Kenari Nuts Make Their First International Appearance at SIAL Paris 2018
Originally published: 2018 · Last updated: August 2026
In 2018, Kawanasi introduced Kenari Nuts to the international food industry for the first time at SIAL Paris.
At that time, Kenari was still relatively unfamiliar outside Indonesia. Unlike almonds, cashews or macadamias, Kenari was not yet a widely recognized nut in international markets.
SIAL Paris provided an opportunity to put Kenari in front of an international audience and understand how the market would respond to a distinctive Indonesian forest nut.
Introducing an Unfamiliar Indonesian Nut
SIAL Paris is a major international meeting point for the food industry, bringing together producers, distributors, retailers, buyers and importers-exporters. The exhibition is also positioned as a place to discover food trends, innovations and new business opportunities.
For Kawanasi, the significance of participating in SIAL was not only the opportunity to present a product.
It was an opportunity to introduce Kenari to an international market for the first time and learn directly from the people working in the global food industry.
The response was encouraging.
Visitors were curious about a nut that many had never encountered before. The product generated interest not only because of its taste and character, but also because it represented something different from the familiar nut categories already established in international markets.
Feedback received during the exhibition included comments such as:
“Very good products.”
“Looking for organic.”
“Willing to promote.”
The response also provided useful feedback on the product's presentation, including interest in its packaging and design.
Learning What the International Market Was Looking For
The exhibition gave Kawanasi an opportunity to observe food trends and understand what buyers and consumers were looking for at the time.
One clear area of interest was organic food.
The growing attention toward organic products reinforced the importance of developing Kenari with appropriate certification, traceability and responsible sourcing practices.
This became an important part of the next stage of Kawanasi's work.
In 2019, Kawanasi obtained organic certification for Kenari Nuts and began developing its export markets. The company's current timeline identifies this period as a key step in the international development of Kenari.
An Important Regulatory Question
SIAL Paris also introduced Kawanasi to an important consideration for the European market: Novel Food authorization.
Through conversations around the European market, Kawanasi learned that bringing Kenari into the European Union could involve a regulatory pathway that would need to be understood and addressed.
This was an important realization.
Introducing an unfamiliar food to an international market is not simply a matter of finding buyers. It also requires understanding the regulatory, food-safety and market-access requirements of the destination country or region.
The question would become particularly important in the years that followed.
Kawanasi subsequently pursued the regulatory work required for European market access, eventually reaching EU Novel Food approval in 2023. The company's current timeline records the 2023 approval alongside international recognition for Kenari Nuts.
From First Exposure to International Development
SIAL Paris 2018 became the first international milestone in a longer development journey.
The sequence that followed was significant:
2018
First international exposure at SIAL Paris.
2019
EU Organic certification and export development.
2020
Introduction of Kenari within the international organic market at BIOFACH.
2021–2022
Further international presentations and market development.
2023
EU Novel Food approval and international recognition.
This progression is part of Kawanasi's broader effort to develop Kenari from an underutilized Indonesian forest product into an internationally accessible food. The company's current website materials describe this journey as one of understanding, developing and sharing Kenari's potential with the world.
Why SIAL Paris 2018 Still Matters
The importance of SIAL Paris 2018 was not that Kenari immediately became an established international nut.
It was that Kenari entered the international conversation.
The exhibition provided an early opportunity to:
introduce Kenari to international food professionals;
understand reactions to a relatively unfamiliar nut;
identify interest in organic products;
receive feedback on the product and packaging;
develop new business contacts and opportunities; and
begin understanding the requirements for international market access.
For Kawanasi, it marked the beginning of a much longer process of developing Kenari for international markets.
Today, Kenari remains at the center of Kawanasi's work, with the company describing itself as focused on the development and internationalization of Kenari Nuts.
The Beginning of Kenari's International Journey
What started with an international introduction at SIAL Paris in 2018 was followed by organic certification, further international exhibitions, regulatory development and recognition at major food and organic industry events.
The journey continues.