, developed under strict quality control within a hygienic environment to ensure the products’ quality and safety. This is Malaysia’s strongest selling point.” She added that MATRADE has also leveraged on the platform to promote its signature Halal trade fair, Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS), that is scheduled for April 2018.

The 5-day show concluded with Malaysian exhibitors reaping an impressive RM71.7 million worth of sales, an increase of 5.8 per cent from RM67.77 million through the participation in 2015. Among the products that recorded the highest sales this year were confectionery, beverages, coconut & cocoa products, palm oil products and instant noodles. Apart from that, the exhibitors have also received enquiries from foreign buyers from The Netherlands, Turkey, China, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and others who showed strong interest to source from Malaysia.

This year, Stancodex Sdn Bhd one of the Malaysian exhibitors was awarded with ANUGA Taste Innovation Show’ with their product ‘Kerra Coconut Spread’. The product is an extract of coconut combined with special flavour and texture. The award is a recognition given to brands at ANUGA with the most innovative products. Every year, closed to 900 companies applied for it. The award is a recognition to local companies’ capabilities and proof that Malaysian exporters are competitive globally.

Malaysian companies have been at the forefront of quality and innovation in the F&B industry mainly due to their proactiveness in obtaining accreditation from internationally-renowned certification namely ISO 22000, CODEX, HACCP, GMP and Halal.