MATRADE TO GROW MALAYSIAN PRESENCE IN FRANCE'S HALAL FOOD SECTOR

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia External Trade Development
Corporation (Matrade) will be assisting Malaysian food and beverage companies to
expand their presence in France's huge halal food sector.

Through participation at major food events, like the upcoming Salon
International de I'Alimentation (SIAL) Paris 2010 from Oct 17 to 21, Malaysian
companies will be able to market their products to France's Muslim community
which is the largest in Europe.

"Although Malaysia's share of France's halal food market is very small at
just 0.33 per cent, nevertheless, it does represent a foothold in which
Malaysian halal food products can gain further local traction and rapidly expand
their consumer base within France," said Matrade chief executive officer
Noharuddin Nordin.

"At the last show in 2008, Malaysian exhibitors generated total sales of
RM115.25 million. This year, we expect to increase the figure by more than 10
per cent due to the large Muslim community and halal food demand in France and
the region," he said in a statement Friday.

This year, 32 selected Malaysian food and beverage companies, hosted by
Matrade at the Malaysia Pavilion, will participate in SIAL Paris 2010 with
displays of products like beverages, confectionaries, frozen food, fruit juices,
palm oil and edible oil products, and snacks.

It is estimated that halal food consumption in France has been increasing by
10 to 15 per cent annually since 1998, with annual sales of more than RM24.5
billion (US$7.93 billion).

-- BERNAMA



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