Anuga FoodTec 2024 has once again reinforced its position as a primary supplier trade fair and a central platform of the global food and beverage industries. ‘Responsibility’ was the top theme of the trade fair and its extensive trade programme, which provided answers to questions from the fields of alternative protein sources, energy and water management, digitalisation and artificial intelligence. New technologies and concepts for sustainable management of natural resources along the entire value creation chain were presented. The participation of 1,307 companies and nearly 40,000 trade visitors from 133 countries reinforces the position of Anuga FoodTec as a pioneer for future- related solutions in food technology.
“At this year’s Anuga FoodTec, it became clear that true responsibility extends well beyond daily business; it is the driving force for sustainable and long-term growth. In every discussion, every presentation and every new product, we saw how decisive it is to make brave decisions today for our common future”, Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse, reflected.
“The networking of science and entrepreneurial practice and interdisciplinary networking on the whole were achieved in an exemplary manner. This creates synergies that present the basis for overarching innovations. And it is these that we will increasingly need for a viable food system of the future, in which Anuga FoodTec is a central element as a B2B innovation and networking platform”, Prof. Katharina Riehn, Chairwoman of the DLG Food competence centre and Vice President of the DLG, emphasises.
Opening speech by The Club of Rome
Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President of The Club of Rome, opened Anuga FoodTec with an impressive lecture that emphasised the pressing needs of sustainable developments. Her keynote was closely oriented to the top theme of ‘Responsibility’, and to the indispensable importance of environmentally-friendly production processes. With her address, Dixson-Declève provided a decisive impulse in the direction of sustainable transformation. At Anuga FoodTec, the exhibitors already presented what practical implementation of the discussed ideals might look like.
Commitment of the industry: a rethinking is noticeable
Anuga FoodTec demonstrated impressively: core themes such as responsibility, value creation, climate neutrality and food security are decisively shaping the direction of the food and beverage industries – far away from short-term trends. The exhibited machines thus offered, among other things, insights into innovative strategies for the minimisation of food losses and the treatment of waste water. In addition to this, they presented procedures like high pressure processing, which keeps food fresh longer without preservatives. Another area of focus was on the reduction of the use of plastic and the use of alternative packaging materials. Progress in the production of plant-based foods, which serve as pioneering solutions for more sustainable diets, was also presented. A system was presented for the first time that makes it possible to produce cultivated food on an industrial scale. The presentations on site impressively illustrated how the companies are facing the challenges of a both economically and ecologically sustainable future.
An innovative point of focus was set with the new ‘Environment & Energy’ exhibition area. This area was dedicated to progressive energy solutions, which play a growing role in the food industry. The focus was thereby on technologies like solarthermics, heat pumps, biogas and biomass, which not only advance the energy transformation but also contribute to significantly reducing the CO₂ emissions of companies and comprehensively increasing energy efficiency.
One highlight was the presentation of the International FoodTec Award. The focus was on 14 innovative projects from the global food and supplier industries.
Anuga FoodTec 2024 in figures
A total of nearly 40,000 trade visitors from 133 countries was registered, with a foreign share of over 60 percent. The largest visitor groups from outside of Europe came from China, the USA, South Korea, Israel and Japan. 1,307 exhibitors took part in Anuga FoodTec 2024. Thanks to an increased average area, visitors could this year look forward to an even greater variety of exhibits and live demonstrations. With a length of 35 metres, the longest exhibit at the trade fair was particularly impressive.
Anuga FoodTec is the leading international supplier fair for the global food and beverage industries. Organised by Koelnmesse, the next trade fair will take place in Cologne from 23.- 26.02.2027. The professional partner and industry sponsor is the DLG, the German Agricultural Society.
Over 1,000 exhibitors and around 25,000 trade visitors at the Special Edition in Cologne
For four days, from April 26 to 29, 2022, the food and beverage industry met with its supplier sector at Anuga FoodTec – Special Edition – in Cologne, Germany. “Anuga FoodTec is and remains the central and international meeting place for the industry. And this leading position has been clearly underlined by the successful re-launch of the trade show here in Cologne. The right concept, at the right time,” said Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH. “The high-caliber trade audience that traveled from more than 120 countries met excellently positioned and committed exhibitors here in Cologne. Intensive effective discussions characterized the course of the trade fair. The exhibitors’ feedback confirmed to us once again how important personal encounters are for successful business,” added Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH.
Dr. Reinhard Grandke, Chief Executive Officer of DLG (German Agricultural Society) and Chairman of the Anuga FoodTec Advisory Board, clarifies: “The mix of physical and digital offerings underscored the high professional relevance of the international Anuga FoodTec platform and provided the right setting for successful business deals and investments. Compact, innovative formats offered numerous opportunities to take an in-depth look at the intelligent automation of production processes in the food and beverage industry. Along the entire value chain, new technologies and concepts were presented that push the sustainable use of natural resources. The important networking of science and business practice was again achieved in an exemplary manner in Cologne.”
The opening of Anuga FoodTec by Federal Minister Cem Özdemir also underscored the outstanding importance of the trade show for the industry. During his tour of the trade show, Minister Özdemir learned about a wide variety of new concepts and solutions for meeting the challenges facing food and beverage producers worldwide.
A total of around 25,000 trade visitors from over 120 countries were counted. The attendance from other European countries and from Germany was very strong. Visitor numbers from the Middle East and some African countries were also gratifyingly good. The proportion of visitors from abroad was around 57 percent.
As the most important platform of the year, Anuga FoodTec thus successfully launched the re-launch of the entire industry. The great need for investment and, at the same time, the high level of willingness to invest on the part of the inquiring industry was expressed, among other things, by the fact that many of the managing directors and plant managers who attended approached the exhibitors with concrete project ideas. In some cases, machines and equipment were even purchased on the spot. The current world situation has increased the need for answers to questions in areas such as energy efficiency, resource conservation and sustainability. In addition to key players, numerous medium-sized companies, smaller specialists and 28 start-ups also showed innovative concepts tailored precisely to the industry.
“Smart Solutions – Higher Flexibility” was the highly relevant guiding theme of the trade show and its extensive technical program, which was very well received by the international audience with over 200 specialist events. The DLG played a leading role, using its expertise to organize the numerous events in a variety of formats. For example, specialist forums highlighted a wide range of current topics in food technology and linked scientific findings with business practice. Visitors also received a compact overview and orientation with regard to pioneering innovations in the field of food technology during the Guided Tours on the exhibition grounds.
Until June 30, visitors will have the opportunity to network with exhibitors at the Anuga FoodTec @home digital extension, watch missed presentations from the congress program and pick up a wealth of other industry information. Visitors to Anuga FoodTec can use the platform, free of charge, while the rest can access the content after registering free of charge.
The pandemic and associated travel and event restrictions have also had an impact on Anuga FoodTec, which was originally scheduled for March 2021. After extensive discussions with industry participants and the German Agricultural Society (DLG), the professional and conceptual sponsor of the trade fair, Koelnmesse sees no alternative but to postpone Anuga FoodTec. The next Anuga FoodTec will take place from 26 to 29 April 2022.
“We sincerely regret that we have to postpone Anuga FoodTec until 2022 despite good preparation and encouragement from the industry. In the past few weeks, however, it has become apparent that there is growing skepticism and concern among all involved. As a result, many companies have pulled out in view of the infection situation and current uncertainty. However, Anuga FoodTec cannot take place without the important key factors of internationality and cross-industry participation. With this in mind, we have responded to the industry’s wish to postpone the trade fair with the new date,” says Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse. “The new event date is the best possible solution, taking into consideration the international trade fair calendar, and the available time and space capacities. This allows us to provide the industry with a vision and planning security”.
In 2022, the trade fair will take place as a hybrid event, combining both an inperson and digital platform. The addition of a digital platform to the physical component creates the foundation for as many people as possible from Germany and abroad to have access to the latest technologies and processes in the food and beverage industry and for promoting sustainable networking within the industry.
“Like the companies, we will use the time to fully prepare ourselves for the upcoming trade fair and boost the industry’s restart further with digital tools and additional reach. Koelnmesse will of course continue to count on the presence of international exhibitors and visitors in April 2022,” continued Frese. “Trade fairs offer the opportunity for products and the people behind them to be experienced through personal interaction and exchange. This is the ideal basis for successful business.”
“As the professional and conceptual sponsor of Anuga FoodTec, we very much regret that the leading international supplier fair for the food and beverage industry will not be able to take place in March 2021 as planned. As a platform for professionalexchange across industry boundaries, Anuga FoodTec is a central partner for the entire food sector, focusing on current topics and providing important impetus with the presentation of forward-looking technologies and innovations. We are therefore even more pleased that in spring 2022 Anuga FoodTec will once again be the meeting place for the international food technology and supplier industry under the guiding theme ‘Smart Solutions – Higher Flexibility'”, says Simone Schiller, Managing Director of the DLG Food Technology Center.
Koelnmesse is the organiser of Anuga FoodTec. DLG is the professional and conceptual sponsor of Anuga FoodTec.
The leading international supplier trade fair of the food and beverage industry is continuing to write its success story. After already registering a growth in exhibition space and a two-digit increase in the number of exhibitors (+13 percent) in the run-up to the event, Anuga FoodTec 2018 was also able to achieve a significant rise in the number of visitors: More than 50,000 experts from the food industry informed themselves about the innovations and further developments of the supplier industry from 20 to 23 March. Hence, the number of visitors increased by just under 11 percent in comparison to the previous event. Anuga FoodTec also further increased its level of internationality too. Visitors from 152 countries (+15 countries in comparison to the previous event) impressively underpin its position as the leading international supplier fair for the food and beverage industry.The specialised programme organised by the DLG (German Agricultural Society) which included numerous conferences, guided tours and lectures, perfectly enhanced Anuga FoodTec 2018. The organiser of Anuga FoodTec is Koelnmesse. The professional and industry sponsor of Anuga FoodTec is the DLG.
Strong concept: Food technology at the highest level
ONE FOR ALL. ALL IN ONE. Once again this year the visitors of Anuga FoodTec experienced the entire production cycle and in the course of which were able to experience live both individual solutions as well as holistic, cross-process concepts across all production stages and food industries. In all five exhibition segments – Food Packaging, Safety & Analytics, Food Processing, Food Ingredients as well as Services & Solutions – the companies presented a cross-industry and cross-production range of exhibition offers. The key topic resource efficiency was one of the omnipresent top themes. From Lotus effect packing that reduces the loss of foodstuffs, to saving raw materials such as water or energy in the production process for example, through to production lines with modular parts for individual products: Anuga FoodTec was once again the innovation hub of the supplier industry. The large variety of offers and impressive exhibitor presences attracted the top decision-makers to Cologne. The exhibitors were impressed by the high quality and professionalism as well as by the internationality of the trade visitors and reported about very good discussions with top-ranking decision-makers. All of the leading food producers worldwide came to Anuga FoodTec.
Well-informed: The event and congress programme
The product show at Anuga FoodTec was perfectly enhanced by a comprehensive event and congress programme, which was organised by the DLG. All of the guided tours were fully booked. The Speakers Corner and the forums also met with high interest among the visitors. Furthermore, the opening conference on the first day of the trade fair, which focused on the leading theme resource efficiency – the opportunities and risks for the food and beverage industry – celebrated a successful premiere.
The next Anuga FoodTec will take place from 23 to 26 March 2021 in Cologne.
On Planet Earth, two billion humans suffer from obesity and 800 million live on the edge of starvation. Meanwhile huge amounts of edible food are wasted, either in the supply chain up to the consumer or at home by that same consumer after purchase. International exhibition Anuga FoodTec and the packaging community have now joined forces to chart where existing packaging may help in limiting food waste and to define areas where future packaging innovations may be needed.
Two key events are the international conference “Fighting food waste together: how to open the potential of better packaging” (on 22 March 2018 in the morning at the Anuga FoodTec Forum Resource Efficiency) and the NVC Zero Food Waste Dinner (on 22 March 2018 in the evening at the famous maiBeck restaurant in the Cologne ancient City Centre).
Visitors to the Anuga FoodTec (20-23 March 2018) may express their support for the fight against food waste by folding and subsequently using their own promotional fighting food waste lunch box during their stay in Cologne. Food packaging is the activity of temporarily integrating an external function and food to enable the consumption of the food. Important functionalities of food packaging in the fight against food waste are displayed on the box. The fighting food waste lunch boxes are available for free at the stand of the NVC Packaging Centre, Boulevard B033.
Anuga FoodTec will also show how the dissemination of know-how on food packaging via education and training may be drastically improved. The novel NVC Live Online E-course Food Packaging removes the need to travel and facilitates global access for business students from any place with an adequate internet connection. Contrary to many ‘passive’ online courses, the Live Online method brings excellent learning results through live and experienced tutors, engaging business students in truly interactive, state-of-the-art lessons.
The Technical Workshop has become an annual tradition for everybody working in technical fields in the juice industry, from quality managers to R&D people to staff working in the laboratory. With very low registration fees, compared to “regular” conferences in the industry, it should also give the employees that normally don`t go to conferences the chance to learn about new developments, discuss relevant topics and establish networking with fellow col- leagues.
The IFU Technical Workshop 2018 will be held on Monday, March 19th, in Cologne – just one day before Anuga FoodTec.
IFU proudly announces that in 2018 participation at the IFU Technical Workshop can be connected with visiting the Anuga Foodtec (March 20-23, 2018).
AFT is the world`s leading supplier trade fair for the food and beverage industry. Here, you can find all solutions and ideas for the production and processing of foodstuffs just next to each other – related to processing technologies, bottling and packaging technology, ingredients and food safety.
For more information please visit the following website: IFU Technical Workshop
