Kosherfest – Opportunities to Export to USA

If you want to get your products in front of key retailers and food service professionals in North America then Kosherfest is a great opportunity, particularly for artisan and niche products. Kosherfest 2017 is taking place this year in New Jersey on 14th – 15th November. As the world’s largest and most relevant trade show for kosher-certified products, Kosherfest is justifiably described as ‘where the global food industry does business’ and more than six thousand industry professionals are expected to attend.

Kosherfest at Meadowlands Exposition Center

More specifically buyers from Unilever International America, Zabar’s, Sysco South Florida, UNFI Inc and Canada, KeHE Distributors, Air France and Smiths (A Kroger Division) visited in 2016. Expect the same this year. More than three hundred and fifty exhibitors will be showcasing their innovative products and services for the kosher market. It is an exclusively business to business event and stipulates that attendees must be qualified professionals in the retail and food service industries.

This year’s show promises to be larger than ever, with an extra row provided for exhibitors. KLBD is proud to be taking its usual place at its double-sized Stand 207. KLBD is the largest certifying agency in Europe and successfully assists many of their certified companies to trade in the North American market. The KLBD logo is an instantly recognisable assurance of quality and six certified companies meet the criteria for entrance into the Kosherfest New Product Awards 2017, having been certified after September 2016 and not having products on sale in the USA.

The six KLBD certified companies nominated for new product awards are Pudology, Hillfield, Fontana Formiello, Shalimar, The Raw Chocolate Company and Scrubby’s.  All the products produced by these companies will be displayed in the New Product Display Cabinets at the entrance to the exhibition, as well as being available for tasting on the KLBD stand.  These include the Pudology range of mouthwatering dairy free and gluten free puddings and the diverse selection of award winning bars and natural cacao ingredients produced by The Raw Chocolate Company.

New Product Display Cabinet

These are not the only KLBD certified products being exhibited at Kosherfest. Other favorites to see and sample on the KLBD stand include Nak’d, Fudco, Quibbles Nuts, Bendicks Chocolates and Rakusens Crackers, with certified liquid refreshments coming from Broker’s Gin, Chai Tea, Drambuie and an exotic range of liqueurs from Luxardo. Unfortunately there will be no sake to taste this year, though next year we hope to sample an expanded range of Japanese food and drink products.

Crowds at the KLBD stand

Product pavilions at the show will have representation from Israel, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, India and many other countries. There will also be educational demonstrations on a variety of topics including brand awareness and sales which should be booked in advance to secure a place. These offer a great insight into retailing in North America and afford an opportunity to network with fellow attendees.

It is reported by leading market intelligence agency, Mintel that the American food retailing market is worth $700 billion and some thought provoking statistics have been produced about the latest food shopping habits of American consumers. Firstly, ‘the stigma of shopping on sale with a coupon is long gone’ and that even affluent consumers are looking for deals, even if they do so with different motivation. This emphasis placed on good value is demonstrated by the rapid rise and exponential growth of low cost food giants, Lidl and Aldi throughout America. Aldi have announced their intentions to add nine hundred stores, with Lidl opening one hundred along the East Coast alone and another five hundred planned nationwide.

Opportunities for exporting to the US are being seized by the Welsh Government, who have sent fifteen food and drink companies to introduce their products. Across all sectors, the American export market is worth £2.7 million to the Welsh economy. Ireland’s trade with America for Irish Whisky alone is $537 million and expected to double by 2020. The Irish Whisky Association has reported that Irish Whisky is the fastest growing category among Irish agri-food and drink exports.

Mintel also report that in an era dominated by the ‘fake news’ syndrome, it has never been more important to gain the trust of consumers and that ‘shoppers align their patronage and trust with companies whose actions, beliefs and morals match up to their own’. This trend is reflected in food manufacturers adding more transparency to packaging and production methods and there is an expectation that they must ‘take a stand, speak out and prove they are trustworthy’. Against this backdrop, the importance of healthy eating guidelines in America has been reinforced by the national ‘Choose My Plate’ nutrition program which provides in-depth guidance on dietary issues for the population. The national export agencies of Ireland and Uruguay, among others, have tapped in to this program for the advantage of their exporters.

It comes as no surprise that with the focus on healthy eating, insistence on brand integrity and budget driven shopping habits in America, that this year’s Kosherfest is regarded as a hugely important exhibition for the kosher foods industry. As well as the vast array of stands to see and products to view, there will also be a fantastic opportunity to visit the Kosher Kitchen where leading kosher chefs will be sharing their top tips and anecdotes, not to mention a chance to sample some of their delicious culinary creations. In a hive of activity over two action packed days, this not only promises a rare opportunity to relax but also a unique opportunity to see leading kosher chefs at work and hear their thoughts on global trends for the coming year.

For more specific assistance with product compliance issues in exporting to USA and knowing the impact of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) which includes the Foreign Supplier Verification Programme (FVSP) contact either:

Coley Anderson at Registrar Corp www.registrarcorp.com  +1-757-224-0177

Stephen Spice at Spire Food consulting, via email at stephen.spice@lineone.net

For advice on setting up an office in USA contact:

Contact Charles Macdowell of HREDA +44 (0)7788 755300 cmacdowell@hreda.com