Viet Nam firms enter global supply chains

Huge potential, but value addition is needed

Sharing on the sidelines of the Vitafoods Asia 2026 Exhibition, held from September 2-4 in Bangkok, Thailand, Ms. Rungphech Chitanuwat, ASEAN Regional Portfolio Director at Informa Markets, stated that this year's event gathered about 800 enterprises, mostly from Europe, China, Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand. Viet Nam had two enterprises participating in the exhibition.

Ms. Rungphech Chitanuwat noted that Viet Nam has tremendous potential in natural ingredients and herbs for developing extracted products. The issue is how Viet Nam can export to other countries as higher-value products.

This is also a common challenge for ASEAN, as the region has abundant natural resources but mostly exports raw materials, which European or Japanese enterprises then process and sell back at a higher value.

Mastering probiotic spore technology

In this context, the two Vietnamese enterprises present at Vitafoods Asia 2026 demonstrated specific directions to increase the value of domestic raw materials through technology and deep processing.

LiveSpo Pharma LLC brought to Vitafoods Asia 2026 high-concentration, multi-strain probiotic spore products that have undergone clinical trials published in prestigious international journals under the Nature Portfolio.

According to Mr. Nguyen Canh Tung, International Sales Director of LiveSpo Pharma, a notable point is that the enterprise completely masters both its technology and raw materials.

"All spores and probiotics of LiveSpo Pharma are proactively researched and developed by us, from isolation, identification, and strain selection, to building the fermentation process for spore creation, purification, and final product manufacturing. LiveSpo Pharma does not use imported probiotic materials for these products", Mr. Tung shared.

LiveSpo Pharma has also achieved Malaysia's JAKIM Halal certification, creating further conditions for its products to access this market.

From pangasius skin to healthcare ingredients

Another value-added approach comes from Vinh Wellness, a subsidiary of Vinh Hoan Corporation. At Vitafoods Asia 2026, the company introduced hydrolyzed collagen and fish gelatin, along with applied products such as gummies and jellies.

Mr. Ho Truong Quoc Dung, Deputy Head of Sales at Vinh Wellness, said collagen and gelatin are produced from pangasius skin sourced from farming areas with certifications such as ASC, 4-star BAP, or GlobalGAP.

"Vinh Hoan is proud to be the first company in Viet Nam to produce sustainable hydrolyzed collagen and gelatin products from fish skin. The raw materials are strictly controlled and manufactured within 24 hours", Mr. Dung shared.

Currently, Vinh Hoan has affiliated with leading partners in Asia possessing over 20 years of experience in the collagen sector. According to Mr. Dung, partnering with experienced enterprises helps Vinh Hoan "not only move faster but also narrow the gap to conquer global customers".

From probiotic spores to pangasius skin collagen, the common trait among Vietnamese enterprises at Vitafoods Asia 2026 is their effort to transform raw material advantages into higher-value products. This is precisely the direction set for Viet Nam and ASEAN: Instead of primarily supplying raw materials, it is necessary to invest in R&D, master technology, pursue deep processing, and meet international standards.