Anuga, the bi-annual trade fair for the food industry which takes place from 4-8th October in Cologne, will have around 140,000 visitors from 200 countries. This year, innovations from algae and mushroom-based protein through to cultivated meat will be featured in a new area of the show, called ‘Anuga Alternatives’.
Jan Philipp Hartmann, director of Anuga, said: “Product innovations that are designed to improve the global food system should be at the heart of the future of food. Global networking also plays a key role in this. With our theme of Sustainable Growth, Anuga shows how the food industry combines innovation and responsibility – and thus provides concrete answers to the most pressing questions of our time.”
Hartmann identified four key trends that are currently having the greatest impact on the food and drink sector. They are:
- Alternative proteins are being scaled up, making precision fermentation more attractive, leading to more and better products.
- Circularity and regenerative models are embedding resource efficiency and turning waste into valuable food products.
- Personalised and functional nutrition is gaining momentum, with strong implications for the plant-based sector.
- Digitalisation and AI is enabling greater transparency, efficiency, and R&D acceleration.
ProVeg will host daily talks on plant-based startups, ultra-processed food, nutritional values and the role of white label for the alternative sector.
Virginia Cecchini Kuskow, senior food industry manager at ProVeg, commented: “Anuga’s recognition of the role that alternatives play in the current and future food systems really enhances the value of the trade fair for those seeking to support positive food system transformation.
“We will see the plant-based side of Anuga continue to grow in future years as more innovative products and traditional uses of plant proteins make it to market and more countries seek to reduce emissions from agriculture and improve the health of their citizens.”
Plant-forward concepts will feature not only in the dedicated hall but also across all ten trade shows under the Anuga roof, from fine food section, through drinks to the frozen food section.