INTERFOOD INDONESIA - Addressing the Industry's Bright Potential

RETURNING to Centre National Exhibition JIExpo in Kemayoran, Jakarta, Interfood Indonesia 2011 opened with the participation of over 214 companies from 37 countries worldwide from 29 September – 2 October. It was the 11th international exhibition on food & beverage products, technology, ingredients, additives, raw materials, services, equipment, and supplies. Interfood Indonesia 2011 was once again featured Bakery & Confectionery (Bakery Indonesia), Food & Hospitality, Food Ingredients, Herbal & Health Food, and Retail & Franchising. The exhibition was also held in conjunction with ALLPACK, ALLPLAS and IPEX 2011.

Interfood Indonesia, the largest international exhibition that serves the country’s promising food and beverage industry, is organised annually by Kristamedia Exhibitions (www.kristamedia.com/) to introduce food products, beverages, additives and ingredients in the processing, technology, raw materials, and services sector.Fadel Muhammad, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, officiated at the opening of the four-day food industry event. In his opening speech, Minister Fadel stressed the significance and importance of the Expo for establishing food processing opportunities, contacts, transactions and experience exchange for the industry of Indonesia.

The fair motivates enterprises to the market higher quality products to meet consumer demand, and also an opportunity for businesses to access the advanced technology for efficiently production, Minister Fadel also said.The event also promotes trade performance products for businesses in the country and abroad, such as the Vietnam Business Matching Meeting. A special delegation from Vietnam led by Dao Ngoc Chuong, deputy director Asia Pacific of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, was at the show to develop business opportunities between the two South East Asian countries.

Minister Fadel, who is also chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, visited the Vietnamese booths with David Salim, chief executive of show organiser Kristamedia.

Halal food workshop

On this occasion, LPPOM MUI (Research Institute for Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics of Majelis Ulama Indonesia) in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and the support of Kristamedia held the first conference on halal food to tackle the potential production of these commodities in Vietnam. The workshop aimed to help Vietnamese enterprises to better understand the requirements and procedures for export of halal food to Indonesia, in particular, and the Muslim countries in general.

One of the workshops discussed the potential business opportunities between Indonesia and Vietnam to develop halal food. Indonesia, as the largest Muslim country by population and is a member of the Organisation of Islamic Countries, opens the door for the Vietnamese food industry to penetrate the huge halal food market, the seminar attendants learned. Speakers included deputy director of LPPOM MUI Ir. Muti Arintawati, Msi and Mr Dao Ngoc Churong.

Mr Dao Ngoc Churong said the halal industry in Viet Nam would be handled solely by producers and exporters whose facilities and products will be halal-certified before they enter the export market. He assured that the industry and exporters in the country will surely meet halal standards of Indonesia and other importing countries.Indonesia and Viet Nam are very strategic business partners in the food and beverage industry, Mr Dao Ngoc Churong also said.The target is that by 2015, the value of export of halal products from Viet Nam to Indonesia will reach $5 billion.

Meanwhile, Muti Arintawati explained the role and duties in the field of LPPOM MUI halal certification in Indonesia as welAir Jordan I Mid