Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The market for plant-based foods is surgingglobally after the pandemic, presenting an opportunity for Vietnamesevegetarian food exporters, of which the UK is a promising market.

Last week, Dong Thap province-based Binh Loan vegetarian food factory exportedtwo tonnes of canned vegetarian food to the UK with the support of Longdan, thebiggest importer of Vietnamese goods in the UK.

This is the first vegetarian food factory in Dong Thap province that hasexported canned vegetarian food to a foreign market. Exported products includedvegetarian brown rice with lotus seed and six vegetarian beancurd skins withdifferent flavours.

According to Thai Thanh Binh, owner of the Binh Loan food facility, Longdan hasapproached him and made the export order.

Vegan diet and plant-based foods are gaining popularity among EU and UKconsumers, and the UK supermarket chains believes this is a promising marketfor Vietnamese vegetarian food producers.

Binh said the export procedures to the UK were simple and convenient with thebacking of Longdan, especially when the factory’s foods meet the the Sanitaryand Phytosanitary measures (SPS).

“Our foods meet the SPS standard of the EU and the UK. We sent the food samplesfor testing and the results showed they meet the strict requirements of theimporting country,” Binh told Viet Nam News.

He said all products are produced without preservatives and the fermentationprocesses are made traditionally, ensuring food safety and hygiene. This is arare thing in canned products which are preserved for a long time.

Health concerns after the pandemic are driving consumers globally to changetheir diet to plant-based food. According to market insiders, this is anopportunity for Vietnamese food processors with sustainable developmentstrategies to enter new markets, especially with the backing of free tradeagreements that Vietnam has signed with many countries, including the UK.

The UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), which officially came into forceon May 1, 2021, has created favourable and transparent conditions for theimport of agricultural products, food, beverages and other products subject toSPS measures to the UK.

A survey of consumers in seven European countries, conducted bySwitzerland-based V-Label GmbH, has found a growing number of respondents arelooking to eat more plant-based foods post-COVID-19.

At the height of the pandemic, sales of meat alternatives were reported to rise265% over a period of eight weeks. Investments in alt-protein also rose sharplyto reach 4.8 billion USD in 2021, representing a 102% year-on-year growth.

According to Vu Kim Hanh, chairwoman of the Business Association ofHigh-Quality Vietnamese Goods (BSA), from the perspective of marketresearchers, the rising trend of vegetarianism is an opportunity for Vietnameseagricultural products but it also requires more businesse bravery, which is tocreate a trend and create a market.

Data of the vegetarian foods export as an independent sector is not available.Currently, Vietnamese enterprises export vegetarian food and meat alternativefood together with other groups of industries, such as fish sauce, soy sauce,instant noodles and vermicelli.

The development of Vietnam's vegetarian and meat alternative food brands to theglobal market has also not been constructed. However, Hanh said not only forvegetarian food but also for processed food export in general, the strictadherence to the SPS standards are important to export to the fastidiousmarkets like the UK./.