by FoodBizDaily.com staff writer
February 08 2010 - Around 160 new food and drink products from Irish companies are to be unveiled at an Irish Food Board marketing event that could help boost exports, which dipped last year.
About 300 international food buyers and 100 Irish purchasers will be under the same roof at the Marketplace Ireland event, organised by The Bord Bia food board.
A series of “speed dating” style meetings with the Irish companies have been organised, which is a method that organisers said has worked at previous food board events, irishtimes.com reported.
Aidan Cotter, chief executive of Bord Bia, said it was an opportunity for overseas and domestic buyers to explore the capability, quality and export capacity of the Irish food and drink industry.
He is quoted by the irishtimes.com as saying: “Over 150 dynamic, established and emerging Irish companies will in turn be exposed to key buyers from the retail and food service sectors from across Europe, the US and Asia.”
The event is part of a major marketing drive by Bord Bia.
It follows a report in January, from the Irish Exporter Association, that food exports were down 14% last year, while drink exports fell by 21%.
The industry has suffered from the economic downturn and the strong Euro against the pound, as a high level of food and drink exports go to the UK.