NutriAsia eyes banana catsup distribution in Jakarta

Sauce and condiments maker NutriAsia Inc. is in talks with an Indonesian company to penetrate its local market as part of Filipino firm's preparation for the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) single market starting 2015, a top official said Friday.

 

With an aim to have a bigger play in the ASEAN single market, NutriAsia president and CEO Angie Go Flaminiano said the company was talking with the Indonesian outfit "who's very interested with the banana catsup."

"The distributor we're talking to thinks that the banana catsup will appeal to the Indonesians," Flaminiano said in a briefing at NutirAsia's Marilao, Bulacan factory.

 

"If we do test market using banana catsup, we will limit it to Jakarta," she added.

 

In the same briefing, NutriAsia marketing director Jamie Garaci said there seemed to be some demand for Filipino food overseas, which are featured in cable channels like the Lifestyle Network.

 

"Now is prime time for NutriAsia to export more since there's seems to be some interest for Filipino food globally," Garaci said.

 

With that growing interest, she said NutriAsia wanted to be a driver to accelerate that momentum.

 

"Initially, we see that our products are being bought only by the Filipinos overseas

Now that it's gaining popularity, we see that as a challenge to drive that," Garaci said.

 

However, Flaminiano said there was no firm plan to put up a manufacturing plant overseas at the moment as focus remained in NutriAsia's production in the Philippines.

 

"Our brands are deeply entrenched in the lives of Filipinos...and the quality of our products are world class," Flaminiano said.

 

"We have the scale to ensure that we manage our costs well and prices that are reasonable and affordable," she added.

 

The company exports its products worldwide but are directed to Filipino communities overseas, Flaminiano said.
 

Eighty percent of the company's total exports are directed to the US and the Middle East while most of the balance are in Hong Kong and Singapore in Asia.

 

By 2015, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) sets in motion the creation of a single market spanning the 10-nation bloc.

 

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

 

Acquisition of another condiments firm

In the local market, Flaminiano said the company was on the lookout for a new acquisition of another condiments outfit within the next 12 months as part of its expansion plans.

 

"We're acquiring something that is core to our business," Flaminiano said, declining to give out other details.

 

Garaci said NutriAsia expanded through the years by acquiring brands.

 

"It's in our nature to acquire companies.... It's been built through acquisitions," she said.

 

Information posted on its website showed NutriAsia evolved through a series of brand acquisitions namely the rights to three popular brands of catsup and lechon sauce namely Jufran, Mafran and Andok’s in the 1990s and the UFC brand in 1996.

 

In the longer term, Flaminiano said they are looking at expanding its product offerings beyond the condiments market.

 

"We want to expand our footprint in the Philippine food market beyond condiments but still packaged foods," Flaminiano said. "That's in our pipeline for now and in the next five years." —NB, GMA News