Food producers told of health trend
The National Innovation Agency (NIA) has urged food suppliers to use research and development and innovation technology to add value to their products and capitalise on the rise of health-consciousness.
Director Supachai Lorlowha-karn said Thailand remained a leading food producer to the tune of Bt700 billion a year, but suppliers lacked supporting technology to create more value in their products, both for export and for domestic consumption.
Worldwide, consumers today realise that food not only provides energy for daily activities but is important in the prevention of illness. Thus exporters and producers should highlight R&D and innovation to improve the quality and healthfulness of food and create new products such as supplements from agricultural commodities, Supachai said.
Of total food exports, about Bt50 billion is value-added products. Supachai said he wanted to see more growth in this segment in coming years.
Meanwhile, Pisuth Lertvilai, president of the Health Food and Supplement Association and member of the Food Science and Technology Association of Thailand (FoSTAT), said the global health-food and supplement market was estimated to grow 23 per cent to US$29.75 billion by 2015 from $24.22 billion (Bt731.4 billion) this year.
Pisuth added that the domestic market for health food and supplements this year was expected to see a 10-per-cent rise from last year's Bt23.6 billion. This comprises four key segments: food for the brain, food for weight control, food for beauty and anti-ageing, and food for well-being.
To promote this market segment domestically, the NIA offers financial support for companies eager to conduct R&D and use of innovation technology.
The NIA will also hold InnovAsia 2011: Food in the Future (FIF2011) from tomorrow through Saturday at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok. The event aims to encourage and strengthen the connections between key players and stakeholders in the food industry and to provide seminars and conferences for updates on recent innovations, trends and market perspectives in the industry.
