Serving up a treat
Food Matters Live 2015, which was held at London’s ExCel earlier this month, was a great success, say the organisers, exceeding expectations with more than 10,000 experts from the worlds of food and drink manufacturing, foodservice, retail, nutrition, public health and research taking part.
There was standing room only at conference and seminar debates, which saw health professionals and the food and drink industry discuss important issues such as childhood obesity, sustainable diets, malnutrition, changing dietary behaviour, and packaging and marketing strategies for health and ‘better for you’ brands.
Alongside the education programme, over 400 exhibitors showcased the latest innovations in food, health and nutrition through a diverse range of displays and thought provoking talks, demonstrations and tastings.
Briony Mansell-Lewis, Food Matters Live director, says: “We were delighted to see so many exhibitors and visitors attend the second Food Matters Live.
“People are really beginning to see the benefits of this unique, cross sector event, which brings together key stakeholders from across food and drink, health and nutrition to make the important connections between sustainable food production, consumption and nutrition.
“Our top priority now is to build on the success of last week’s event and to work closely with exhibitors, speakers, visitors and supporters to make Food Matters Live 2016 even better.”
Dr Gina Radford, the Department of Health’s deputy chief medical officer, felt the event reinforced the importance of “government, communities, industries and schools working together” to tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time – the national obesity epidemic.
“We need to particularly address childhood obesity,” she says. “There’s no magic bullet – we need a multi-faceted approach. We all have a role to play and it’s going to be a challenge.”
Among the exhibitors were household brands, such as: The Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition/ General Mills, Yakult, Nutricia Early Life Nutrition, Iceland, Nestlé Cereals, a2 milk, plus foodservice providers apetito, Premier Foodservice and Sodexo.
They were joined by innovative start-ups in the Unilever-sponsored Enterprise Zone – while the Research Pavilion, sponsored by Tesco Food Academy, made the link between academia and industry with a host of the food sector’s leading research, testing and analysis organisations.
Key buyers from major retailers and distributors such as Sainsburys, Waitrose, Marks and Spencer, Hider Foods and Holland & Barrett used the opportunity to source new, innovative products to stock their shelves.
And expert speakers continually referred to the connection between innovation, sustainability and nutrition throughout the three days – with Food and Farming Minister George Eustice pledging continued government support.
“This government is backing Britain’s world class food and farming industry, which employs one in eight people and generates over £100 billion a year for our economy,” he says. “That’s why we want to grow more, sell more and buy more British food.
“However, we recognise that climate change represents long term challenges to global food security, which is why we continue to invest in science and innovation to improve productivity and sustainability.”
Food Matters Live returns to London’s ExCeL on the 22–24 November 2016.
