The international food and drinks industry will once again be meeting up at Anuga in Cologne till October 13, 2021. The world's largest trade fair for the food industry is also setting new benchmarks with its digital format and will additionally bring professionals from all over the globe together from October 11 to 13 via the new digital platform Anuga @home. Under the key theme "Transform", over the next five days more than 4,600 exhibitors from 97 countries will present a variety of products in 10 trade shows. New trends and international product innovations are of particular interest here.
In this context, the Anuga Taste Innovation Show takes on a key function as a trend barometer for the global food business. Selected by a jury comprising of international trade journalists and market research analysts, the most important new products of Anuga are presented to the trade visitors and media representatives. In total, over 418 companies have applied to have their over 1,332 ideas included in the special event. The jury selected 67 products and concepts from among these, which convinced in terms of their idea, innovative power, sustainability and creative implementation - spanning across the different Anuga trade shows. In addition, 10 products were also distinguished as being especially innovative.
The top ten innovations are:
Dried salmon - Jerky Chips by Royal Nordic (Latvia)
Ready to Eat - Beet Root Tots by Frostkrone (Germany)
Aztek Lager by Imag Organics (Mexico)
The Coolives by Aceitunas Torrent (Spain)
12 Scallops on Crispy Crackers by Escal (France)
Frozen Pesto Drops by Il Pesto di Pra' srl (Italy)
Safran Sosse - Sugosi I Prestigiosi by Surgital (Italy)
Compostable Coffee Capsules by Café Sati (France)
Lotao Green Jackfruit Veggie Balls by Lotao (Germany)
Happy Veggies – Beetroobee by Finest Selection Kft. (Hungary)
All of the new products will be presented in an attractive special event in Hall 4.1 as well as on Anuga @home. This year's new products demonstrate above all: The innovations of Anuga 2021 characterised by sustainability, health and convenience. Plant-based foodstuffs are an ongoing theme. The trend towards plant-based protein has recorded a big breakthrough in 2020. Various food and beverage companies are seeking to use plant-based ingredients as supplements or the main attraction of their new product developments. The consumers are becoming more sensitive to the theme sustainability so that plant-based proteins are also becoming increasingly popular wiith them. Foodstuffs that carry the product claim "purely plant-based" are particularly popular. Plant-based sources of protein include among others soya, peas, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. New products include for instance whole grain chickpea crackers, protein balls, plant-based fish salad, a plant-based sauce made of fava beans or beetroot wraps.
Alternative meat proteins form a second main trend. Meat substitution is one of the food trends of the future - and we are no longer just talking about veggie burgers or vegetarian meat substitution products. The new alternatives range from laboratory meat or cell-based meat through to insects. Because the consumers' demands for a meatless diet and alternative products are constantly increasing. The new products at Anuga range from ready-made meals with plant-based meat balls, through to plant-based chicken nuggets or sausages. Cell-based meat will for example be presented at Anuga on 11.10 in the scope of the New Food Conference.
The third main trend topic of this year's Anuga encompasses products with health-related additional benefits and natural ingredients without artificial colourings. This is where clean label products come into play. Clean labelling provides the end user with information on the ingredients, origin, ethical factors and ecological factors. Here, the exhibitors present for instance Turkish coffee with collagen, which combats the classic effects of coffee such as vascular constriction and wrinkles. Products containing kombucha are also very high in trend: The variety ranges from lemonades, teas, through to kombucha shots, which contribute towards healthy intestinal flora.
The subject of sustainability also remains topical. Here, products such as compostable coffee capsules, lemonade made from unusably sour grapes, through to paper-based cups are going down well.
Unusual flavour profiles and ways of presenting products are not restricted to beverages – they can also be found in the frozen foods segment. Examples include spirulina dyed blue as an energy booster for athletes or purple-coloured chips.
The latest trends and potential future solutions can also be found at Anuga’s other special events and themed areas. These include the sections Dairy Alternatives, Meet more Meatless or Clean Label. This year's congress programme also provides insights into the food transform. The New Food Conference discusses the opportunities of cell-based meats, the Nutrition X Innovation Summit addresses solutions for personalised diets and the ZNU Congress deals with holistic approaches for sustainability.