With trade visitor numbers exceeding expectations, the recently concluded THAIFEX Anuga Asia – the continent’s leading trade fair for the food & beverage industry – served to shine a powerful spotlight on the most important trends transforming the F&B sector. 

Returning to Bangkok from 24–28 May, THAIFEX Anuga Asia 2022 food and beverage trade fair welcomed more than 51,535 trade visitors in total – emanating from 111 countries worldwide – over the course of the five days. The impressive showing exceeded all expectations, according to one the leading F&B industry expo’s organisers, Koelnmesse. 

Alongside providing a platform for over 1,600 exhibitors to showcase their products and solutions, the premier trade show also highlighted the most salient and fast emerging trends shaping the F&B industry today, as well as the dynamics set to transform the sector in the years to come.

Boosting brand and market exposure

Certainly, the pandemic has forced the F&B market to enact drastic changes, with industry operators adapting their businesses rapidly to the multitude of challenges that Covid-19-related disruptions have foisted upon it over the past few years. Within this context, THAIFEX Anuga Asia 2022 marked a welcome return for both local and international trade visitors to IMPACT Muang Thong Thani across the week, offering top industry players the opportunity to showcase their unique product innovations, and approaches to meeting consumer needs.

"The challenges of Covid-19 have severely impacted the F&B industry,” confirmed Mathias Kuepper, Managing Director of Koelnmesse Pte Ltd. “As a globally acclaimed F&B tradeshow, THAIFEX Anuga Asia purposefully solves some of these challenges by providing a platform for creating new enterprises to bring their goods to market, boosting their brand and market exposure," he told Food & Beverage Networker.

"At the same time, as guardians of industry standards and leading exponents of developing opportunities in this business area worldwide, it is our responsibility to build platforms of growth for the new age by linking small and big F&B businesses with trade visitors, buyers, investors, and enabling them to promote economic success in a conducive atmosphere,” Mr Kuepper continued. “This will likely result in increased diversification, new growth prospects, innovations, operational optimisation, and stakeholder value creation."

The fully realised hybrid event format achieved maximum build-up, remote connections, and engagement from attendees of the premier trade show. Likewise, exhibitors, visitors and buyers were evidently pleased to once again meet face-to-face, as the F&B sector moves towards an era of positivity and boundless growth through innovation.

An impressive ‘restart’ for international trade

One of the exhibitors, Norbert Bak – Bangkok Bureau Chief at Polish Investment and Trade – said that despite the backdrop of a very turbulent year and the challenges of Covid-19, trade between Poland and Thailand actually exceeded a record US$1.5bn last year. “As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Polish-Thai diplomatic relations, we see a huge amount of potential, so it's been very exciting to have the Poland National Pavilion at THAIFEX Anuga Asia,” he remarked. “Together with the National Support Center for Agriculture from Poland, we already see a good outcome of this year’s event and we are looking forward to the next edition of THAIFEX Anuga Asia."

Hosted buyer, Prajith Moorkoth, Managing Director of Golden Praxis (Dubai), revealed that 2022 marked his first time participating in THAIFEX Anuga Asia. “It's a well-organised show with many innovative products at the showground. As a hosted buyer, I'm very satisfied with the number of international business contacts that I’ve gathered in the past few days. I know it will translate to revenue growth for my company in the coming days."

The 2022 ‘restart’ brought 1,603 exhibitors showcasing their products and solutions across nine halls of exhibition space at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, which is more than double the number of exhibitors present for the last event in 2020. Despite travel regulations still affecting participants from some countries, the event attracted 6,898 international trade visitors, with a particularly strong showing from Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, South Korea and India.

“An exciting journey into food innovation”

Visitor, Qurrata Ayuni, from Indonesia, said: "THAIFEX Anuga Asia took me on an exciting journey into food innovation. I particularly enjoyed exploring some of the upcoming trends in food that we're likely to see more of in the future, and it's been so nice to visit in person, talk to the exhibitors and see their products with my own eyes."

As the pandemic has focused consumer focus on health and sustainability, THAIFEX Anuga Asia 2022 also served to reveal some of the leading and emerging trends emanating from the show:

• Halal: All regions have recorded the ever-strengthening trend relating to the growing number of halal product launches over the past five years. Halal also witnessed the biggest showcase at THAIFEX Anuga Asia this year, with no less than 386 exhibitors displaying their halal-certified produce.

• Sustainably produced and packaged: In the five years ending 2021, launches of food and beverage using upcycled ingredients rose at a CAGR of 63 per cent, while there was a 20-per-cent jump in products using recycled materials, 46 per cent for products with water-saving claims, 30 per cent for products carrying carbon emissions claims and a 35-per-cent increase in the number of palm oil-free products launched over this period.

• ‘Clean label’: Around half of consumers globally consider the absence of additives and use of only natural ingredients to be at the heart of ‘clean’ eating. Indeed, such considerations come in ahead of organics and sustainability for consumers.

• Plant-based: An annual growth of 46 per cent (CAGR, 2018-2021) was recorded with food and beverage launches with a plant-based and premium & indulgent claim.

• Alternative protein, including edible bugs: Two-thirds of consumers globally state that they eat meat substitutes, while almost a quarter (23 per cent) consume them at least once a day.

Advancing F&B concepts and trade 

Mr Phusit Ratanakul Sereroengrit, Director-General of Thailand's Department of International Trade Promotion – one of the organisers of THAIFEX Anuga Asia – said that the premier event this year attracted the attention of Thai and foreign F&B buyers and businesspeople even more than expected. “They came to visit the event to source new products, negotiate with trade representatives, and do business matching with exporters and manufacturers,” he observed. “It proved that Thailand's food and beverage industries have gained the confidence to be an essential resource for global foods.” The Director-General added that the show’s Future Foods feature has received much attention, in so far as it is “considered to be a new business-solution idea that assures food safety and resilient food system in the future”.

THAIFEX Anuga Asia 2022 is organised by the Department of International Trade Promotion, Ministry of Commerce, Thailand (DITP), the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC), and Koelnmesse.  

In a statement, the organisers said they “would like to express their sincere thanks to everyone who joined the show, from event production partners to exhibitors to professional trade body representatives and show-goers from the F&B industry and the public”. Koelnmesse stated that it “would especially like to thank: H.E. Jurin Laksanavisit, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Commerce, the Director-General of the Department of International Trade Promotion, the Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and the organiser partners and all their staff at DITP, TCC, and IMPACT Muang Thong Thani (Bangkok, Thailand).

THAIFEX Anuga Asia returns to Bangkok from 23–27 May 2022. 

For more information, visit thaifex-anuga.com/en

To access post-event Live Stream following conclusion of the event cast, follow: www.facebook.com/thaifexanugaasia