Natural, organic products in United States expo

MANILA, Philippines - The rising demand for natural and organic products in the US is creating a growing market for Philippine agricultural products, the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC said.

According to the Embassy, nine Philippine companies will be joining the Natural Products Expo East from Sept. 17 to 19 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland. The trade show is the largest natural, organic, and healthy products event in the US East Coast.

The Philippine Department of Agriculture, through the DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS), organized the following natural product exporters to participate in this event – Brandexports Philippines Inc., Elemie Naturals Inc., GreenLife Coconut Products Philippines Inc., Nutramedica, Inc., Orich International Traders, Inc., Prime Fruits International Inc., Sweet Pacific Foodfarms Product, Team Asia Corp., and Tropicana Food Products Inc.

A variety of coconut pro-ducts will be available to the American public such as coconut water, milk, milk powder, flour, cider vinegar, coconut nutraceutical products, desiccated coconut, coconut sugar, organic extra virgin coconut oil, and virgin coconut oil beauty pearls. The coconut is known as the tree of life in the Philippines because of the seemingly endless list of products and by-products derived from all its parts.

Other Philippine products to be featured in the trade show are body products made from pili, handcrafted bath soaps, topical scalp products, vinegar, dried mangoes, noodles, juices and fruit juice drinks, camote (sweet potato) and banana chips, condiments, and sauces.

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. expressed optimism in the growing share of the Philippines in the natural products market and encouraged US buyers to take advantage of the growing demand for such products.

“The Philippines has long been producing natural, organic, and healthy agricultural products as well as nutritionally-dense foods considered ‘superfoods’ abroad. The Natural Products Expo East is the perfect venue for sellers to bring their products to the attention of US buyers. I am glad Philippine companies, with the help of the Department of Agriculture and our Agricultural Attaché, have penetrated this market. I hope more Philippine businesses will follow soon,” Cuisia said.

“With more and more people becoming health conscious, there is definitely a growing market for natural and healthier alternatives. I encourage both Filipino and American-owned businesses to consider using and retailing Philippine products,” he added.

The 2014 Market Overview of Natural Foods Merchandiser, a leading media source and information provider for the healthy products industry, showed US nationwide sales of all natural and organic products jumped nine percent to nearly $99 billion last year.

According to Philippine Agriculture Attaché to the US Dr. Josyline C. Javelosa, this has also led to a growth of participants and consumers in the Natural Products Expo.

“More retail buyers are walking the show floor at Expo East than ever before, looking for the newest quality products to bring back to their stores,” Javelosa said.

The trade show will bring over 22,000 attendees and more than 1,800 exhibitors, with approximately 30 percent of those exhibiting for the first time and new to the marketplace.

This year, the expo will include for the first time a farm-to-market tour where attendees will have the opportunity to visit some of Baltimore’s retail stores and nearby farms that source from them.