2012 Thailand Health Food and Food Ingredients Expo Opens at the End of March

2012 Thailand Health Food and Food Ingredients Expo opens at the end of March; Chinese Halal food manufacturers are poised for action.

The second Health Food and Ingredients Thailand exhibition (HFIT for short) will open in Thailand on 29 March. This exhibition is held by ASEAN specifically to highlight the development of health food and beverages, food ingredients, food additives and their related industries.

In the field of physical and mental health, you can often see how Thailand's SPA 'health wisdom' maintains health according to age and physiological requirements; Thai massage and spa centers offer contact massage and water-based relaxation. In the 2012 World Food Market Trends Report, health food—including nutraceuticals and health foods, and functional foods that delay aging and improve brain function—is in a rapid-growth channel and is the current trend in the food industry.

Data from relevant Thai research show that the total market value of nutraceuticals and health products is about 20 billion baht (about 4.1 billion yuan), including beverages and other liquid products. Functional beverages account for 42%, health foods and vitamins account for 35% and 16% respectively, while children's food supplements account for the remaining 7%.

In the 2011 Thai food market, the fastest-growing product was tea beverages, at about 9.1 billion baht (about 1.86 billion yuan); followed by functional beverages, at about 4 billion baht (about 822 million yuan). In the new market segments of 2012, growth points are expected to concentrate on whitening and beauty beverages and beverages that enhance male sexual ability.

The exhibition organizing committee said that 29-30 March are business customer days, and 31 March - 1 April are public open days. Visitors will be able to find the products and services that enterprises are seeking, gain knowledge of various relevant activities, and purchase health products.

Business customers will have the opportunity to do business matching and knowledge updates, and grasp dietary supplement trends in Thailand and around the world. The president of the Thai Health Food and Supplement Association said: 'The use of Chinese herbal products is a new trend in spa management and development, helping to delay aging and maintain health.' At the same time, there is also a comprehensive understanding of updates on the ASEAN natural cosmetics market, the Singapore cosmetics market, and the development of natural cosmetics in Indonesia.

'Health' is the soul of Halal food. Halal standards have gradually become a trend in the food industry, and Southeast Asia, where Muslim countries are concentrated, has always been one of the main export markets for Chinese food manufacturers. This HFIT expo is undoubtedly a great business opportunity for Chinese food manufacturers.