TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Premium food and beverages from Australia’s multi-cultural culinary capital, Melbourne, feature among a bounty of mouth-watering offerings from the State Government of Victoria’s trade mission to Foodex Japan 2015.
A record number of Victorian exhibitors will promote their products and services at Foodex from March 3 to 6 at the Makuhari Messe convention centre. Gourmet foods, premium wines and a range of unique health foods will appeal to restaurants, hotels, wholesalers and retailers alike.
Some favorites include fresh truffles, farmed live abalone, nuts and other gluten-free snacks. Additive-free macadamia milk, a new product developed in Victoria, will be exhibited for the first time in Japan. And unique Australian tea flavors such as wattleseed, pepperberry, lavender and mandarin will be served.
Still and sparkling boutique wines from six small regional wineries will highlight the diversity and world-class quality of artisan wines now being produced in Victoria. Visitors will also be able to taste unique craft beers and pear and apple ciders.
Melbourne’s strong Mediterranean influence will be celebrated with a range of fresh antipasto delicacies and premium extra virgin olive oils. Creative desserts such as macadamia nut pudding with salted caramel sauce and wild fruit compote with wattleseed cream will appeal to Japanese people seeking new and unique flavours.
Outback Chef specializes in creating new products and beverages by combining indigenous bush food and spices from the wild outback. The Chia Company, the world’s largest producer of premium chia seeds, will introduce their new range of “Chia Pods” to Japan for the first time.
Traditional Australian favorites made from premium Aussie beef will be on display. They include prime Angus cocktail beef burgers which won the best new food product at Fine Food Australia last year.
Japan is the largest market for Victoria’s innovative, world-class dairy industry. Delicious fruit cream cheeses and dairy based desserts and ice-cream are a feature of the exhibit. Visitors can also learn about new developments in functional milk powders.
There will also be a wide range of ingredients and raw materials suitable for food-service and manufacturing industries. Preservative-free vegetable and fruit pastes and a unique butter substitute for the baking industry have great potential in Japan.
Taste delicious new season’s fruits and nuts from the southern hemisphere summer harvest. Victorian fresh grapes shipments arrive just in time for Foodex. Victoria is the center of the grape industry and the booming almond industry, now second only to California in production volume.
Following the implementation of the Japan–Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) this year, many products will have tariffs reduced or eliminated. This is a great time to discover the potential of Victoria’s food industry and join us in our mission to be the leading food supplier to Asia.
Mr Adam Cunneen, Victoria’s Tokyo-based Commissioner to Japan, invites visitors to meet Victorian exhibitors and government representatives to discuss new opportunities for trade, investment and collaboration.
“It is a great opportunity for the state’s premium food and beverage companies to showcase their products and services in one of the world’s most discerning markets”, Cunneen said.
Foodex will attract more than 2,800 exhibitors from 78 countries and 80,000 trade professionals.
Japan is a key destination for Victorian suppliers, which are recognized worldwide as secure, reliable and competitive producers of safe, fresh and diverse food and beverages. The state exports to more than 100 countries, with the major food sectors including dairy, meat, confectionery, horticulture, wine, seafood and a range of organic foods.
About Melbourne and Victoria
Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria—home to people from 235 countries and regions. It has recently been rated the world’s most liveable city by the Economist Intelligence Unit for the fourth year in a row. Melbourne was also voted one of the best new cities for business by Fortune magazine, and is ranked the third most entrepreneurial city by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Melbourne’s 4 million people enjoy an enviable lifestyle with outstanding arts, food and wine, shopping, and diverse sporting and leisure opportunities. Victoria, with a population of 5.8 million, is the innovation and knowledge powerhouse of Australia.
Victoria is open for business, with an AAA-rated economy larger than that of Singapore or Hong Kong. While Victoria accounts for only 3 percent of Australia’s landmass, it is responsible for 22 percent of Australia’s economic activity. Built on a tradition of exporting, its exports totalled A$35.1 billion in 2013–14.
Foodex Website: http://www3.jma.or.jp/fx/2015/navi/en/fx_en_list_free.php
