PENTICTON – Eight BC food companies will have the fruits of their labour on display at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Food Expo, Asia’s largest consumer food industry event, from Aug. 11-15, 2016.
The Food Expo attracted more than 470,000 public visitors in 2015 and featured nearly 1,200 exhibitors from 24 countries around the world. B.C. companies will have the opportunity to attract new customers from more than 20,000 quality global food product buyers from Hong Kong, Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Europe and emerging markets.
This year, the Ministry of International Trade and B.C.’s trade and investment representative office in Hong Kong organized a delegation of eight B.C. companies to attend or have their products represented at the expo in order to expand B.C. exports to international markets and raise awareness of quality B.C. agrifoods products. The B.C. companies exhibiting at the Food Expo are:
- ASTI Holdings (Golden Bonbon) – New Westminster
- Bench 1775 Winery and Tasting Room – Penticton
- Bremner Foods – Delta
- Forbidden Fruit Winery – Cawston
- Global Fruit Brokers – Creston
- Nu-Tea Company – Mission
- R.J.T. Blueberry Park – Aldergrove
- Trumps Food – Vancouver
B.C. food products are considered premium goods in Hong Kong due to British Columbia’s high food safety and quality standards. Those attending the expo this year will be treated to some of the province’s specialty food items – from Italian torrone (nougat) candy to fruit wine, desserts and organic tea.
These products will be on display in the Canada Pavilion at the Food Expo in collaboration with the Canadian Food Exporters Association. The ministry has also organized one-on-one business meetings, a local grocery store and market tour, and a reception between B.C. company representatives and potential buyers and distributors.
Support for this business delegation is funded by Growing Forward 2 (GF2), a five-year agreement launched in 2013 that provides a $3-billion, federal-provincial-territorial government investment in innovation, competitiveness and market development.