Discover the latest in food science at Food Ingredients Vietnam 2016

The only event dedicated solely to food ingredients in the region, the exhibition offers conferences, seminars and in-depth insight especially in the beverage sector. Participants can see, touch, taste and experience the newest food ingredients, look at the latest trends, and the most recent innovations driving food science and product development, and network with food professionals in industry, government and academia, from not just the region, but also the world.

The event, organised by exhibition organiser UBM Asia in cooperation with the Vietnam Association of Food Science and Technology (VAFoST), the Cambodia Association of Food Science and Technology (CAFST), the Food and Foodstuff Association of Ho Chi Minh City (FFA) and the Vietnam Beer, Alcohol and Beverage Association (VBA), is expected to attract 4,500 visitors and more than 150 exhibitors from Vietnam, France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Thailand, India, Japan, Taiwan, China, Malaysia and Korea.

Fi Vietnam 2016 will also host the prestigious annual VAFoST Young Achievers’ Safe Food Competition, with the support of the Saigon Technology University.

This year, the competition’s theme is ‘Greener food products for ASEAN consumers’. Undergraduate students from universities and colleges with Food Technology programmes in Vietnam and Cambodia are asked to create innovative packaged food products (new formulations, new product formats, new packaging, etc.) from domestic material resources that are stable at room temperature. UBM has supported students by providing funds to the 20 teams to develop their competition entries. The teams’ developments are going to be showcased at Fi Vietnam 2016.

“UBM is always looking to the future of the industry. We aim to support students and encourage them to become the next generation of food scientists,” said Rungphech (Rose) Chitanuwat, business director of UBM Asia.

Fi Vietnam 2016 is going to be held from May 18 to 20 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre at 799 Nguyen Van Linh street, Tan Phu district, Ho Chi Minh City. One can register online at www.fi-vietnam.net/register to receive a free three-day entrance pass, a free show catalogue and free entrance to all onsite features. The website also provides a full list of confirmed exhibitors, conference and seminar programmes.

With a population of more than 90 million, Vietnam is one of the most promising consumer markets in Asia, benefiting from favourable demographics, rapid urbanisation and increasing disposable incomes. As a result, the Vietnamese food and beverage (F&B) market has grown at a rapid pace, and consumers have started to prefer the convenience of packaged food and products, which take less time to prepare and eat.

Euromonitor predicted retail sales in the packaged food market in Vietnam to reach over $12 billion in 2019, growing 30.7 per cent from 2014. High growth products in the forecast include ice cream, chilled, and frozen processed food, ready meals, baby food, meal replacement, dairy, canned/preserved food and pasta. The world’s biggest brewer, Anheuser Busch InBev, said Vietnam is the “next turning point” for growth in Southeast Asia, when it opened its first brewery in the country last year. According to the VBA the F&B sectors have enormous potential for development with a stable annual growth rate of 7-8 per cent.

Owned by UBM plc listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia is Asia's leading exhibition organiser and the biggest commercial organiser in mainland China, India and Malaysia. Established with its headquarters in Hong Kong and subsidiary companies across Asia and in the US, UBM Asia has a global network of 32 offices and 1,300 staff in 24 major cities. UBM Asia operates in 19 market sectors with 230 exhibitions and conferences, 28 trade publications, 18 online products for over 2,000,000 quality exhibitors, visitors, conference delegates, advertisers and subscribers from all over the world.