The organisers of the key ISM confectionery event have confirmed that Barry Callebaut is set to return for a pivotal role, after an absence of seven years from the global showcase, reports Neill Barston.

According to the team behind the event, which has been staged for over 50 years in Cologne, the 2027 show is already shaping-up to be something special with 30 percent extra space, and double the number of exhibitors participating in its ISM Ingredients element introduced last year.

For its part, Barry Callebaut has been unveiled as a debut contributor to this  category of the show, which the Koelnemesse team identified as a core area of growth for the event. 

As Confectionery Production has previously reported, the ingredients segment has become a core area of focus for the sector, as manufacturers seek alternative options amid a period of extended price volatility, including within the cocoa sector.

Significantly, last year marked the final incarnation of ProSweets equipment and systems element of the show (which had also included a smaller number of ingredients businesses), which has now been rebranded under the banner of ISM Manufacturing. 

Barry Callebaut was last at ISM at the end of January 2020, with our publication on hand to report on the event, just weeks before the global pandemic gripped Europe and the wider world, posing significant challenges across all spheres of industry. Consequently, the company’s extended absence from the event after having been a flagship exhibitor being considerably noted across the broader confectionery business.

The Barry Callebaut stand at its last ISM appearance in 2020 (pic Barry Callebaut)

Indeed, there had been strong indications that the business, which ranks as the largest single B2B supplier of chocolate and cocoa, had planned to return to the even in 2026, but in a year marked by internal restructuring, the company has committed to appearing formally for next year’s event, which is between 31 January and 2 February.

While it was not an exhibitor at this year’s showcase in Cologne, the business was on hand to help formally unveil a partnership with Planet A Foods for distribution of the ambitious start-up’s Choviva brand across key European markets, as well as in the US (see our exclusive video interview below with Planet A at this year’s event in Las Vegas, which will shortly play its part in our World Confectionery Conference on 10 September). 

Speaking to Confectionery Production, the team at ISM explained there had been a strategic shift in thinking for this year’s event in January, given the fact that 2026 has been an interpack packaging and processing event year, which impacts on all events surrounding its staging.

With ingredients proving such a hot area of product development, there is little surprise that the event has encouraged a strong range of participants already for its next installment.

Confirmed companies for the 2027 event include Döhler, Fuji Oil, Brenntag, GNT, ofi (olam food ingredients), Norevo and Paradise Fruits, Mantrose UK Ltd., California Natural Color, Capol, Boettger Food Ingredients, Couplet Sugars SA and Coppenrath Feingebäck.

Guido Hentschke, Director of ISM Ingredients, welcomed the return of Barry Callebaut to the event. He said: “We are really excited to have Barry Callebaut present again. This is a strong signal for the industry and demonstrates that ISM Ingredients has already successfully established itself on the market even within such a short space of time.

As he confirmed, there will also be strong global support with trade groups including the Istanbul Exporters’ Association and German Sweets e.V. are also represented as group participants, with China and India also poised for strong participation once again.

Hentschke added: “The ISM trade fair trio combines product innovation, expertise in ingredients and industrial implementation in a strong international trade fair network. This makes the value chain of the sweets and snacks industry particularly accessible in Cologne,” 

“The visitors receive practical insights into current solutions that are of high relevance for the industry and trade.”

Moreover, as seen in previous editions, core topics are anticipated to include sugar reduction and healthier indulgence, transparent and more sustainable raw materials as well as solutions for taste, texture and functionality.

In terms of its wider focus, the event will seek to offer a combined platform for manufacturers, brands, trade partners and wider suppliers to the industry, with its ingredients focus set to provide an additional core for the confectionery and snacking sector core annual showcase.