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This year's Alimentaria trade show received 158,000 individual visitors and 5000 companies,an increase of 4% over the previous year.

The event, based in Spain, Barcelona, had a significant presence of professionals from abroad - around 33,000 from 155 countries, 21% of total visitors.

The EU contributed the majority of international exhibitors. Italy, with 296 firms; Germany, with 50; Belgium, with 59; France, with 131; the Netherlands, with 31; Portugal, with 40; Greece, with 72; and the United Kingdom, with more than 35, were the companies with the largest number of representatives. In terms of participants from outside the European Community, China sent 40 companies; Egypt, close to 20; Argentina, 20; the United States, 20; and Turkey, 15.

There was significant participation from Latin America and a marked increase in the presence of new EU member countries, as well as those from the Asian continent. Bulgaria, Hungary, Panama, Cyprus and Egypt made their first appearance.

7,800 business meetings Among the most successful activities, one which will have some of the greatest impact on the future in the form of new business, were the international projects involving business owners from Latin America, Asia, the countries of the Central and Eastern EU, the United States and Canada. Participants included close to 200 Spanish companies, 500 foreign buyers and 150 foreign manufacturers. Close to 7,800 business meetings were held.

At Innoval, one of the two innovation showcasing areas there was a stream of exciting new products. Here only a few are mentioned, for instance: the company Connein presented a new pizza in the shape of a cone; Avoro Foods revealed extra virgin avocado oil; Krups and Heineken, a beer tap for the home; Nesquik, a relaxing cocoa powder for children; The company Casanovas presented liquid salt and salt in gel form; H.Mallafré, olive oil with passion fruit; Alinaco, pizza with a Spanish potato omelette base; Inodducky-Mas Parés; while Marqués de Vizhoja, single-serving size shots of eau-de-vie for coffee.

Other discoveries at Alimentaria were olives stuffed with fruit, tea just for men, tinned clams marnière, bottled edible seaweed, beer with cola and the first cured salmon ham, ‘jalmón’. Noteworthy new products included a novel liquid smoke which gives meat the true flavour of an open-air barbecue; a gum which speeds up and extends suntans; café latte in a Tetra Brik; pre-cooked and peeled eggs; vodka in a toothpaste tube and an anti-ageing drink.

A Royal opening Josep Lluís Bonet, President of Alimentaria and Fira de Barcelona, stated: "I am highly satisfied with how the show went. " He also gave thanks for the "support" of the Royal Family who inaugurated the show on 10 March. Also in attendance were acting Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Elena Espinosa, Generalitat of Catalonia President José Montilla, and Catalonia’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Action, Joaquim Llena, among other authorities.