The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) announced on March 9 that their showcase at the 2026 Natural Products Expo West (NPEW) — held at the Anaheim Convention Center from March 4–6 — resulted in 270 export consultations totaling 32 million USD (approximately 42.67 billion KRW).
According to aT, the NPEW, now in its 45th year, attracted more than 3,500 food companies from roughly 130 countries. As the West Coast’s largest expo for organic and natural foods, it draws over 60,000 buyers and industry professionals each year and remains a crucial stage for K-food to expand globally.
At the show, aT put together a unified Korean pavilion with 14 standout K-food exporters, showcasing a range of products from snacks and beverages to noodles, sauces and health supplements. They teamed up with popular influencers to spotlight exhibitors’ offerings and ran tasting events — think kimbap sampling and slushies flavored with yuzu, pear and sujeonggwa — which proved a hit with attendees.
aT reported that the pavilion captured strong interest from visitors and buyers, with particularly high demand for health foods, sauces and snack items.
Outlook for export growth is optimistic. “This expo gave us a valuable opportunity to cement K-food’s foothold in the U.S. market,” said Jeon Gi-chan, director of aT’s export foods division. “We’ll keep expanding our market share and U.S. presence by doubling down on experience-driven marketing and content-based promotion.”
Sejong — Reporter Gwak Jin-seong (pen@viva100.com)
