Exclusive: Fi Europe draws major audiences from around the globe
The Rousselot stand at Fie has been notably busy this week. Pic: Neill Barston
A wealth of ingredients innovations from around the world have been on show this week as part of the Fi Europe event at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, reports Neill Barston.
Visitors from around the world have descended on the French capital this week, as the global showcase, which closes today, has celebrated a momentous 30th anniversary.
More than 1,500 exhibitors across market segments have been showcasing their respective offerings for the industry, which has seen the sweets and snacks arena well represented in the mix.
Confectionery Production has been in attendance to gain an inside track on some of the latest trends and products influencing our combined sectors, with the industry reporting a strong sense of buoyancy.
The mood of resilience within the market comes despite the industry, as with the full spectrum of the food and drink market, having faced higher sourcing, energy import and export costs within the past year from the US.
As previously reported, one of the prevailing trends within the sector has been amply represented in the form of the ongoing shift towards delivery of products that cater to the health and wellbeing sector, which has increasingly extended to the confectionery and snacks market.
Among those engaging with that agenda have been Rousselot, which exhibited a broad range of solutions targeting the wider market, aimed at sugar reduction and delivery of natural ingredients.
Speaking to Confectionery Production, Tim de Lange, global application centre manager for the business, noted there had been a strong response to its renewed presence at the event.
He said: “We’ve seen high interest in the two types of gummies that we have been showcasing (including infused gummy within a gummy), so we’ve been working on functionalising these products, putting supplements and vitamins in them. If you have to take those supplements every day, why not make them as indulgent as possible.
“For our gummy caps, we had a really nice meeting with someone today who wanted to produce them, and with having our own labs, we are able to show them how this is done,” added the product specialist, who also discussed its range of nutritionally enhanced crackers that had also attracted significant interest in Paris this week.
Among other companies that have offered a key focus on confectionery has been Prinova (below), which has an extensive portfolio of functional solutions for industry, which has also extended out to the sweets and snacks market around the world.
For a full review of FiEurope, including an interview with Prinova and many other across the industry, see our subsequent edition of Confectionery Production magazine.
