SIAL Paris 2024: Where are the opportunities for the food industry?
We go Food Scouting for SIAL Paris 2024, the most important fair of the year in Europe, with 7,500 companies, 400,000 products, and 2,100 innovations presented, with an increase in visitors of 8% reaching 285,000 professional attendees. We have seen, tested and analyzed many innovations. Here is a brief summary of what you should know.
At this fair we took away a complete picture of the movements and investments in the sector: how categories are evolving, the entry of new players and disruptions, how manufacturers are responding to consumer demands, where we see the application of new technologies and ingredients to value-added products.
SIAL has been our 10th fair this year and it is strategic because we have been able to confirm the arrival of trends that we have been analyzing at international fairs and that are consolidating in Europe. The major areas of opportunity can be found in:
#1 Animal proteins and alternatives. Protein is the macronutrient that builds our tissues and muscles, and protein claims in all categories are turning almost any product into a “healthy” proposition. Collagen as the most abundant protein in our bodies and a building block for joints, skin, hair and nails is emerging as a popular protein in women’s products.
Alternative proteins, based on fungi, mycelia, insects, obtained by fermentation or extracted from yeasts, continue to give rise to new ingredients and products.
#2 Healthier pleasures. Evolution gave us a sweet palate that we cannot fight against. Innovation gives us access to sweet foods without triggering a metabolic response, such as O’taste’s sugar replacement technology, which allows us to enjoy a “nutella” with 80% less sugar or the Swedish Pandy candies with 1 g of sugar per bag.
#3 Snacks instead of meals. In the context of “snackification” and many smaller “meals” per day, nutritional value is at the forefront of snack improvement, as we could be overlooking important macro and micronutrients. Therefore, snacks with healthy fats, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, or even snack-sized meals, are a key area for innovation.
#4 Storytelling. Food is about emotional connections. Consumers care about what’s behind the food, where it comes from, who made it. Fifty-nine percent of consumers prefer fair trade products. What have been “commoditized” products for a long time, such as tea, chocolate, coffee, cashews, … now have traceability to the origin to connect us consumers with farmers and producers and make brands that care the preferred choice of consumers.
#5 Longevity and staying healthy longer. In the context of an aging population, food is our first medicine to keep us fit and healthy. We see a boom in protein, collagen, antioxidant-rich foods, new functional ingredients and, above all, foods designed for women, because we simply care more about our health and we have different stages throughout life in which it is essential to reinforce ourselves with good habits and nutrition.
Want to know more?
If you are facing an innovation challenge and want to know what information we can provide, contact us and we will be happy to open our database to inspire you and provide you with winning concepts for your innovation roadmap based on international success stories.
