Exclusive: Global confectionery sector set to assemble for festive Choco Tec 2024 event

The bi-annual Choco Tec event is just around the corner once again, with cocoa prices, EUDR and industry innovation all on the agenda. Editor Neill Barston quizzes Andreas Bertram, managing director of ZDS, the German central school of confectionery, which is behind this year’s show, on what to expect from the event

Final preparations are coming together strongly, with hundreds of attendees expected for the event, taking place at Koelnmesse’s Congress Centre North, between 10-12 December. (watch our video version of the interview below).

Q: How are things shaping-up for this year’s Choco Tec event?
A: Preparations for this year’s Choco Tec are in full swing, and at this point, we have the highest level of internationality to our visitors, as well as new companies emerging to be part of our event.
The format of our event as the leading chocolate congress in Europe is really doing a good job, categorised by product showcases and our start-up corner, as well as excellent speakers and our foyer exhibition. So we’ve become a meeting point for the industry.

pic: Choco Tec 2022 drew a broad cross section of industry in Cologne, with plans progressing strongly for the 2024 edition. Pic: Neill Barston

Q: Among key topical issues on the agenda is the impact of EUDR environmental laws – how much of a test will this be?
A: I really believe that there have never been so many challenges facing chocolate producers at the same time as there are now. The uncertainty surrounding the EU’s deforestation regulations is just one part of this, as you also have the issue of the European packaging regulations, which has costs for manufacturers. There are problems with this passing to the next level, and there’s a lot of uncertainty for companies over where to invest in types of packaging – there’s also the sharp rise in cacao prices, they have to look in detail about recipes, which are now being re-evaluated. At the same time, the market is developing for cacao substitutes that require less chocolate. Another important subject will be AI and its impact on chocolate manufacturing, so it’s time for the industry to talk.

Q: For those that may not have been to Cologne for the show before, what can they expect?
A: The special thing about Choco Tec is the family atmosphere for it, be it the dinner together in the chocolate museum, which is my personal highlight, where you can talk about the issues and solutions, which you can also do during the breaks visiting the foyer exhibition. So this is definitely the place to be to mark the end of 2024!

Q: You have been involved with ZDS for many years, what keeps you going in your role?
A: ZDS is my life. After university, I came to the college as a teacher, then went away to work industry before coming back again to ZDS as its managing director, and I’ve been doing this over 21 years – it’s the first thing I think of each morning, besides my wife! And the last thing at night, so this is my professional life, and Choco Tec is a very important part of that and a major highlight for it. Our entire team is really excited to keep doing it better every time. It seems that we have some really good participants again, with more than 300 people due to be there. It will be a fantastic event to be at and I’m happy to be part of this success story.

Q: Cocoa prices in particular have been comparatively high this year – do you imagine that this will change?
A: I believe that prices will go down a little, but I don’t think it is going to change too much. Everyone is looking or wishing for this, but at the moment, confectionery producers in Germany have seen labour costs increase, as well as energy costs have been very high against many other places in Europe. Then you have the problem of higher costs of cacao that has created a lot of pressure, so they are having to look at their formulation of products. They also have to look at their processes – now companies are offering emulsifiers that may save 3% of cacao butter, everyone is now focused on reduction and reformulation. We will see what happens with this – some companies will be able to, but consumers will notice this and will they accept it?

Q: What do you think is the biggest test for the market overall?
A: There are indeed many issues, but one of the is the use of bisphenol (chemicals) in plastics, which is in food contact – the EU decided that they should not accept it any more, but it is in many plastics used within the confectionery industry. The EU has said this has to be extract, so there is a big issue with this, as there are no moulds any more that you can use – so it will take time to create new plastics that remove this.

Q: What do you enjoy most outside of your work?
A: I like to relax in the countryside where I’m living. My favourite thing is feeding my hens – and looking for the eggs that I’m going to eat for my breakfast the next morning!
I’m more of a countryside person, and like to be outdoors where we live, and we have sheep, chickens and a dog. During the week, there are the demands of work, so a lot of our family time gets squeezed into the weekend, but it is important to relax and do things together, that will make you happy for the new week. Home is wherever my family is, and that’s changed over the years, but we are now close to the border with the Netherlands in the North West of Germany, we’re not too far away from where the Katjes confectionery group is in Emmerich, and we’re near the Rhine river. We do sometimes get flooding, and living where we do, every year, we pay a certain amount to maintain the riverside, it’s been an obligation for centuries.

Q: Compared to your event in 2022 in the wake of the pandemic, it seems there’s a particularly encouraging mood?
A: I was unsure ahead of our 2022 event as to what would happen due to Coronavirus, and whether it would come back again, but I think we will never go back to a situation where events will be cancelled by governments as they realised that this was too expensive to do that, they may have to adapt their hygienic concepts. For this year’s show, as we had so many people at our last event, this gave us the feeling that it was so excellent, we should really go for it – our booths were sold out much quicker. We have our exhibitions, posters, but we now are now seeing a tendency of groups from companies sending a number of people to the event. We’ve new people on the block, but our challenge is to bring in all our participants.”

• For more details on next month’s event between 10-12 December, visit www.choco-tec.com