The sector is set to meet at IFFA in Frankfurt amMain from 14 to 19 May. Around 900 exhibitors from more than 40 countries will beshowing their latest products and solutions for processing, packaging and sellingmeat and alternative sources of protein. The companies are looking forward topersonal encounters with their customers and to presenting the complete spectrumof theirinnovationsfromthelast threeyears.
The expectations of the global meat and protein industry on their leading internationaltrade fair – IFFA, Technology for Meat and Alternative Proteins – are high. From 14 to 19May, the who’s who of the sector will meet in Frankfurt am Main to present the latestinnovations, to gather information and to network. Around 900 exhibitors from over 40countries have registered to show their developments from the last three years includingtechnology for processing and packaging meat and alternative protein products,ingredients and additives for modern foodstuffs, as well as new sales products. Everythingand everyone of note will be spread over some 116,000 square metres of exhibition space(gross) in Halls 8, 9, 11 and 12 of Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre. The traditionallyhigh level of internationality of IFFA is also guaranteed this year with over 60 percent ofregistered companies coming from outside Germany, especially Italy, Spain, theNetherlands,Austria,SwitzerlandandPoland.
The meat and protein industry will meet at IFFA 2022 in Frankfurt. Source:MesseFrankfurt
Trade visitor sare also looking forward to this year’s IFFA inFrankfurt. Theycome fromthe food industry, the butchers’ trade, the retail trade, the hospitality industry andsuppliers, and hold the fair in high regard as the best source of information for the latestinnovations and trends. Wolfgang Marzin, President and Chief Executive Officer of MesseFrankfurt, says, “We are ready to welcome important players from the German andinternational meat and protein industry to IFFA 2022. Around 900 companies, includingthe market leaders, will be there and show the latest innovations on their impressiveexhibition stands. The breadth and depth of the products and services to be seen isunrivalled and, this year, will once again generate a multitude of innovative impulses. Withthe new theme of alternative sources of protein, IFFA, the world’s leading trade fair for theindustry, not only set sthe trend but also reflects current consumer behaviour.”
These ctorbanking onper sonalen counters
Preliminary data indicates that the production of food and packaging machinery inGermany increased in 2021 and sector sales almost reached the pre-crisis level of 2019.This positive background will also impact on the coming IFFA with the exhibitors lookingforward to personal encounters with their national and international customers. RichardClemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging MachineryAssociation, says, “Leading international trade fairs in Germany represent a home matchand are very important for the mechanical-engineering sector. As we have seen clearlyover the last two years, nothing can replace trade fairs as platforms for innovations, theexchange of ideas and information and progress. Our member companies are lookingforward to this opportunity to present their solutions in the fields of automation,digitalisation and sustainability, as well as, naturally, to personal encounters,conversations and discussions with experts from all over the world”. The butchers’ trade,one of the most important groups of visitors to IFFA is also looking forward to the fair withgreat anticipation. A poll of members of the German Butchers’ Association (DFV) revealedthat slightly more than 50 percent of artisanal butchers are planning above-averageinvestments for 2022, particularly in production, sales and energy efficiency. DFVpresident Herbert Dohrmann says, “All in all, our polls indicate that the sector has comethrough the crisis very well and, as the figures clearly show, butchers are currentlydistinguished by a high propensity to invest. We are a personnel-intensive business andare hoping that IFFA will generate a host of important impulses, especially in the fields ofautomation anddigitalisation.”
For the first time in its history of over 70 years, IFFA has expanded its product nomenclature and now includes technologies and solutions for vegetable-based meat substitutes and alternative proteins. At least 200 IFFA exhibitors offer products for theproduction of meat alternatives. They are spread across the whole fair and can be foundvia the IFFA Contactor, the fair’s exhibitor and product search engine. Additionally, the complementary programme of events will provide further information about this future-oriented subject. New IFFA partners, such as the German Association for AlternativeSources of Protein (BALPro), the Good Food Institute Europe and the ProVeg nutrition alorganisation, will also be contributing their expertise and their networks.
The programme of events: inspiration, product information, expert knowledge andinsights
The IFFA programme of events will give participants the opportunity to see and experience innovations, to take part in lectures and discussions and to gain inspiration fornew products and solutions. Throughout the fair, the IFFA Forum will be the setting forexpert talks and product presentations. Every day, the spotlight will be on a different toptheme, i.e., automation, digitalisation, food safety, sustainability, food trends and individualisation in artisanal businesses. New and also live daily, vegan and meat-based bratwurst will be produced on the genuine production line of the IFFA Factory while experts explain the production methods and provide information about recipes, ingredients and processes. Also new are the guided tours to selected exhibitors. Each of these Discovery Tours will focus on a specific theme. The choice ranges from packaging trendsand process innovations to meat substitutes (presented by the Good Food Institute Europe),ingredients and‘ Trends in the Butchers’Trade (presented by the DFV).
Great product inspiration will once again be offered by the international product competitions and competitions for young members of the German Butchers’ Association.The National Butchers’ Trade Team will also be represented and there will be exciting insights to begleaned from the‘ Artisanal Art’ specialshow.
The VDMA is joining forces with the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering andPackaging to present future-oriented themes and solutions on its exhibition stand. Visitorswill be able to see a virtual cleaning assistant for safe and efficient manual cleaning withthe aid of augmented reality technology. The second main theme revolves aroundalternative proteins and focuses on processes for the fully automatic production of insectprotein and plant-based protein. The complete IFFA event programme can be foundonline at www.iffa.com/events.
New: IFFA Digital Extension
For the first time, IFFA will be held with a digital extension and thus open up new dimensions for visitors to make their trade-fair experience even more individual or toparticipate when it is impossible to travel to Frankfurt. The new digital platform includes avariety of exciting options before, during and after the fair. For example, visitors can makecontact with potential business partners and arrange mutually convenient appointments inadvance via the matchmaking system. Detailed product information and corporate profilesof the exhibitors in word, photos and video offer a good impression of the product ranges while chat functions and video calls mean making direct contact is easy. Further information about the IFFA Digital Extension can be found at www.iffa.com/digital-extension.
Messe Frankfurt accompanies the dynamic process of growth of the global food industry with six trade fairs on four continents. Further information about the events in the ‘Food Technologies’ portfolio can be found at www.food-technologies.messefrankfurt.com.
