Food Expo Opens with Debut Dessert Zone; Brands Unveil Healthy Gelato Using Mushroom Extract
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago3 MIN
Summary
The annual Food Expo opened at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on Sunday, marking its inaugural dessert and Gelato theme zone to capitalize on the growing dessert trend. A first-time local exhibitor, "Fok Kei Desserts," introduced a pure natural, low-calorie Gelato using university-patented mushroom extract technology to replace 80% of traditional animal cream, resulting in a Sea Salt Cheese flavor with just 53 calories per serving. Taiwanese brand "O.SHOP DAKA" also made its Hong Kong debut, showcasing handmade mousse cookies sweetened with Japanese alga sugar that is 45% less sweet than regular sugar. Meanwhile, veteran seafood exhibitors like "On Kee Dried Seafood" predicted a 15% sales increase, citing favorable weather conditions and expanded duty-free allowances for mainland visitors.
Key Points
- The Food Expo runs through Monday, August 17, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, drawing over 1,850 exhibitors across five concurrent exhibitions .
- "Fok Kei Desserts," founded by Hong Kong Polytechnic University graduates, uses patented mushroom extract to replace 80% of animal cream in its Gelato, with the Sea Salt Cheese flavor containing only 53 calories per cup—compared to over 200 calories in regular ice cream .
- The Gelato uses a formula combining half artificial sweetener and half white sugar, contains no additives, and has a smaller impact on blood sugar levels, making it suitable for dieters, diabetes patients, and hypertension patients .
- Taiwanese "O.SHOP DAKA" entered the Hong Kong market with handmade mousse cookies using Japanese alga sugar, which is 45% less sweet than regular sugar, with its Nougat Mousse and Crispy Candy Paper Mousse cookies being most popular among Hong Kong consumers .
- "On Kee Dried Seafood," participating for multiple years, expects approximately 15% sales growth, attributing this to hot weather driving indoor activities and mainland visitors' increased duty-free allowance of 12,000 yuan with permission to bring personal seafood back .
Why It Matters
The debut of a dedicated dessert zone at this year's Food Expo reflects Hong Kong consumers' growing demand for healthier food options, with exhibitors responding by developing innovative products using alternative ingredients like mushroom extract and alga sugar . The optimistic sales forecast from veteran exhibitors, combined with enhanced duty-free privileges for mainland visitors, signals a positive outlook for Hong Kong's retail and food sectors during the traditionally slow summer period .
The debut of a dedicated dessert zone at this year's Food Expo reflects Hong Kong consumers' growing demand for healthier food options, with exhibitors responding by developing innovative products using alternative ingredients like mushroom extract and alga sugar . The optimistic sales forecast from veteran exhibitors, combined with enhanced duty-free privileges for mainland visitors, signals a positive outlook for Hong Kong's retail and food sectors during the traditionally slow summer period .