Of the exhibitor stalls on show at the Koelnmesse centre in Cologne, which ends today (October 12), China accounted for 407, India supplied 60 stalls, the US 165 and 127 from the UK.
Increasing demand
The globalisation effect was rippling through to other forthcoming food sector events at the Koelnmesse centre, according to Peter Grothues, vice president of Koelnmesse GmbH. At the Anuga 2011 press conference on October 10, he reported an increasing demand for exhibition space from foreign firms looking to exhibit at the upcoming International Sweets and Biscuits (ISM) Fair (January 29 to February 1 2012).
“We are finding that demand for exhibition space is growing, particularly among foreign companies, which means the already large proportion of foreign exhibitors, which is over 80%, will most likely increase again,” he said.
Trends in evidence at Anuga 2011 included a rise in requirements related to: safety and hygiene; convenience; additive-free food; kosher and halal food; and “sustainability” in terms of water and carbon footprint and compliance with social and ethical norms.
Rising living standards
Food and drink producers are now expected to produce products suitable for storage and transport over specified distances while continually rising living standards are bringing an increased demand for sensory appeal, said Dr Jerbert K Buckenhuskes, head of food technology at the German Agricultural Society (DLG).
“Convenience isn’t only a matter of ease of use and preparation, but also of the lowest possible transport weight, packages that are easy to open and product information that is easy to read,” he said.