PHNOM PENH – Prahok powder manufacturer Confirel has high hopes of introducing the Khmer delicacy to the European market thanks to an EU-funded project which helped raise it to international standards.

CEO Hay Ly Eang said the fermented salted fish is part of Khmer ancestral heritage but a period of conflict prevented it from being developed into new products.

Prahok has a long shelf life but the smell can put foreigners off trying it. In 2023, Confirel started working on processing prahok from paste into a powder. The new product has no smell​ and is less salty.

Ly Eang told media during a media trip organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, that some western countries do not allow the import of prahok due its strong smell.

He said that the purpose of making prahok powder is to transform this Khmer ingredient into a modern product allowing both locals and foreigners to use it. 

“Our prahok powder tastes delicious, can be stored for a long time and is easy to use,” he said.

Hay Ly Eang, CEO of Confirel, the manufacturer of prahok powder. Photo_ Torn Chanritheara

“We’ve transformed traditional prahok left by our ancestors into a product recognized locally and internationally.”

Ly Eang said the prahok will be registered as Geographical Indications for Cambodia.

The company produces five tastes: regular, light, strong, galangal and kaffir lime. The powder can be used to make a variety of food such as omelets, cheese, spaghetti or pizza.

On exporting the powder, Ly Eang said that one of the first steps is to get the product known by users. 

He had brought the powder to France for testing by well known chefs while penetrating the local market so that the powder is also known among Cambodians.

The company is helped by the CAPFISH-Capture: Post-harvest Fisheries Project to ensure the minimum standard that enables prahok powder to enter overseas markets, particularly the EU. 

Funded by the EU and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the project aims at building capacities of businesses and supporting institutions in the country for sustainable and competitive fishery sector as well as promoting food safety and standards requirements so that products can be exported.

The CAPFISH project is assisted in technical support for achieving Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point certification, supplier and market linkages, branding development and link to French business partners.

 A staff hold prahok powder and food made from it. Photo_ Torn Chanritheara

Digital tracking system is also being developed so that customers can scan the QR code on the product to observe the digital trace of the entire process of prahok powder products from farms or fishing boats to the table. 

Ly Eang said that countries have different rules before allowing any product to enter their market.

“CAPFISH-Capture is helping like adding more petrol. CAPFISH helps in technical assistance, marketing,” he said. 

Ly Eang said that his company can produce a tonne of prahok powder a day. If demand rises, the company will expand production.

UNIDO chief technical advisor Shetty Seetharama Thombathu said that food safety is value addition to the product and the lack of this requirement prevents many products entering the global market.

To enter EU market, Thombathu said the EU’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety will inspect Cambodia’s local enterprises in 2025 to check whether they meet import standards.