Exporters pin hope on traditional Vietnamese food

Vietnamese cuisine is widely appreciated for its delicious flavours and high nutritional value. Exporting these products, therefore, has become a priority for Vietnamese businesses to expand their markets overseas.

Mikko-Huong Xua premix products by joint venture company Intermix, which is well-known among Vietnamese consumers, are now available in more than 30 countries worldwide. They have gained popularity and high sales in markets such as the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia.

Meanwhile, Song Huong Foods, a company with strengths in food production and preservation technology, opted for the export of pre-processed traditional dishes, with their successful products including various types of fish sauces and traditional cakes.

According to CTWS Group, which imports and distributes Song Huong Foods products, such exports marked the first time that a wide range of Vietnamese specialty products fully certified for quality and safety has reached the hands of Vietnamese people in the US. Previously, such types of goods were only brought into the nation in small quantities as personal gifts without strict quality assurance.

The key to successfully exporting traditional food lies in not only their taste but also their quality, food safety, and convenience for consumers.

Intermix CEO Huynh Kim Chi noted that to serve demanding markets, the production lines must be equipped with modern and closed technologies. In addition, Intermix has a Research and Development (R&D) team to create its specialised and convenient pre-mix products.

CEO of Song Huong Foods Nguyen Le Quoc Tuan said that it took the company more than six months to conduct all the tests on input materials and complete FDA certification procedures to introduce a wide range of northern, central, and southern-style fish sauces and traditional cakes to 32 states of the US, serving the Vietnamese communities there.

Regarding the potential for the development of traditional Vietnamese food products on the international markets, CTWS Group assessed that Vietnam has a competitive edge from its raw materials, especially in the fish sauce sector. What businesses need to do now is to seek and develop more of the kind to serve Vietnamese expatriates, promote Vietnamese culinary culture, and expand export markets.

VNA