Filipino food exporters are being urged to look beyond Europe’s 800,000-strong Filipino diaspora and target a much larger market of around 450 million consumers across the region.

But breaking into the European market will require more than introducing a good product, according to Rhafael Antonio, business development lead for the Filipino market at Heuschen & Schrouff Oriental Food BV in the Netherlands.

Antonio said exporters must understand that Europe is not a single, uniform market, with countries differing in consumer preferences, familiarity with Asian food, regulations, retail environments and price expectations.

“And it sounds like one big opportunity but it is made up of many different countries and each country has different consumers, different preferences, different levels of familiarity –Asian or Filipino food. And beyond that, different regulations and different retail environments, different price expectations,” he said during a recent information session organized by the Department of Trade and Industry Export Marketing Bureau.

He said many brands traditionally enter through Filipino and Asian stores before expanding into mainstream retail. However, social media is creating another route by allowing smaller brands to generate consumer demand before securing wider distribution.

"So the new path is social media –of course, we know the power of the digital market– it creates consumer demand and then it goes mainstream. What it says is that it's actually a big opportunity, especially for smaller brands, because you don't need to wait; you can help create the demand if you do it the right way,” Antonio said.

Products with potential include ready meals, easy-to-cook food, snacks and trend-driven offerings such as ube, matcha and bubble tea.

Antonio advised exporters to first ensure regulatory compliance, develop clear and shelf-ready packaging, identify the right target market and secure capable distribution partners.

He said understanding Europe’s rules and consumer behavior could help Filipino brands turn unfamiliar flavors into new market opportunities.