Anuga FoodTec trade fair, which recently took place in Cologne/Germany, once again proved to be an important stimulus for the international food and beverage industry. The supplier show, which covers all aspects of food production, was held for the first time as a mixture of a face-to-face trade fair and digital extension and offered a wide range of information and contact opportunities.

For four days, the food and beverage industry recently met with its supplier sector at trade show Anuga FoodTec – Special Edition – in Cologne/Germany. Around 25,000 trade visitors from more than 120 countries gathered information from 1,034 exhibitors, 60 % of them from abroad. The attendance from other European countries and from Germany was very strong. Visitor numbers from the Middle East and some African countries were also gratifyingly good. The proportion of visitors from abroad was around 57 %.

As the most important platform of the year, Anuga FoodTec successfully started the re-launch of the entire industry. The great need for investment and, at the same time, the high level of willingness to invest on the part of the inquiring industry was expressed, among other things, by the fact that many of the attending managing directors and plant managers approached the exhibitors with concrete project ideas. In some cases, machines and equipment were even purchased on the spot. The current world situation has increased the need for answers to questions in areas such as energy efficiency, resource conservation and sustainability. In addition to key players, numerous medium-sized companies, smaller specialists and 28 start-ups also showed innovative concepts tailored precisely to the industry.

“Anuga FoodTec is and remains the central and international meeting place for the industry, and this leading position has been clearly underlined by the successful re-launch of the trade show here in Cologne,” commented Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of the organizing company Koelnmesse GmbH. And Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse, added: “The high-calibre trade audience met excellently positioned and committed exhibitors. Intensive effective discussions characterized the course of the trade fair. The exhibitors’ feedback confirmed to us once again how important personal encounters are for successful business.”

Dr Reinhard Grandke, Chief Executive Officer of DLG (German Agricultural Society) and Chairman of the Anuga FoodTec Advisory Board, clarified: “The mix of physical and digital offerings underscored the high professional relevance of the international Anuga FoodTec platform and provided the right setting for successful business deals and investments. The important networking of science and business practice was again achieved in an exemplary manner in Cologne.” Compact, innovative formats offered numerous opportunities to take anin-depth look at the intelligent automation of production processes in the food and beverage industry. Along the entire value chain, new technologies and concepts were presented that push the sustainable use of natural resources.

“Smart Solutions – Higher Flexibility” was the highly relevant guiding theme of the trade show and its extensive technical programme, which was very well received by the international audience with over 200 specialist events. The DLG played a leading role, using its expertise to organize the numerous events in a variety of formats. For example, specialist forums highlighted a wide range of current topics in food technology and linked scientific findings with business practice. Visitors also received a compact overview and orientation with regard to pioneering innovations in the field of food technology during the guided tours on the exhibition grounds.

At the fair, the International FoodTec Award, the most renowned innovation prize in international food technology, was also presented for the eleventh time. Every three years, the award honours successful implementations of innovative concepts in the fields of process technology, filling and packaging technology, environmental and biotechnology, process management, logistics, food safety and quality management. All new developments submitted are evaluated by an international jury of experts from research and practice with regard to innovation content, sustainability and efficiency. From the numerous applications, the jury selected 20 solutions that were honoured with an award in gold or silver.

The FoodTec Award in gold was won by Kuchenmeister GmbH, Soest/Germany, for its specially developed novel oven system, the “Multi-variable Baking Process”. The baking oven is equipped with a combined heat transfer to save energy. With the new method, the optimal type of heat transfer for the desired quality of the baked goods can be selected in each phase of the baking process. The primary choice is between convection or radiation. The targeted, independent use of heat energy in the respective optimal heat transfer leads to efficient energy consumption and, at the same time, high quality of all types of baked goods. The process was honoured for its special new functionality and application possibilities.

The FoodTec Award in silver went to Albert Handtmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach/Germany, for its FS 525 all-in-one forming and cutting system. The system combines two different forming principles and thus achieves a previously unattained flexibility in industrial applications. With the perforated plate moulding technology, freely shaped 3D products can be produced. With the rotary cutter, different cross-sections can be produced with a smooth cut. This solves the problem of needing different machines to offer a wide variety of products. According to the jury, the novel design increases flexibility and efficiency and reduces acquisition costs. The prerequisite for this is a machine design with an innovative drive concept.

The next Anuga FoodTec will take place in Cologne from 19 to 22 March 2024.