With record breaking visitor numbers, Fi Europe & Ni (Frankfurt, Germany) was the place to be for decision makers, product developers, market strategists and scientists
A marketplace for innovation, a source of inspiration and a trend barometer. The world’s most important trade show for food and beverage ingredients, Fi Europe & Ni 2017 welcomed more visitors than ever before.
More than 26,000 attendees from over 135 nations worldwide used the three-day trade show to discover innovative new concepts and novel solutions. Boasting an abundance of excellent, high quality delegates, post-event analysis showed that almost 78 % of the attendees had budget responsibility, with approximately 30 % having higher management roles – an ideal mix to generate promising leads at more than 1,600 stands. In total, show organizer UBM recorded 50,000+ visits.
Oliver Wolf, Head of B2B Marketing at GELITA, gave a very positive review, stating: “The sheer volume of visitors at the GELITA stand was immense – and the overall quality of enquiries was very high. That’s why Fi Europe was, once again, the perfect setting for us to introduce our latest innovations in gelatine and collagen peptides to a broad expert audience.” Peter Hennebichler, Director Corporate Sales & Marketing at AGRANA, added: “We counted a record number of attendees at our stand this year. Because of the highly relevant contacts we make here, AGRANA has exhibited at FiE for many years.” Key players such as Cargill, FrieslandCampina, BENEO, Roquette, Avebe, Kerry and Naturex all presented innovative new products and solutions. In addition, several start-ups and first-time exhibitors used Fi Europe & Ni as a platform to further expand their brand.
Fi Europe Brand Director Richard Joyce’s conclusion was also positive. Sharing his excitement for the reservations numbers for the 2019 edition in Paris, he said “Currently, 80 % of the exhibitors have already booked a stand for the next show. This clearly indicates that Fi Europe & Ni is a must-attend event for food ingredient companies. We are already looking forward to 2019 and will do our utmost to arrange another top-class agenda.”
Value adding extras
Far more than just a supporting program, this year’s Fi Europe & Ni once again offered a variety of additional attractions, including 20+ country pavilions and themed areas – such as the Expo FoodTec Pavilion – and daily Innovation Tours. In the Industry Insights Theater and Supplier Solution Sessions, attendees were able to get up close and personal with interesting companies and their concepts. Furthermore, the New Product Zone and Ingredients in Action, hosted by Innova Market Insights, provided an overview on the latest products that made their way into consumers’ shopping carts.
With the second Future of Nutrition Summit, the pre-show one day summit, show organizer UBM EMEA offered detailed insight into the future of the industry; social and technological developments that will impact the ingredients industry during the next 5 years were put under the spotlight. In addition, the three-day Fi Conference covered everything from clean label to regulatory issues. Jennifer Arthur of Leatherhead Food Research introduced the possibilities and challenges of personalized nutrition, whereas Dr Laurice Pouvreau, Senior Project Manager, Protein Functionality at Nizo, explained how promising sensory results can be achieved by blending different protein sources. With more than 250 delegates, the conference program also reached a record-breaking number.
Post-show is pre-show: Hi Europe 2018 in Frankfurt, Fi Europe & Ni 2019 in Paris
Next year, Hi Europe will open its doors on November 27 in Frankfurt for three days. In times when functional ingredients with added health benefits are becoming increasingly important, Europe’s leading trade show for health and nutrition is the meeting place for manufacturers and decision makers in the food and nutraceuticals industry. The following year, Fi Europe & Ni will return to Paris (3–5 December 2019) and take place at the Parc des Expositions Villepinte.
The world’s largest food and beverage ingredients show announces the winners of its coveted Innovation Awards for 2017.
A true barometer of food and beverage trends, the Fi Europe Innovation Awards honour research teams and product developers for their outstanding innovations and invaluable contributions to the industry. Mirroring the market, protein solutions featured high on the winners’ podium this year.
More hotly contested than ever before, the 2017 Awards were presented at a festive ceremony on 28 November at Messe Frankfurt, Germany. There were ten Fi Europe Innovation Awards categories, plus two Start-up Innovation Challenge categories. A total of 17 companies were shortlisted in the Fi Europe Innovation Awards and a further 10 in the Start-up Innovation Challenge.
The winners of the Fi Europe Innovation Awards 2017 are as follows:
The Sustainability Champion Award went to pioneering oils producer IOI Loders Croklaan for its sustainable and transparent supply chain strategy for palm oil.
The Organic Champion Award was won by herba ingredients, an allergen-free producer of organic rice flour for baby food that is fully traceable, from cultivation to final ingredient.
The Future of Nutrition Award (the only category open to non-Fi Europe exhibitors) was presented to Alberts for its Automated Smoothie Machine, Europe’s first fresh smoothie vending machine – now in use at Carrefour outlets in Belgium.
The Clean Label & Natural Innovation Award went to Ingredion, who convinced the jury with its clean label-compatible functional rice flour for use in soups, sauces and ready meals.
Winner of the Life Stages Innovation Award was Novozymes, a leader in biological solutions, for its Formea® milk proteins – a promising ingredient for infant formulas with a reduced risk of allergic reactions.
The Performance Nutrition Innovation Award went to ARLA Food Ingredients for its taste-neutral whey protein isolate for use in protein-enriched sports drinks that are as crystal-clear as water.
The Growth Categories Innovation Award was won by ERIE Foods International for its low-fat milk protein crisps. Containing 90 percent protein, these can be consumed as they are or used as an ingredient in bars and breakfast cereals.
The Reduction & Reformulation Innovation Award went to DSM for an innovative cheese culture that makes it possible to reduce the fat content of cheese by up to
30 percent and still maintain the texture and mouthfeel of full fat cheese.
For the Expo FoodTec Innovation Award there was no winner, but the company Handary received a high commendation for its biodegradable antimycotic protective film that prevents mould growth in solid, packaged food.
Start-up Innovation Challenge winners
The Best Innovation Award went to Chromologics, a biotech company spun out from the Technical University of Denmark in July this year. Its first product is ChromoRed, a water-soluble, natural red pigment produced from a proprietary non-GMO fungal strain.
The Best Natural Ingredient Award was won by Swiss start-up Alver for Golden ChlorellaTM , a protein-rich, nutrient-dense sustainable micro-algae.
Richard Joyce, Fi Europe Brand Director, and Awards Jury chairman Peter Wennstöm of The Healthy Marketing Team led the celebrations and presented the awards.
Commending the winners for their achievements and successes, Richard Joyce said: “The theme of Fi Europe 2017 is ‘Thought Leadership’, and reflecting this, our Awards winners are concrete proof of how those who are experts in their fields can push boundaries and pave the way for the development of solutions that satisfy consumer demands and drive new trends.”
Peter Wennstöm added his congratulations, saying: “The jury was thoroughly impressed by the diverse ways in which companies are mastering current challenges and trends, such as with all natural and plant-based solutions. The high calibre of the entries as well as the jury members, who had expertise in every field of the industry, are both proof of the quality of the Fi Europe Awards.”
At this year’s Food Ingredients Europe, SternVitamin will show how manufacturers of foods, drinks and food supplements can generate new value-adding potential with special product concepts. At the exhibition in Frankfurt, the specialist in tailor-made vitamin and mineral premixes will present individualized micronutrient premixes for different target groups and to meet different requirements. The health and lifestyle concepts range from bone health through strengthening of the body’s defences and the cardiovascular system to beauty support.
One example of the company’s wide range of products and services is the new premix for “healthy bones and a healthy heart”, that visitors to the exhibition can try out on the spot. The micronutrient mix takes up one of the top trends in the beverage market: fortified products based on water. The growth potential in this drink category is the highest worldwide, greater even than in other beverage categories. The vegan premix contains the vitamins B1 and B12 and vitamin C, vitamin K2 and vitamin D3. Organic powdered agave juice concentrate lends the product mild sweetness, while natural flavouring gives the drink a taste of “dark berry fruits”. In addition, SternVitamin will show how the health claims authorized by the EU can be used effectively for marketing purposes on the retail packs of the finished drink.
The new micronutrient premix for drinks is one example of the greatly differing target group concepts geared to the individual phases of consumers’ lives – from the wish for a child, through schooldays, university and working life to old age. Besides trend drinks, the tailor-made micronutrient premixes enable teas, snacks, dairy products, baked goods and sweets to offer additional benefits. SternVitamin has also developed special premixes for fortifying vegan foods.
