KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 14, 2025, at Le Méridien Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, the Sustainable European Dairy from Ireland trade seminar took place. The seminar, which is the finale in a three-year campaign to promote European Dairy from Ireland in the region, highlighted the continued and growing opportunities for European Dairy products in Malaysia. The seminar brought together key Malay chefs and F&B professionals to not only gain insights on market opportunities, but also to see first hand the quality of ingredients through a professional chef demonstration hosted in Le Meridien in Central Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia: A Leader Market for Dairy Imports That Is Still Growing
Emma McLoughlin, Third Secretary of the Embassy of Ireland to Malaysia, gave her welcoming remarks to the attendees. During her welcome remarks, McLoughlin noted that the European dairy from Ireland campaign has offered an excellent opportunity to strengthen links with the Malaysian dairy industry, and looks forward to continuing to build on these relationships into the future.
Following this, a panel of expert speakers delivered insights on the Irish and Global Dairy landscape.
Robert Murphy, from Bord Bia Dublin, introduced the opportunities that sustainable European dairy from Ireland represents for the F&B industry in Malaysia. Ireland, alongside its European counterparts offers a wide portfolio of sustainable milk products. European dairy exports from Ireland to Malaysia were last year valued at €50 million, with milk powders accounting for over half of the total exports.[1]
Guest speakers, Mr. Tim Hill from Global Data, and Mr. YiFan Li from StoneX presented on the evolving trends within the Asian Dairy industry. Global Data and gave insights on consumer trends and examined consumer behaviours and opportunities for growth within the Malay Dairy industry and beyond. StoneX offered a review of current market activity, and an outlook for 2025 in the global arena, focusing offering attendees comprehensive update in the outlook of the Southeast Asian dairy market for 2025.
The Proven Quality of Sustainable European Dairy from Ireland
Concluding the seminar, Chef Budiman Bistari, Executive Sous Chef of Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur demonstrated the qualities and taste of sustainable European dairy ingredients from Ireland and how best they can be utilised in contemporary and traditional Malay recipes.
"European Dairy from Ireland offers a richness and quality that is synonymous with grass fed production methods. The adaptability and availability of the product can be incorporated into a wide range of Asian cooking styles, and offers a path for creativity in utilising dairy beyond classic European dining and baking. The sustainability aspect which is becoming increasingly important increases its appeal to customers."