Belgium has returned to international food expositions after two years of absence, starting with Singapore’s Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) 2022. From 5-8 Sep 2022, Flanders’ Agricultural Marketing Board (VLAM) brought four global leading Belgian exporters of frozen potato products to the region’s largest B2B food and beverage trade show.
“The Go for Gold campaign refers to the Original Belgian Fries as a premium product. The perfectly golden-yellow fries are made by Belgian suppliers who combine their craftsmanship with state-of-the-art production processes to easily and efficiently supply markets worldwide with frozen potato products,” said Hartwig Moyaert, project coordinator at VLAM.
Moyaert added: “’Go for Gold’ confirms Belgium’s position as the world’s number one exporter of frozen fries! As an exceptional and reliable partner, we guarantee our products’ innovation, quality and safety. The Belgian potato 2 processing sector continuously invests in research and development throughout the entire potato chain.”
Belgium, the top frozen fries exporter
Part of Belgium’s global recognition is its unique location. Situated in the core of Europe’s potato cultivation, Belgium’s moderate sea climate brings plenty of rain and guarantees a long and rich growing season. Fertile soil and a favourable environment allow Belgium to enjoy the highest average yield of potatoes in the world and a rich diversity of potato varieties. In 2021, Belgium exported 33.3% of the world’s share of fries, making them a leading player in the frozen potato export industry.
From the heart of Europe to Singapore, Belgian has sold frozen potato products across the island over the past few years. With 32% of the 4.8 million kilograms of European frozen fries imported in Singapore annually coming from Belgium, comprising 1.5 million kilograms of Original Belgian Fries. The product’s popularity is also echoed across the world, with 53.7% of the four billion kilograms of European frozen fries exported from Belgium.
The secret behind Belgian fries
Belgian potatoes have a natural and well-monitored cultivation process — with high-quality, certified seeds which make their flesh tasty and give it a natural yellowish colour, removing the need to add dyes for the golden-yellow colour. Great fries are, indeed, made from great potatoes.
The Belgian potato processing industry incorporates the most modern environmental and sustainable European technologies and quality systems. Continuous investments and technological innovations keep the sector at the forefront, resulting in new, higher-performance equipment and automation, storage capacity expansion, enhanced food safety, high-quality product, and new packaging concepts. Additionally, farmers, processors and traders 3 combine years of expertise with a scientific approach and thorough research & development (R&D).
As original as Belgian fries
Fries from Belgium are ingrained in their heritage and found everywhere in the country. Their daily cuisines, in the streets and their culture, peaked with the introduction of frietkot — or fry shop — which has also been recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage. In 2019, Belgium successfully petitioned UNESCO to endorse the fry as an official icon of Belgian cultural heritage.
