BANGKOK, Thailand — For two decades already, Thailand’s THAIFEX-Anuga Asia has helped promote some of the best food businesses in Asia, helping their brands go global. It has also become a platform for promising startups to widen their reach and scale their operations.
This year’s edition, held from May 27 to 31 at IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center in Bangkok, is no different. As THAIFEX continues to see increased global participation from European and American countries, the Asian F&B exhibitors remain to be at the heart and center of the trade event.
Take for example host country and co-organizer Thailand, which had 1,184 Thai exhibitors out of the total 3,231 exhibitors.
This reinforces Thailand as a leader in food exports, ranking 12th globally. It also helps promote the “Thai Kitchen to the World” policy, which takes pride in the distinctive Thai flavors and dining culture.
Bringing authentic flavors to the world
When it comes to authentic Thai cuisine, Thipsamai Padthai Pratoopee is a staunch advocate. With over a century of culinary heritage, it is considered one of the best restaurants in Thailand when it comes to pad thai. Its presence this year at THAIFEX definitely made a lasting impact.
In an interview with Professor Thanyanan Baisamut, vice president at Thipsamai Group, she expressed that the company now aims to bring the authentic pad thai to the world.
“Thipsamai is a restaurant established 86 years ago, so [we have been in the business for] almost a century already. We started pad thai as a streetfood,” she recounted. “Now we ask ourselves, how we can cover customers of all ages, gender and nationality?”
With this goal in mind, Thipsamai went on to go beyond expectations, debuting 20 new processed food products under the Thipsamai and Brand Thai brands at THAIFEX 2025.
Thipsamai’s new product lines include ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook meals such as frozen pad thai with authentic flavors, frozen rice dishes like tom yum fried rice and chicken basil rice, as well as exciting frozen appetizers and desserts.
Also new are instant pad thai products like the rice noodle and glass noodle cups, which come in diverse flavor options.
These are now being exported to and sold at leading supermarkets in South Korea, Hong Kong, US and the Philippines—with more expansion plans this year.
Showcasing the ‘Taste of the Philippines’
Also from Asia, the Philippines continues its tradition of participating at THAIFEX, mounting the Philippine Pavilion with the theme “Taste of the Philippines.” The pavilion is led by the Department of Trade and Industry in partnership with the Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization Inc. (PhilFoodex).
“Our participation at THAIFEX-Anuga Asia is not just an annual tradition. It is an affirmation of our collective mission to take ‘pagkaing’ Filipino beyond our shores into the hearts and markets of the world,” Ruben Lim See, president of PhilFoodex, said during the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Philippine Pavilion.
“As the global food industry continues to evolve, so does the Philippine Pavilion. Revolving on the theme ‘Taste of the Philippines’ each year, it resonates deeply with us. Filipino food is more than just a product, it is a story of culture, a celebration of heritage, and a promise of innovation,” See added.
As a result, PhilFoodex curated 22 proudly Filipino companies, reflecting a blend of culinary heritage, product innovation and export readiness.
Each booth is ready for deal-making and offering a diverse selection of premium products—from baked goods, sauces, and condiments to ready-to-heat meals, banana chips, noodles, beverages and cacao-based treats.
One of them is Jamla Corporation, with Philippine tablea at the heart of their business. They are the makers of Alfonso’s Classic Hot Chocolate Tablea and Alfonso’s Instant Gourmet Chocolate Mix.
“Alfonso's hot chocolate is a recipe that has been with us since 1949. It started with my great, great grandfather who was serving hot chocolate in Batangas. Eventually, they started making it into a product,” Chief Financial Officer Andrew Panopio said in an interview with Philippine media at THAIFEX.
“My father took on the business in the 90s, expanding from tablea to instant hot chocolate and instant champorado,” he said. And thanks to his mom, they also started producing non-chocolate products, which are Tita Lulu’s Instant Ube Champorado and Instant Arroz Caldo.
Panopio shared that they now enjoy a niche market of Filipinos here and abroad who want the familiar flavors of their products, without the need to create them from scratch.
“I hope it means we remind them of home,” he expressed.
At THAIFEX, Jamla also introduced two new upcoming flavors for their instant cup products, ginataang munggo and ginataang mais.
“I really hope to meet individuals who are set on looking for something specific, especially with our Philippine chocolate. . . And when they get to try our food, be convinced that they can sell this,” Panopio expressed.
For their part, THAIFEX organizers values Philippines’ participation, which has been steadily growing throughout the years.
“I think [the] Philippines definitely is one of our long-standing partners [at THAIFEX]. We don’t even treat them as our customers, they are really our partners. So, over the years, we also see their participation has been growing in terms of the size,” Lynn How, project director of THAIFEX- Anuga Asia 2025, said during a media roundtable.
Teeming with purpose-driven F&B innovations
Asian startups are also aplenty at THAIFEX 2025, with some emerging as finalists and winners at the tasteInnovation Show and also joining the Anuga Startup exhibits. While majority showcase in bigger, standalone booths.
Here are some of the finalists:
- Coffogenic – A winner at the tasteInnovation Show 2025, Coffogenic by Hillkoff is a functional health drink made from coffee pulps, a byproduct of coffee production. It is made by Hillkoff, an established Thai coffee company driven by sustainability.
- Protinos – This high-protein dried noodles is made from egg whites and soy protein. Its soft, chewy texture does not become soggy or fall apart when cooked in soups or stir-fry. One pack provides 32g of protein, which is equivalent to five eggs, making it ideal for weight management.
- BlackMo – Originating from China, BlackMo coffee is dubbed the “World’s 1st Molasses Syrup Beverages.” It offers consumers easy, creamy instant drink with molasses syrup. In-short, it’s a 3-in-1 coffee or tea like you’ve never had before! A single pack contains a mix of powered oat milk and coffee or tea, along with a separate syrup for the blackstrap molasses, which BlackMo stands for. It is already available in the Philippines.
Big or small, new or established, Asian F&B companies are out to deliver the most flavorful, the most innovative, and the most authentic products for the global market—while being driven by a shared mission: to address the latest consumer demands and behaviors.
THAIFEX-Anuga Asia is organized by Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion - Ministry of Commerce, the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Koelnmesse. It will return May on 26 to 30, 2026. For more information and updates on upcoming events, visit https://thaifex-anuga.com.
It is part of the larger Anuga brand of F&B shows, with the flagship trade fair happening in Cologne, Germany from October 4 to 8. "Where Innovations Take Center Stage and the Future gets a flavorful Touch," Anuga 2025 will provide a platform for networking as well as profound insights into the pioneering developments of the industry. Visit https://www.anuga.com.
Editor’s Note: This #BrandSpace story is created with THAIFEX-Anuga Asia and Koelnmesse. It is produced by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.