Expanding export opportunities for deeply processed farm produce

THAIFEX-Anuga Asia 2026, one of the largest food and beverage exhibitions in the Asia-Pacific region, is becoming a crucial rendezvous for the global food industry. This year, the event gathers over 3,300 enterprises from more than 60 countries and is expected to attract over 88,000 visitors from 140 countries and territories.

At the exhibition, many Vietnamese enterprises not only introduced fresh agricultural products but also focused on deeply processed products with high technological content and added value, such as Chanh Thu, AIG, Betrimex, Beinco, Hung Hau Agricultural, AgJust Viet, Sa Giang, Chilica, Vipes and Sokfarm. This is considered a vital shift in the strategy to enhance competitiveness and participate more deeply in the global supply chain.

According to participating businesses, the demand for natural ingredients, plant-based foods, and eco-friendly products is growing rapidly in many markets. This provides significant room for Vietnam's agricultural processing industry to increase export value.

Processed products from tropical fruits, coconut, tapioca starch, aloe vera, nata de coco, coffee, water coconut nectar products, chili sauce and various types of pepper received attention from many international importers.

Participating in this event, Asia Ingredients Group (AIG) brought diverse deeply processed agricultural products typical of Viet Nam, such as tropical fruits, coconut, tapioca starch, aloe vera, nata de coco and natural essential oils.

Mr. Nguyen Bao Tung, General Director of AIG, stated that these product lines meet all the stringent standards of the world market and are particularly suitable for the green consumption trend that is surging globally.

"The products have attracted the interest of many customers and partners who are importers, distributors, and enterprises from Europe, Japan, South Korea, the Middle East, and the US", the AIG representative said.

According to Mr. Bruns Udo, Founder and CEO of UB thirsty GmbH (Germany), AIG's products meet European market standards, especially the coconut and aloe vera products.

"With a methodically invested factory system, AIG is fully capable of developing new trends for the international market," Mr. Bruns Udo said.

At THAIFEX-Anuga Asia 2026, Ben Tre Import and Export Joint Stock Company (Betrimex) brought to the exhibition multiple applied solutions from coconut for the food and beverage industry. Within the event's framework, the enterprise's Coconut Milkshake with Plant Protein product was awarded Best Protein Beverage at the Alternative Protein Taste & Flavour Challenge 2026.

This result demonstrates the potential of Viet Nam's processed coconut products in meeting new nutritional trends in the international market.

Meanwhile, Tomcare Biotechnology Co., Ltd. brought the ChiliCa Natural chili sauce line, produced from natural ingredients without the use of chemical preservatives or heat cooking, which also attracted the attention of international buyers.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hien, Director of Tomcare Biotechnology Co., Ltd., the enterprise has connected with many new partners from Europe and Asia. Notably, an importer specializing in distributing Vietnamese goods in Germany has requested product samples to research cooperation opportunities.

"Japanese businesses are very interested in our products; they want to use our chili sauce as an ingredient for processed food lines exported to Japan and the US", Mr. Hien said, noting that the enterprise's products are currently available in many markets such as the US, Canada, Australia, South Korea, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, China and some Middle Eastern countries.

According to industry experts, participating in large-scale international exhibitions not only helps businesses find partners but also contributes to promoting the image of Vietnamese agricultural products, accelerating the transition from exporting raw materials to developing deeply processed products with high added value.

THAIFEX – Anuga Asia 2026 brought together decision-makers from across the global food and beverage industry to source products, build partnerships, and unlock new business opportunities.

From product discovery to deal-making, the show remained focused on driving business forward.

This year's edition expanded to 12 halls and 140,000+ square metres, marking its largest edition to date.

The expansion comes at a time when sourcing decisions across the food and beverage industry are becoming more critical and more time-sensitive, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.