Participants were required to guide their micro machines through a coned course in the shortest possible time, lifting tiny boxes in the process. Needless to say, I did not complete the course in a satisfactory manner. Boxes were smashed and trucks were tipped. Still, I somehow managed to win a beanie cap so it wasn’t all bad.
The exhibition was packed with finished product creations from the food and beverage sector and many items stood out for me on my first ever Foodex visit.
One of these items came in the form of Fuel’s breakfast milk drink, which FoodBev covered in February last year. I sampled the beverage for the first time at the show and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted. The consistency of the vanilla blend was great, not too thick, and the flavour didn’t jump out and slap you in the face – it was a subtle mix, which I’d gladly consume as part of my breakfast.
Another interesting product was beauty’in’s beauty drink, which is now available in eight different varieties. This functional beverage offers a range of vitamins and minerals, which are released into the liquid by pushing down on an innovative dosing cap, and fruit extracts feature in its list of ingredients.
CoCos-Pure was also exhibiting an eye-catching drink at Foodex 2014. The Canada-based brand was showing off its 100% pure coconut water, which is free from gluten and preservatives and contains ethically sourced ingredients. Navson’s marketing manager Andrew Roser was very helpful at Foodex 2014 too and happily discussed the launch of Raw Energy Chewing Gum: a new sugar free gum that includes taurine and vitamin B.
As well as hosting a variety of tasty foods and drinks, Foodex 2014 also showcased an array of technological developments in the food and beverage industry. For example, Germany’s Holac was exhibiting its Cheesixx multifunctional cheese cutting machine at the show, which boasts a maximum output of 1300kg per hour. This device also features a pneumatically powered chamber closing plate and offers a wide range of cutting shapes, touch screen controls and a fully sealed product loading chamber with open drainages.
Gardner Denver’s new Elmo Rietschle S-VSI Twister screw vacuum pump, which is ideal for use in packaging, drying and coating, was also on display at the event. The German company’s latest design features a low noise level and operating temperature and offers dry, contact free operation. VC999 Packaging Systems’ new i-series thermoforming line also made an appearance at Foodex 2014 and Labcell’s stand drew a lot of interest with its comprehensive range of water activity instruments, refractometers and ph meter machines.
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