By Dr. Bernhard Reichenbach, Chefredakteur

In this issue, we will inform you about a total of five trade fair events. Two of them – Pack Expo in Chicago and Vitafoods Europe in Geneva – have been cancelled due to Covid-19 and replaced by web-based virtual live events. Even under difficult conditions, however, the planning is ongoing for the important trade fairs Fi Europe & Hi Europe in Frankfurt as well as ProSweets Cologne and Anuga FoodTec in Cologne. The exhibition organizers have taken hygiene and safety precautions to ensure the health of exhibitors and visitors. Trade fairs are elementary information and contact platforms for the respective industries, and physical presence is essential.

In our special section on the topic of “logistics”, we show, among other things, how the well-known Swiss herbal sweets from Ricola find their way reliably and safely to consumers around the world with the help of the forwarding service provider Dachser.

In our “sp portrait” series, this time, we present the traditional Boettger Group in Berlin. In its more than 90-year history, the family company has diversified time and again, but has always remained true to the raw material sugar. As a producer of liquid sugar and a trader with common sugar products and specialties, the company efficiently occupies niche markets.

The main topic in the “technology” section is filling quantity optimization. For companies in the confectionery industry, overcrowded and highly fluctuating articles offer considerable optimization potential that can be quickly identified and used through analyses and comparisons of operations or products.