NEW YORK: Malaysian food suppliers wanting to gain a foothold in the huge United States (US) market have to take lifestyle and cultural factors into account, said Phil Kafarakis, president of the influential Specialty Food Association (SFA).
His comments followed the participation of six Malaysian food exporting companies at the just-concluded New York Fancy Food Show (NYFFS).
While their participation not only provided exposure to Malaysian food products, it also enabled them to strengthen their foothold in the US market, said Kafarakis.
“ The choice of foods has become part of lifestyle and culture … we now have the halal, kosher, organic, vegetarian and vegan food categories, all of which have their dedicated followers.
“Taste is not the only criterion for choosing a particular food. Thus, any foreign food supplier wanting to get a foothold in this gigantic food market, has to take the lifestyle and cultural factors into account,” he added.
The US is indeed a gigantic food market, with consumers ever willing to spend more for good, quality food.
Organic, vegetarian and vegan food varieties are getting increasingly popular and Malaysian food exporters would do well to take note in attempting any foray into the US market.
The US food market value is mind-boggling, recording a whopping US$148.7 billion in sales of speciality food products in 2018, according to the SFA data.
Indeed, 74 per cent of consumers purchase speciality foods. Retail sales of the speciality food segment grew at 10.3 per cent compared to the general food at 3.1 per cent. The so-called “better-for-you, functional, and health-forward” foods will
be on the radar for the next five years.
It was not surprising to find at the NYFSS, big food-supplying countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece and Germany, showcasing a larger range of products that conformed to the changing tastes, besides displaying their traditional meat products.
Even the traditional halal food supplying countries such as Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia were heavily focused on vegetarian and vegan products.
The six Malaysian exhibiting companies displayed, coconut water and coconut-based products as well as biscuits, cookies and sauces among others. – Bernama
