Citem eyes EU for food exports

Manila, Philippines -  The export promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is eyeing the hotel, restaurant and catering sector of the European Union as a destination for Philippine food exports.

The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem) of the DTI is participating in the Salon de l’ Alimentation (SIAL) 2012 that will be held at the Paris Norde Villepinte from Oct. 21 to 25. The trade show is the world’s second-largest international biennial food fair that draws over 130,000 trade visitors from 200 countries.

Data from the DTI shows that the EU hotel, restaurant and catering sector is a market worth $97.818 billion (78.254 billion euros) in total food and beverage imports as of 2010.

Citem executive director Rosvi Gaetos said changes in EU’s changing consumption pattern, as shown in the growing preference for takeaway food, can be a boon to Philippine food exports. 

 “This EU sector presents a key and strategic market for the Philippines’ high-value food and beverage products,” Gaetos said.

EU provides a single frontier for all the food imports of its 27 member-states – Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Citem data shows that the region, imports from the Philippines 75 percent (some P21 billion worth) of all its coconut oil requirements, P7.5 billion worth of fishery products and P4.8 billion worth of tropical fruits.

“SIAL 2012 will enable the Philippines to showcase its ethnic food flavors and exotic fruits and introduce new SMEs (small and medium enterprises) to the European market and the rest of the world,” Gaetos said.

The Philippine Pavilion in the trade show will feature fresh, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables, fruit juices and purees, sauces and mixes, and frozen, processed and canned sea food and preserved fish products like sardines, anchovies, mackerel and tuna.