Gulfood fair begins in Dubai

Gulfood 2018, a food and beverage commodity expo, began at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) in the UAE on Sunday, report agencies.
PRAN, a leading food processor in Bangladesh, has joined the fair.
The group is displaying over 300 products in eight stalls in Gulfood, one of the largest food fairs in the world. It is participating in the fair for the sixth time.
The event, which will continue up to February 22, is the 23rd edition of the show, featuring more than 5,000 local, regional and international exhibitors hawking their wares and 97,000 attendees bearing witness to the food industry's latest trends and technology.
Specialised segments of the show will focus on the halal food industry, estimated in recent research to grow to a $10 trillion market by 2030; a chef competition; and dedicated areas for beverages, health and wellness foods, and fats and oils.
Health and wellness, alongside free-from products, including wheat-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free, also feature prominently in this year's Gulfood.
Organic foods are set to hit $1.5 billion in sales this year, driven by demand from key supermarkets, according to a 2017 Frost and Sullivan report.
PRAN, the Bangladeshi group is displaying its products in juice and beverage, confectionary, snacks, biscuit and bakery, culinary, dairy, spice and frozen categories in the stalls.
Arifur Rahman, Head of Marketing (Export) at PRAN Group, said, "Gulfood fair is one of the largest food and hospitality fairs in the world. Traders and buyers come to this fair from every corner of the globe."
"Traders from different countries are displaying their products in different categories to get business deals at the fair. Juice, beverage and confectionary items are the center of attraction among the buyers," he added.
At present, PRAN exports its products to 135 countries.
The group received export orders worth around $5 million during last year's Gulfood fair.