HCM CITY — Vietfood & Beverage - Propack Việt Nam, an annual international exhibition integrating the Food and Beverage (F&B), food processing technology and packaging industries, opened in HCM City on Thursday.

The 30th edition of the exhibition reaches an impressive scale with more than 1,400 booths featuring over 1,000 enterprises from 20 countries and territories, including mainland China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan (China), Thailand, and Việt Nam.

Thousands of products, technologies, and advanced solutions are on display, covering the entire F&B ecosystem from processed foods, premium foods, beverages, coffee and tea, confectionery, seafood, and meat products, to food ingredients and additives, as well as processing machinery and equipment, packaging technology, and modern technology solutions.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyễn Trường Nhật Phượng, deputy chairwoman of the municipal People’s Council, said the F&B industry plays a vital role in driving the city’s economic growth, capturing emerging consumer trends, and expanding export opportunities.

In the first six months of 2026, Việt Nam’s exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products reached nearly US$36 billion, up 6 per cent year-on-year.

This impressive performance highlights the robust production and processing capabilities of Vietnamese enterprises, as well as their resilience in navigating evolving global market conditions, she said.

This year marks the 30th edition of Vietfood & Beverage – ProPack Việt Nam and celebrates three decades of its remarkable journey of development, she said.

Beyond bringing together advanced products, technologies, and solutions, the exhibition continues to serve as an important trade promotion platform, linking manufacturers with distributors, importers, technology partners, and both domestic and international markets, she added.

Phạm Đăng Khánh, deputy general director of VINEXAD, the expo’s organiser, said Vietfood & Beverage - Propack Việt Nam 2026 will offer a rich and valuable lineup of industry-focused activities.

Highlights include industry seminars jointly organised with the Việt Nam Beer – Alcohol –Beverage Association, Việt Nam Packaging Association, Việt Nam Association of Food Science and Technology, Italian Atelier, and CJC Marketing Agency.

In addition, the expo will feature the Young Chefs Challenge cooking competition, expert-led F&B industry forums and seminars, as well as a wide range of business networking activities at the VIP Buyer Zone, product experience opportunities, and partnership promotion activities at exhibitor booths.

The exhibition, organised by VINEXAD in collaboration with the Việt Nam Beer – Alcohol – Beverage Association and the HCM City Food and Foodstuff Association at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre will run until Saturday. —VNS