CHICAGO — The countdown has begun to the biennial Anuga, the food fair for the global retail, food service and catering markets. Taking place Oct. 10-14 at Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany, Anuga features 10 trade show segments in one location.
This year’s exposition theme is “taste the future” and will enable attendees to gain insight into the future of the global food industry. They will return to their home countries with answers to such questions as: What’s going to sell? What trends are emerging? What will be the next big ethnic influence? And where in the world does my business have the best potential?
It is an exposition like no other, because it is where innovators go in order to stay at the forefront of the increasingly competitive global food industry.
As a central business and communications platform, Anuga brings together suppliers and decision makers from 10 food segments, including bread and bakery, hot beverages, chilled and fresh foods, dairy, drinks, fine food, food service, frozen food, meat, organic and “retailtec.” The exposition will include more than 6,800 exhibitors from more than 100 countries ready to do business with around 155,000 trade visitors from nearly 200 countries.
Here’s a preview of products making their international debut at Anuga.
In the frozen food hall, the convenience theme will be showcased through everything from individually quick frozen exotic fruits and vegetables to heat-and-eat appetizers. Groupe Francaise de Gastronomie, France, will sample butter puff pastries filled with Mediterranean-style cooked vegetables topped with goat cheese. The products may be served as a shared starter or individually as a main dish. A traditional French appetizer — escargot — gets a culinary twist when smoked over beech wood and topped with coarsely chopped garlic and parsley. For younger palates, the company is introducing Buleo, a microwavable fish steak with a colored cheese fishbone. There are three varieties, including hake, salmon and tuna.
New products from Casa da Prisca, Portugal, illustrate the offerings to be showcased in the fine food hall. Spanning seven exhibit halls, this is the largest segment at Anuga. Casa da Prisca will introduce a number of new specialty condiments under its Prisca Selection brand. Innovations include caramelized onions with balsamic vinegar and port wine, chestnut jam with chocolate, fig fruit spread with vinegar and port wine, and honey with Piri-Piri.
In the fine food halls, country-specific pavilions allow visitors to focus on particular ethnic food categories, as well as sample and compare product offerings from different suppliers. From olive oil to herbs and spices, experts are available to educate buyers to the subtleties of international fine foods, which they in turn can use to market these value-added products in their home countries.
Ethnic-flavored snack foods are gaining traction around the world, which was motivation for Brazil’s Marilan Alimentos S/A to introduce The Pit Stop Snack chip line. The concept pairs familiar chips with unique, indulgent and savory flavors. For example, there’s Pastelzinho de Carne (meat with pepper), a traditional Brazilian dish that now comes in snack chip format.
Snacking is a trend and many consumers are reaching for high-protein snack foods such as meat sticks or jerky. Recognizing that not everyone likes the formats, Germany’s Windau GmbH & Co., is introducing salami nuggets, a new concept in high-protein meat snacks. Sold in four-packs of 90-gram cups, the bite-size salami pieces come in four flavors: bacon, classic, paprika-chili and Parmesan.
For people who like to snack and have a sweet tooth, Belgium’s T-Cake nv is rolling out Cake in a Cup. The single-serve, grab-and-go homemade cakes are baked in a cup, topped with real cream and drizzled with indulgent extras. The initial flavors are cappuccino and caramel.
Canada’s Trumps Food Interest Ltd., offers a better-for-you spin on dessert. Slims Dessert Crackers come in three varieties: banana, cocoa and cranberry-orange. The gluten-free, natural dessert crackers are conveniently portioned in 100-calorie packets containing three crackers.
The two super-size beverage halls feature a range of drinks, from traditional fruit juices, waters and soft drinks to beers, wines and spirits. Better-for-you, functional beverages targeting specific demographics is a growing segment around the world and will be a focal point for many exhibitors. For example, Russia’s Sady Pridonia will debut a line of fruit and vegetable juices blended with a mixture of four cereals (barley, oat, rye and wheat.) Made without the addition of any sugars, the shelf-stable cereal drinks are designed to meet the nutritional needs of toddlers 12-months and older.
Ice is considered a luxury item in many countries. It is no wonder that Argentina’s leading premium mineral water — Gota — is introducing a premium ice cube concept. Gota Water S.A. is rolling out Gota Ice Cube Trays. The pre-packaged trays contain the company’s premium water and are freezer ready.
Many of the innovations will be showcased in a special exhibit called Anuga Taste 15, which will allow visitors to get a glimpse of what to expect on the 284,000 square meters of exhibition space.
For information on attending Anuga, visit www.anuga.com.txt.
