Taipei Int’l Food Show opens doors

 

Source: China Post

(http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/2016/06/23/470169/Taipei-Intl.htm)

By John Liu, The China Post
June 23, 2016, 12:58 am TWN

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The Taipei International Food Show opened on Wednesday featuring healthy diets, food safety and “next generation food.” The show is establishing itself this year as a new platform to integrate food cultures from the West and the East. Up to 36 national pavilions have been set up, featuring delicacies from China, Japan, South Korea, the U.S. and Latin America, among others.

The Taiwan Pavilion showcases certified and the most distinguished agricultural products on the island. The aim is to present the freshest food of Taiwan that have been processed by modern Western technologies, said the event organizer.

As the show also showcases food packaging equipment, the adoption of the latest “smart machinery” can also be seen at the event. This goes in tandem with the government’s industrial upgrade initiative, said Peter W.J. Huang, president and CEO of Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), the organizer of the exhibition. “Innovation, research and development” are pivotal elements to Taiwan’s machinery industry, Huang noted.

May Wang, vice chairman of the Taiwan Packaging Association, concurred with this assessment, saying at the exhibition’s opening ceremony that Taiwan should adopt “Industry 4.0” and integrate more automation and smart technologies. This is essential if Taiwan is to compete effectively in the global market, Wang said.

As food safety has become a hot-bottom issue in Taiwan, the government has set up a pavilion specifically designed to address this national concern. Vice Economics Minister Yang Wei-fu said in his opening address that the Ministry of Economic Affairs has offered assistance to small and medium-sized companies in various forms including legal consultations to ensure food safety.

The government will give strong backing to the food industry to ensure the least negative impact arising from food safety issues, Yang said.

The local food industry has entered uncharted waters, as food exports to China dropped by more than 30 percent in the first five months of this year. It is indicative of the rise of China’s “red supply chain,” remarked Robert Ouyoung, chairman of the Taiwan Food & Pharmaceutical Machinery Manufacturers’ Association. The Central Bank could use exchange rate tools to make Taiwan’s exports more competitive, Ouyoung suggested.