HCM CITY — The first Nutrition and Natural Health Festival to be held in HCM City from October 18 to 21 will seek to network local producers of food and agricultural products, customers and local and foreign distribution systems.

Organised by the High Quality Vietnamese Products Business Association, it has attracted 100 businesses who will display products such as fish sauce, spices, processed foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, rice, and other agricultural products.

Vũ Kim Hạnh, chairwoman of the association, said all the exhibitors are producers of organic and safe products with certification from prestigious local and international organisations.

The event will feature a roundtable discussion on Complying with Standards and Product Commercialisation: Key for Integration, a programme to connect small traders with traditional markets in HCM City, business matching, cooking competition, and meetings with actor Thành Lộc, actress Lê Phương and blogger Nguyễn Phạm Khánh Vân.

Exhibitors will have the chance to meet leading local and international distributors and retailers from the Global Retailer Alliance, the EU and the Middle East, buyers from Singapore, Thailand and Korea, large supermarket chains in Việt Nam such as Co.opmart, Big C, Vinamart, Aeon, GS 25, Lotte Mart, and Auchan, and e-commerce businesses such as A Đây Rồi, Tiki and Lazada.

Representatives of industrial parks and processing zones and five-star hotels and restaurants will come to the event to source food and farm produce, offering exhibitors a chance to sign deals with them.

Hạnh said the association would invite the EU’s geographical indication organisation, traditional Vietnamese fish sauce producers who have received the EU Protected Designation of Origin Status and geographical identification from Vietnamese agencies and supermarkets distributing their products to talk about how to make the traditional fish sauce.

Producers would also instruct consumers on how to differentiate products with geographical identification from others available in the market, she said.

The festival will be held at the Nguyễn Du Stadium in District 1. — VNS