economy and politics

The UK is a promising export market for Vietnamese vegetarian food

Vegetarian Food

Producing beancurd skins at the Bình Loan vegetarian food factory. – Photo courtesy of Bình Loan


Last week, the Bình Loan vegetarian food factory, based in Tháp province, Vietnam exported two tons of canned vegetarian food to the UK with the support of Longdan, the largest importer of Vietnamese products in the UK.

The market for plant-based foods is increasing worldwide in the aftermath of the pandemic, presenting an opportunity for Vietnamese exporters of vegetarian foods, among which the UK is a promising market.

It is the first vegetarian food factory in Đồng Tháp province that has exported canned vegetarian food to a foreign market. Products exported include vegetarian lotus seed brown rice and six different flavored vegetarian beancurd skins.

According to Thái Thanh Bình, owner of the Bình Loan food store, Longdan contacted him and placed the export order.

The vegan diet and plant-based foods are gaining popularity among consumers in the EU and the UK, and British supermarket chains believe it is a promising market for Vietnamese vegetarian food producers.

Bình said export procedures to the UK were easy and convenient with Longdan’s backing, especially when the factory’s food is sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) compliant.

Vietnam’s exports of agroforestry and aquatic products increase by more than 13%

“Our food complies with EU and UK sanitary and phytosanitary standards. We sent the food samples for testing and the results showed that they meet the strict requirements of the importing country,” Bình told Vietnam News.

It is the first vegetarian food factory in Đồng Tháp province that has exported canned vegetarian food to a foreign market.

He said that all the products are produced without preservatives and the fermentation processes are done in a traditional way, which guarantees food safety and hygiene. This is rare for canned products that keep for a long time.

Post-pandemic health concerns are driving consumers around the world to switch to plant-based diets. According to market insiders, this is an opportunity for Vietnamese food processors with sustainable development strategies to enter new markets, especially backed by free trade agreements that Vietnam has signed with many countries, including the UK.

The United Kingdom-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), which officially entered into force on May 1, 2021, has created favorable and transparent conditions for the importation of agricultural products, food, beverages and other products subject to sanitary measures. and phytosanitary to the United Kingdom.

A survey conducted by Switzerland-based V-Label GmbH among consumers in seven European countries has revealed that an increasing number of respondents want to consume more plant-based foods after the entry into force of COVID-19.

At the height of the pandemic, sales of meat alternatives increased 265% in an eight-week period. Investments in alternative proteins also rose sharply to reach $4.8 billion in 2021, representing a year-on-year growth of 102%.

According to Vũ Kim Hạnh, president of the Vietnamese High Quality Products Business Association (BSA), from the perspective of market researchers, the rising trend of vegetarianism is an opportunity for Vietnamese agricultural products, but it also requires more business courage. , which is to create a trend and create a market.

Post-pandemic health concerns are driving consumers around the world to switch to plant-based diets

Data on the export of vegetarian foods as an independent sector is not available. Currently, Vietnamese companies export vegetarian foods and meat alternative foods along with other industry groups, such as fish sauce, soy sauce, instant noodles, and noodles.

The development of Vietnam’s vegetarian and meat-alternative food brands towards the world market has also not been built. However, Hạnh said that not only for vegetarian foods, but also for the export of processed foods in general, strict adherence to sanitary and phytosanitary standards are important for exporting to demanding markets such as the UK.

Article republished from the Vietnamese state media VNA as part of an agreement between both parties to share content. Link to original article:https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/1311511/uk-a-promising-market-for-vietnamese-vegetarian-food-export.html





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