18 local food & beverage co.’s head to Miami for trade fair
A delegation of 18 Puerto Rico-based companies representing the food and beverage sector is promoting their products at the Americas Food & Beverages Show, taking place Sept. 12-13 at the Miami World Trade Center.
The event, coordinated by the PromoExport division of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce’ (DDEC, in Spanish) Trade and Export Program, brings together nearly 400 exhibitors and more than 50 buyers from around the world.
“The event represents an excellent opportunity to exhibit the diversity of our exportable offer to potential buyers, distributors, and wholesalers in the food sector,” DDEC Secretary Manuel Cidre said.
“Nearly 30% of the buyers who attend this fair come from the Eastern Caribbean, which further increases the chances of exposure of our products, since there is a strong affinity between our gastronomic customs and culinary recipes,” he said.
“These factors, coupled with the strong presence of the Hispanic community in Florida, position this fair as fundamental for the entry of local products on the east coast of the United States,” he said.
The companies that traveled stateside for the event are: AC Culinary Group (sofrito and related products), Amasar LLC (breadfruit flour), Apiarios Caraballo (honey), Coradinni Gourmet (sauses), Crab Island (rum), De Hoyos Farm (plantain and banana flour), Doña Yiya (sofrito and spices), Dulzura Borincana (typical candies), GFree Foods (gluten-free cookies), Gustos Coffee (coffee), La Destilería Crafts & Spirits (rum), Marvel Internacional (hamburger meat, spices), Molcajete Foods (corn tortillas), Montadero Chocolate (artisanal chocolate), Productos La Finca (a variety of proucts), Puerto Rico Coffee Roasters (coffee), R’Brothers (sangria), Tere Foods, LLC (pasteles and frozen turnovers).
The Rones de Puerto Rico program is offering a demo of the rums on exhibit at the fair.
The last time Puerto Rico participated in this event was in 2016, in which some 15 companies reported estimated sales of a little more than $1.7 million for one year.