Singapore’s Olam Food Ingredients joint venture to help tailor PHL offerings to domestic tastes

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Senior Reporter

SINGAPORE’s Olam Food Ingredients (ofi) said its upcoming Bulacan facility will be configured for domestic tastes with the help of a joint venture with distributor Wills International Sales Corp. 

Ramki Prasad, head of Asia-Pacific F&B Solutions at ofi, said the new joint venture will help shorten development timelines while expanding its Philippine distribution network.

The two companies agreed last month to establish ofi Philippines Blends, which will feature products like seasonings, marinades, and dry mixes “tailored closely to local eating habits, formats, and operational realities.”

“Our focus with ofi Philippines Blends is to serve the domestic market by providing locally available solutions tailored directly to Filipino taste profiles,” Mr. Prasad said in an e-mailed reply to questions.

The partnership also allows Wills to co-develop customized, tailored seasoning products, he said.

“Rather than simply exporting standard, pre-existing products from our global catalog, this facility is designed for active, customized co-creation,” Mr. Prasad noted.

About 86% of Filipino consumers surveyed want more menu items inspired by local recipes according to ofi’s TrendBites Asia-Pacific report.

“By localizing development and blending, ofi Philippines Blends shrinks development timelines, and supports faster iteration tailored exactly to local consumer preferences,” Mr. Prasad said.

The Bulacan facility will be operational by the fourth quarter, the company said.