Coffee. Coconut. Chocolate: DTI Showcases Premium PH F&B Products in Osaka

Osaka, Japan (12 September 2022) - Consul General Voltaire D. Mauricio of the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka and Commercial Counsellor Michael Alfred V. Ignacio of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Osaka (PTIC-Osaka), joined the representatives of Philippine Brands and Philippine sourced products at the official opening of the FoodPhilippines booth at the Food Store Solutions Fair 2022 at Intex Osaka which ran from 7 to 8 September.  

Organized by PTIC-Osaka, with the support of Osaka International Business Promotion Council, the FoodPhilippines booth featured an excellent curation of premium Food and Beverage products from the Philippines, namely from Verra Coffee, Cocowell, and Auro Chocolate.   This is in line with DTI’s unified strategy to support niche premium products with the most potential for penetrating the highly-discriminating Japanese market, taking into account supply capacity, quality and export readiness.  

 

The Food Store Solutions Fair 2022 was recently held in Osaka in parallel with FABEX Food Show at INTEX Osaka, the city’s principal trade fair grounds.  The organizers reported that the number of visitors greatly exceeded the numbers from the previous year’s edition, with a total of 14,015 attendees composed mainly of buyers, retailers, importers, distributors and agents for Japan’s mainstream retailing players and stakeholders. Because the event was held in conjunction with FABEX Food Show at the same time, the attendees of FABEX were also able to visit the exhibitors of the Food Store Solutions Fair. 

 

About Verra Coffee 

 

Verra Coffee is a premium coffee brand that is intent in penetrating the niche Japanese market for specialty coffee, micro-roasting, and boutique cafes market. 

 

“We partner with farmers and tribal roasters all over the Philippines, and bring their products to an international market. Our coffee is traceable, sourced directly from the farmers whom we personally know and work with. By purchasing Philippine products, you are helping provide livelihood to the coffee farmers, who are indigenous people groups in the Philippines,” Verra Coffee Founder, Vanessa Velasco said. 

 

Verra Coffee started as a project under the Center for Community Transformation, a non-profit organization that helps the entrepreneurial poor across the country. To know more about Verra Coffee, visit their website at www.verracoffee.com and official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/VerraCoffee.  

MR. LOWIE ANTONIO OF VERRA COFFEE 

About Cocowell 

 

Cocowell Co. Ltd. is a Japanese company founded in 2004 committed in offering premium coconut-based products from the Philippines and specializes in coconut products with the mission of helping climate poverty in the Philippines by bringing change sustainably one coconut at a time. 

 

The company works with many coconut farming communities and farmers in the Philippines and imports coconut ingredients such as coconut oil and coconut sugar exclusively from country, as well as natural and organic cosmetics made from coconut oils. It is also committed to the environment, noting that the coconut tree naturally helps protect the rural environment, protects the lives of farmers and is good for the health. 

 

Cocowell Founder and President Yu Mizui said, “Our mission is to pursue the infinite possibilities of products made from coconuts and to share the many benefits of coconut products to as many as possible. We will continue to contribute to the healthy eating habits everyone while helping ease poverty problems among coconut farming communities in the Philippines at the same time.” 

 

Read more about Cocowell through their website at www.cocowell.co.jp and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/COCOWELL.JP.  

COCOWELL PRESIDENT, MR. YU MIZUI 

About Auro Chocolate 

 

Auro Chocolate is an internationally awarded tree-to-bar chocolate brand from the Philippines that promotes sustainability by working directly with local farmers to create fine Filipino cacao beans, ingredients, and retail products with unique and bold tropical flavors. 

 

Managing Director, Mark M. Ocampo wants to strengthen Auro Chocolate’s distribution in other countries so that more people are able to enjoy and appreciate fine Philippine chocolate. 

 

Visit Auro Chocolate’s website at www.aurochocolate.com and official Facebook  page    at www.facebook.com/aurochocolate.  

AURO CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS 

About The Philippine Trade & Investment Center in Osaka 

 

The Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Osaka is the trade and investment section of the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka City and the representative office of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry covering Western Japan. For inquiries, contact: osaka@dti.gov.ph  

New Coco Mama Organic Virgin Coconut Oil aids in the recovery journey of Manila’s Covid-19 patients

Among the many possible treatments that scientists are studying to battle symptoms of COVID-19, virgin coconut oil has been found effective in reducing and preventing the progression of symptoms as well as providing relief.

To help boost the immune system of Filipinos and those who are battling the virus, Coco Mama has launched its very own Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. To mark the timely introduction of this new product, the brand donated 500 bottles of Coco Mama Organic Virgin Coconut Oil to the local government unit of Manila City, to quarantine facilities and hospitals, for the use of Covid-19 patients and front liners in the city.

“We are grateful that we are in a position to help Filipinos in their fight against the Covid19 virus,” said Mr. Bryan Lingan, Marketing Director for Emerging Business of Century Pacific Food Inc., the company behind Coco Mama. “One of our goals in introducing this product is to help Covid-19 patients through a science-backed supplement that has been proven to boostthe immune system and alleviate the symptoms of the virus.”

Based on studies conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), virgin coconut oil supports faster recovery from signs and symptoms of COVID-19. An in vitro showed that lauric acid and monolaurin, compounds produced from VCO decrease coronavirus count by 60-90% at low viral load. VCO may also strengthen the immune response against COVID-19.

“Through research and clinical trials on alternative treatments, we hope to lessen the burden of the health sector and Filipinos from Covid-19. With our current health crisis, it is vital that we trust and support science-backed solutions to beat COVID-19 especially virgin coconut oil which is a readily available commodity in the country,” said Dr. Fabian Dayrit who led the research in virgin coconut oil as an antiviral agent to prevent or reduce COVID-19 infection.

For Covid-19 patients in Manila city, bottles of Coco Mama Organic Virgin Coconut Oil were handed over by Lingan to the Manila City LGU as well as to the COVID Field Hospital at Quirino Grandstand Ospital ng Maynila and to the Santa Ana Hospital.

With the donation of their organic virgin coconut oil, Coco Mama is hoping that it would help patients with COVID – 19, strengthen their immune systems as well as speed up their recovery, effectively preventing the progression of symptoms brought forth by the virus.