Visited by 160,000 trade visitors from 192 countries from 10 – 14 October, Anuga Cologne was buzzing with excitement and full of inspirations.
One of the most interesting trends was the numerous uses of avocado by so many different brands and industries. Full of essential fatty acids, heart-friendly and a good source of Vitamin E, avocado oil is a great alternative for cooking and dressing. Mi Ra from Ecuador was offering a big variety of options with garlic and spices; chilli breeze; and lemon, lime and orange variants, as well as an avocado honey, which is the product of bees feeding on the nectar of avocado flowers. Avacado mayonnaise from Chosen Foods, Avacado-Licious popcorn from Buddha Bowl Foods and battered and breaded avocado slices from Salud Food Group were other interesting uses for avocado.
In beverages, while the coffee in bag-in-box concept and big pouches – like the sleek designs by KAV – continued to rise in popularity, the tea brands seemed to prefer individually wrapped versions better, as seen in Silkenty’s selection of luxury tea offered in pyramid-shaped packaging.
Among many free-from brands and products exhibiting in the show, some of the most outstanding products were the veggie and gluten-free, colourful party cups by Piddy and a new vegan brand called Veg In, offering vegan burgers, black pudding and several confectionery options.
Interesting brand extensions in the category were Almond Diamond’s new Almond Breeze coffee cream made of almond and coconut milk and Granarolo’s new gluten- and lactose-free milk range.
In convenience food, Emmi’s fondue set, the do-it-yourself bread and pastry kits from Desem Donker and Bake Your Own’s Saurteaig bread making kit were enticing options for foodies, as well as those not so confident in the kitchen.
In the cheese sector, innovation prevailed with experimental options like the “cola taste cow cheese” by Polderkaas, wasabi flavour by Wyngaard, pine flavour by Arve, basil flavour from Vilvi, and merlot flavour by Sartori, while Fine Cheese Co and Virgilio’s premium products and packaging were a nod to craft, tradition and quality.
In all industries, original and witty packaging designs were eye-catching, from the Just Calm relaxation drink to Bad Toro and Two Fingers biscuits, Joe’s lemonade range and Choc Stars chocolates. Brida’s bottles with a Piccasso-esque touch were really inspired and posed strong branding as well as Granell’s tea and coffee range, and revamped new look from Just T.
A new start-up brand from Germany called Priamo, the Thai Coco sparkling coconut water, and Paradise Cocktail were among the highlights in premium and adult drinks.
One of the industry’s leading food fairs for foodservice, retail and catering market, Anuga 2015 once again sparked imagination and the FoodBev team left Cologne with new inspirations and ideas, looking forward to 2016.
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