Thai food companies seek local distributors in Brunei
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN - Two Thai food companies were in the sultanate recently in search for local distributors.
Seed oil manufacturer Sha’Harl Sacha Inchi Organic and chili sauce manufacturing firm Fulfil Intellection Co Ltd said they are keen to export their food products, which have been certified Halal by the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand, into Brunei.
Vorraman U-masa, owner of Sha’Harl Sacha, said that he believes there is a huge market in Brunei for his company’s healthy Sacha Inchi oil seeds as Bruneians are more conscious towards maintaining good health.
“I know some Thais working in Brunei for many years, they said Bruneians like to look after their health.”
U-masa said his oil seeds, which are planted in Krabi and Phuket districts in Thailand, contain the essential healthy oils that improve cardiovascular health and help control cholesterol levels.
He said that his firm has already found distributors in Malaysia last year and he hopes to find a Bruneian partner this year.
“I have met five potential local businessmen here in Brunei to market the oilseed product,” he added.
U-masa, who is also a farmer, owns around five acres of Sacha Inchi plantations in Thailand.
“Our oilseed has been researched and tested at the Halal Science Centre of the Chulalongkorn University,” he added.
U-masa said the university is an instructional centre with a network of laboratories in Thailand dedicated to maintaining the halal standards.
Meanwhile, Fulfil Intellection Director Kritpipat Rattanapanich said he wanted to introduce Thailand’s popular chili sauce, Thai Nam Prik (chili paste with fermented shrimp), to Bruneians due to cultural similarities.
Rattanapanich said Nam Prik is popular among Thais in Bangkok where they are served with vegetables, fried fish and rice.
The company has produced the sauce, under the brand Rungchareon Spice Mixture, for many years and are sold in groceries across Thailand.
The director believed that his sauce would make a perfect companion to Brunei’s traditional dish Ambuyat.
“I hope to market the products into Brunei this year. I have already met several local and Thai businessmen here,” said the 46-year-old Muslim entrepreneur.
Apart from being certified halal, Rattanapanich said his firm’s manufacturing process complies with Thailand’s Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards.
It has also gone through the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) assessment in Thailand.
