Katharina C. Hamma: "Anuga FoodTec's main topics for the meat industry are industry 4.0 and resource efficiency"
EuroMeatNews.com: What can you say about the evolution of the Anuga FoodTec in the past years?
Katharina C. Hamma: Anuga FoodTec is a success story. Between 2009 and 2015 the number of visitors increased by 35% up to over 45,000. In the same period of time the number of exhibitors rose by 25%. The following applies for next year: The success story will continue. According to today’s status we are expecting around 1,700 exhibitors from 50 countries. At the last Anuga FoodTec in the year 2015, it was almost 1,500. We can once again forecast a +13% increase in the number of exhibitors compared to the previous event. In line with the high interest from exhibitors, Anuga FoodTec is expanding its exhibition space up to 140,000 square metres in 2018 (+8%) and is being staged in Halls 4.2, 5.2, 6 to 9 as well as in 10.1 and for the first time additionally in Hall 10.2. This corresponds to the size of around 20 football pitches. In terms of content, we notice that apparently word is getting around that the previous exhibitors were very satisfied with their trade fair results. We are therefore seeing a strong
trend towards an increasing number of suppliers of the meat industry, who previously exhibited at specialised trade fairs, discovering Anuga FoodTec for themselves.
What can you say about the evolution of the Anuga FoodTec in the past years?
Anuga FoodTec is a success story. Between 2009 and 2015 the number of visitors increased by 35% up to over 45,000. In the same period of time the number of exhibitors rose by 25%. The following applies for next year: The success story will continue. According to today's status we are expecting around 1,700 exhibitors from 50 countries. At the last Anuga FoodTec in the year 2015, it was almost 1,500. We can once again forecast a +13% increase in the number of exhibitors compared to the previous event. In line with the high interest from exhibitors, Anuga FoodTec is expanding its exhibition space up to 140,000 square metres in 2018 (+8%) and is being staged in Halls 4.2, 5.2, 6 to 9 as well as in 10.1 and for the first time additionally in Hall 10.2. This corresponds to the size of around 20 football pitches. In terms of content, we notice that apparently word is getting around that the previous exhibitors were very satisfied with their trade fair results. We are therefore seeing a strong trend towards an increasing number of suppliers of the meat industry, who previously exhibited at specialised trade fairs, discovering Anuga FoodTec for themselves.
How many visitors are you expecting for this year's event?
That is always difficult to say. The visit is dependent on many different factors so we don't want to make any speculations on the number of visitors. We can say though that the admission ticket sales are running well. The rate of hotel bookings is 40% up on the level of the last event. So we have a very positive feeling and hope that we will be able to greet numerous trade visitors at Anuga FoodTec again this year. It would be great if we can continue the success story of this fair in terms of the number of visitors too. We are very optimistic...
Which were the main consumer trends in 2017 and what are we to expect in the following years?
As recently presented at ISM in January – products containing vegetable protein, exotic berries or spices are among the current top trends in the snack segment for instance. The food manufacturers can only guarantee for instance that no foreign bodies are contained within the products or that the sell-by-dates of the products can be extended thanks to the latest packing techniques without changing the foodstuffs in themselves if the latter can also be processed using the latest technology.
A further example for connecting consumer food trends and "packaging" are individually packed products for single households. Products for on-the-go enjoyment are also increasingly popular and demand solutions from the supplier industry. You can see and experience these at Anuga FoodTec 2018 in Cologne.
Further trends of both industries, i.e. the supplier and food industries, continue to be the themes sustainability and resource efficiency. The emphasis here is on a responsible and careful handling of natural resources and raw materials. The aim is to preserve the basis of existence of future generations. This is why "resource efficiency" is taking on a central role at the leading global supplier trade fair. It is the top theme of Anuga FoodTec 2018.
Are there any innovations in equipment for the vegan and vegetarian industry or for products that address other specific trends noticed among consumers?
In general, it can be observed that the consumers are becoming increasingly more demanding. The main priority here is among others the fact that foodstuffs are safe and thus present no risk to health. Of course, this also applies to a special extent for organic, vegan and vegetarian products, which are especially popular with the consumers. In this connection there is a further general trend, namely the significant reduction of preservatives in the production of food. Particularly with a view to the shelf life of products, the packing plays a major role: It increasingly has to be designed so that it compensates for the missing preservatives in the product using innovative packing solutions. It has to support the physical durability of the product more and more and in some cases completely take over this function. For instance the oxygen content in the product is reduced using protective gases, so that the shelf-life is extended.
What will be the focus of this year's edition of the trade fair regarding technology for food?
Resource efficiency will be one of the key themes. It will be present throughout the entire trade fair. As one of the top themes of the industry, most of the companies will present solutions related to this issue. The theme will also be addressed in lectures in the event and congress programme. The opening conference of Anuga FoodTec is also dedicated to the key theme and is entitled "Resource Efficiency - Opportunities and Risks". The conference is being staged from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. on 20 March in the Europasaal of the Congress Centre East. In the sense of a trade fair experience, Anuga FoodTec will furthermore provide the visitors with a direct benefit live on-site. The Robotik Pack Line is just one example here: This packing line will be operated at four bar instead of the usual eight bar. Normally, one calculates a reduction in the energy consumption of approx. 8% per bar of pressure saved so that the machine uses around 30% less energy than usual.
What will be the main challenges for the food industry in the years to come?
Industry 4.0 is certainly a further major challenge for the industry. In order to safeguard the networking of the diverse system components, the control technology of the machines is becoming increasingly more significant. As a result companies that were previously strongly involved in the metal processing industry have to additionally offer software solutions in order to satisfy the requirements of the customers. This change process within the companies is ongoing so that the food industry will be able to experience the state-of-the-art technology at Anuga FoodTec and will be able to inform themselves about how they can design their production process for the future.
What are the hot topics in food technology at this year's conference from Anuga FoodTec?
During the half-day opening conference on the theme of resource efficiency, internationally renowned experts will examine relevant aspects of this theme. These include the effective and efficient organisation of the value chain process, by implementing materials, energy, staff and capital optimally and the best possible usuage of resources – for higher sustainability, less environmental pollution and cost-saving in a wide range of corporate sections. Themes are among others "Cradle to Cradle: Beyond Organic and Sustainability”, “Resource Efficiency and Digitalization - Insights from latest Research”, “How smart is Smart Packaging: a science perspective” or “Food supply of the future”. In addition to the opening conference, the visitors can also gain additional information on the themes that are moving the industry throughout the entire duration of the trade fair in the scope of the guided tours, forums or special events.
How do you think the new revolution of cobots will influence the future of meat production?
Cobots are a strongly debated theme within the meat industry, but also within numerous other industries. Generally speaking, they are being implemented more and more frequently and can influence processes positively and organise them more efficiently. The same applies for cobots as for robots, namely that other industries are much further than the food industry here. The food industry can learn a lot from other branches of industry here. Generally speaking, cobots can take over dangerous or physically strenuous processes i.e. slaughtering or cutting processes and thus contribute towards preventing or clearly reducing accidents at work such as serious cuts or back injuries.
Which are the visible directions on which the industry for food equipment has developed?
It is clearly noticeable that the systems are operating in a more and more networked manner. In the past a manufacturer was able to sell a wonderfully innovative packing machine. Today the customers expect to have every machine integrated into the entire system and that the data can be read out at any time. Systems are planned from the very start so that they comply with the strictest food safety guidelines. However, since these are constantly further developed, of course the system constructors have to ensure here that the machines always satisfy the stricter requirements.
What are the new solutions that Anuga FoodTec will present regarding the food waste problem?
Resource efficiency is the key theme of Anuga FoodTec and food waste is here one of the central aspects. Especially against the background that over two billion people are overweight and over 800 million people suffer hunger on a daily basis. Large amounts of food are still wasted – either along the supply chain through to the consumer or at home by the consumers themselves. It is at the same time one of the top themes for both the exhibitors and visitors of Anuga FoodTec to provide solutions that provide assistance here. In addition to the personal opinions that are unanimous on the theme of "throwing away food", the theme namely also has an economic aspect for the participants of the trade fair. At the same time the reduction of food waste can also be implemented communicatively: It is a sales argument that can be passed on along the value chain, ultimately also to the consumer. Due to increased awareness in the food waste section, all of the players involved profit from showing their commitment here. Anuga FoodTec additionally picks up on the theme in its event programme. The conference "Fighting food waste together: how to open the potential of better packaging", takes place at 10:00 a.m. on 22 March.
What is the future of technology, based on the requirements of the modern consumer?
We currently have the safest food in history. In spite of this, the consumer wants to have more and more information. The latest technologies can satisfy this demand. If for example RFID chips are integrated into the packing, the consumer can detect directly how and where the product was manufactured and whether the cold chain has been complied with. So, he no longer has to trust the manufacturer, he can check it out instead. But we are certainly at the beginning of this development.
Will inovation be a game changer in food production worldwide? Can you give us some examples?
Of course. When as a supplier I only attempt to further perfect my product without taking the permanently changing requirements into account, I will be ousted from the market very quickly. In the past it was important for many manufacturers to constantly further increase the performance of their systems so that more and more products could be produced per minute. However, now the consumers want regionally produced foodstuffs so that the food plants are probably not getting bigger, but indeed tending to be smaller. To this end, the systems have to consume less energy and water or make do with considerably thinner packing material.
What do you think are the main trends and developments regarding the technology for the meat industry?
The trends in the supplier sector of the meat industry will in any case be presented at Anuga FoodTec in the form of their new products. We have already touched upon many points here of course. Keywords that are also of outstanding significance for the meat industry are Industry 4.0, resource efficiency, regional production or less additives. But of course the developement on the theme laboratory meat will also continue to occupy the industry. It is certainly not going to be boring anyway.
How do you think the new rules announced by the European Commission regarding the use of microplastics in products, and fix labels for biodegradable and compostable plastics will affect the food industry?
Of course, the new EU regulation will have a huge impact on the food industry, because plastic plays a major role for a great deal of packaging within our industry. However, I am convinced that the packing industry will present new solutions here very rapidly. We have been talking about compostible packing for a long time already. If the politicians increase the pressure, this will no doubt contribute towards more expensive solutions asserting themselves on the market.
How does the equipment market look in terms of value in the EU and at a global level?
Market data is of course always difficult to collect particularly on this heterogeneous market. In 2016, the production volume of food and packing machines was stated to be over €13 billion for Germany alone.
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