(Yicai Global) Oct. 31 -- The second China International Import Expo will host 1,817 firms from 122 nations and regions who will take part, displaying in the food and agricultural produce section, which will thus top the six others in three respects: number of corporate participants, countries taking part and overall area.

The food and agricultural products section will cover 75,000 square meters and have such specialized segments as those for dairy products, vegetables, fruits and farm produce, meat, aquatic foods, snacks, alcoholic beverages and other drinks, Ying Jian, the executive in charge of this space, noted at a press briefing yesterday.

The alcohol, dairy products and snack foods are the top three among all categories of items displayed in this victuals section. The number of food companies participating for the first time makes up 20 to 30 percent of the total, and about 60 to 70 participants will debut their new products in China at the CIIE.

Spanish seafood company Hijos de Carlos Albo will catch a bluefin tuna weighing over 300 kilograms in the Mediterranean and display it at the CIIE. It will transport the fish to Shanghai using cold-chain logistics via Guangzhou customs. The tuna will enter the venue on the evening of Nov. 5, and the dressing ceremony will take place at the exhibition area on the morning of Nov. 6, where samples will also be offered. The bluefin is the most expensive single food item among all those showcased, Ying added.

Château Lafite from French alcoholic beverage seller Pernod Ricard, bird's eye chili from Madagascar, Egyptian jujube, red wine from Georgia, edible hand soap made from the extracts of soybeans and straw, and cosmetic products will also appear at the CIIE.

Beef from France, which was barred from the Chinese market for 18 years over mad cow disease fears, was re-approved for entry after the first CIIE last year, thus luring a lot of French meat packers to take part in the second fair.

The registration and contract signing for the food exhibition area at the third CIIE has also started, and the area, for which applications have been stamped and approved is 4,000 square meters, while that for which contracts have already been penned has also reached 1,000 square meters, Ying stated.

Editor: Ben Armour