BOHOLANO food products go international in IFEX 2008

In no time at all, favorite peanut kisses, calamay, caycay, tajada, mango spread, salabat (ginger tea) and broa would be gracing international market shelves as they debut in the upcoming International Food Exhibition (IFEX) this month at the Mall of Asia in Pasay.

The event, an exhibit component of the Partner Region Program (PRP) by the Asian Ethnic Food Festival now commonly called IFEX 2008, would feature local food and processors, which benefited technical help from experts and resources of Conventions and International Trades Expositions and Missions (CITEM) a trade promotion organization.

In Bohol, up to take their respective spots in upcoming IFEX are BUCAREZ Food Processing’s Peanut Kisses, BQ Breadbasket’s Calamay, Jojie’s Bakeshop’s Caycay, Bohol Quality Pastries’ Tajada, Bohol Bee Farm’s Mango Spread, Candabong RIC Multipurpose Cooperative’s Salabat Ginger Tea, Tienda Boholana’s Mango cookie and Tessie’s Sweets and Pastries’ ladyfingers or Broas.

These Bohol food products benefited mainstreamed and developed food packaging systems from government and technical experts, bared local Department of Trade and Industry authorities.

The Citem, the country’s export management authorities said the named Bohol products were identified through their PRP, and were assessed as having the potential in both domestic and international markets.

Under the program, select food companies from the identified regions are given assistance in food packaging development and enhancement to make their products competitive in both domestic and international markets.

For nine months, trainings and seminars were given to company owners in production and marketing-related topics to help them improve their production towards safe and quality products and equip them with knowledge in negotiating better with both local and foreign buyers.

During these periods the selected food companies underwent trainings and seminars on food packaging and labeling, current good manufacturing practices, brand management, food process cost management, marketing management, visual merchandising and negotiation techniques.

One-on-One consultancy and In-plant assessments are likewise provided by the PRP experts to these firms.

The products, in their enhanced packaging and labels, are showcased in a special setting during the International Food Exhibition or IFEX.

For this year’s edition, the Central Visayas Region has been identified as the Partner Region for IFEX 2008, set for exhibition this coming May 16-18 at the SMEX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

The Central Visayan food products identified went through rigorou screening by CITEM experts, the Department of Science and Technology-Packaging Research and Development Center (DOST-PRDC), Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) and San Miguel Packaging Products.