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Forbidden Foods has signed an exclusive agreement with Manilla-based distributor Moshi Wellness to sell, market, and distribute its brands in the Philippines. 

Infant and toddler health brand Funch and plant-based Sensory Mill make up the agreement. 

Forbidden Foods CFO and COO Jarrod Milani said the Philippines agreement was part of the company’s commitment to expanding its presence in Asia. Its population of 110 million and an economy expected to expand at an average rate of 5.5 per cent over the next three years makes the Philippines an attractive market, he said.

Milani said: “There are over 10,00 modern food retailers/supermarkets in the Philippines and the food and on-alcoholic drinks category is set to be valued at $164 billion in 2021, accounting for 37 per cent of essential spending of disposable income in the country. 

“The extremely positive results from our initial trials give us confidence that Moshi Wellness is the right partner for us in this budding market.” 

Moshi Wellness is a health and beauty distributor with experience in fast-growing brands such as Goli Nutrition, EU Natural and Hum Nutrition in the Philippines. Moshi will be assisting in the growth of the two brands through online and offline distribution methods. 

Moshi Wellness OPC president and CEO Takako Sasamori said it was a great opportunity for both companies. 

“Not only do Forbidden Foods’ products align with our own ethos for natural and health products, the Philippines is currently an underserved market when it comes to kids and family friendly food options, creating multiple synergies between our teams. 

“We look forward to growing the Forbidden food brands through our online to offline, with the encouraging early results,” said Sasamori. 

The Lazada and Shopee are the top two ranking e-commerce platforms in the Philippines, averaging 92 million views monthly, Funch has already launched stores on both websites which will be managed by Moshi. 

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