Amazonian Acai Brings A Taste Of Brazil To MAHA 2026

By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali

SERDANG, Aug 28 (Bernama) – From the Amazon rainforest to the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture, and Agrotourism Exhibition (MAHA) 2026 in Serdang, Brazil is introducing Malaysian buyers to acai, a nutrient-rich berry commonly served as a frozen, sorbet-like treat and promoted as a premium superfood.

Greengate Managing Director Paola Murphy, a Brazilian agronomist based in London, is representing Brazilian producer NutriBerry at the exhibition.

The company seeks to enter the Malaysian market. Its immediate goal is to find a local distributor with the cold-chain facilities needed to handle its frozen acai products.

“This is our first time here. We are looking for a distributor, and for this product, it must be one with cold-chain facilities,” she told Bernama.

Murphy said NutriBerry’s product contains 70 per cent acai, compared with between 30 and 40 per cent in many similar products on the market.

“Acai is the name of the berry. It comes from the Amazon and can be frozen and served like sorbet.

“It is delicious and provides plenty of energy. People consume it as a superfood,” she said.

Although logistical constraints prevented Murphy from bringing frozen samples to the exhibition, displays at the pavilion show visitors how the Amazonian berry is prepared and served.

The halal- and kosher-certified product can be sold in ready-to-eat containers at supermarkets or supplied in larger tubs to cafes, where it can be blended into a creamier texture and served with fruits such as bananas and strawberries.

“This is a premium product with a high concentration of acai,” she said.

Beyond its nutritional appeal, Murphy said acai provides income for Amazonian communities because it grows naturally in the forest and can be harvested without clearing the land.

“When you buy it, you also help forest communities because it grows naturally there,” she said, adding that harvesters climb the trees to collect the berries.

Besides NutriBerry’s acai products, Greengate represents Brazilian companies offering niche agricultural products, including non-genetically modified corn, organic and conventional sugar, animal-feed grains, and cocoa from the Amazon.

Brazil is among 14 countries participating in the international pavilion at MAHA 2026.

The biennial exhibition, held at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) since 2006, runs from Aug 28 to Sept 6. Featuring more than 2,000 exhibitors, it targets four million visitors, RM8 billion in memoranda of understanding, and RM58 million in sales.

– BERNAMA