Food industry exchange with Manila gets boost

Chung Hae-mun, secretary general of ASEAN-Korea Center

The ASEAN-Korea Center has dispatched a trade mission composing of 30 experts and buyers in the Korean food industry to Manila, the Philippines from May 14 to 17, with the goal of strengthening business networks and promoting trade between Korea and the Philippines.

The trade mission participated in the “International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines 2013,” a biennial event for international markets to access Asian ethnic food and ingredients to explore the possibility of sourcing diverse Philippine food products and ingredients to Korea.

They also visited major local food makers to get a close look into their manufacturing processes and seek areas of cooperation.

In addition, the ASEAN-Korea Center is organizing a “Korean Market Access Seminar” to enhance the understanding of the Korean food market among the local food makers and to create business opportunities.

Presentations will be given on food sourcing trends in Korea’s major food enterprises, effective utilization of the AKFTA and up-to-date Korean packaging trends, followed by one-on-one business meetings between the local manufacturers and Korean buyers.

The center expressed hope that the mission program will not only contribute to boosting mutual understanding of the food market between Korea and the Philippines but also work as a good opportunity to introduce diverse Philippine food resources to the Korean market, thereby strengthening cooperation and invigorating trade between the two countries.