Malaysian food exporters recorded RM420.35 million in sales at SIAL Paris 2026, about RM20 million more than the target set before the biennial food trade show opened in France, the New Straits Times reported.
Forty-three companies, a mix of small and medium enterprises and established exporters, exhibited under the Malaysia Pavilion at Paris Nord Villepinte from 17 to 21 October.
The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) had put the sales target at RM400 million for the delegation, a figure Business Today carried in its preview of the show on 19 October.
Eight states sent exhibitors. Selangor supplied the largest group with 23 companies, followed by Johor with five, Kuala Lumpur with four, Kedah, Perak and Sarawak with three each, and Penang and Terengganu with one each.
Trade figures published by SIAL Paris, the organiser, put Malaysia’s exports to the European Union above €22.8 billion in the first eight months of 2026, a rise of 28.4 per cent from a year earlier, while exports to France alone climbed 189.6 per cent in August to more than €271 million.
The 43 companies worked two stands in Hall 4, P192 and P158, and Matrade said buyers showed most interest in suppliers offering private-label products, original equipment manufacturing and food ingredient solutions.
Matrade said Malaysia’s halal certification framework, run by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim), supported buyer confidence in the integrity and traceability of the products on show.
The pavilion carried processed foods, convenience meal solutions, beverages, snacks and plant-based innovations, alongside spices, ready-to-cook pastes, frozen bakery goods and edible oils.
Matrade deputy chief executive officer (Export Acceleration) S. Jai Shankar said the small and medium firms had shown they could compete as consumer brands and as partners in Europe’s food supply chain.
“European buyers are looking for suppliers who can guarantee consistent quality, traceability and reliable capacity, and our companies demonstrated that they can meet these expectations,” he said. “Matrade’s priority now is to help them convert these leads into long-term supply contracts.”
Demand in France for authentic Asian flavours, ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat meals, plant-based alternatives and culinary ingredients opened room for Malaysian manufacturers, the agency said.
It added that growth in Malaysia’s processed food exports to France in 2025 gave exporters a base to deepen ties with French importers and distributors, and that France, as one of the EU’s largest consumer markets, offers retail networks and distribution infrastructure that can carry Malaysian brands into other member states.
Malaysia and the EU are still negotiating the Malaysia-EU Free Trade Agreement, and Matrade said it keeps exporters updated as talks move.
The agency did not break the RM420.35 million down by company or say when supply contracts from the show would be signed.
