Sustainability, plant-based and clean label food products have dominated the THAIFEX-ANUGA ASIA 2022, Thailand’s top food exhibition and one of the region’s largest.
No one was surprised to see that this year’s food trends unveiled at the fair focused on sustainability and health, a clear reflection of the impacts of the pandemic over the past two years.
“At the THAIFEX-ANUGA ASIA 2022, it has been obvious that food that places importance on sustainability in term of products and packaging, as well as plant-based food and clean label products are growing very fast,” said Mathias Khepper, managing director of KOELNMESSE Thailand.
Khepper, who is in charge of exhibition space, added the foreign exhibitors welcomed the return of THAIFEX after a one–year pause due to COVID, with the number of foreign booths increasing twofold for a total of 815 booths on about 11,600 square metres.
Both small and large companies showcased plant-based food. Among them is Vudhichai Group, whose businesses include construction, property, healthcare, and food, which has just set up Absolute Plant to penetrate the lucrative plant-based industry.
V Foods (Thailand) Co, the manufacturer of food and beverages owned by former Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin, continues to spread its wings with the launch of another 7 products in the plant-based line at the fair.
More Foods Innotech – producer of “More Meat” plant-based meat – has improved their plant–based protein product by reducing food.
SET-listed Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) also included plant–based foods as one of its five new trends for the next decade at THAIFEX-ANUGA ASIA 2022. Anat Julintron, CPF’s executive vice-president of international trade & business development, said that as a food tech company, the firm’s “Food for the next decade” scheme has the goal of feeding 10 billion consumers with safe, nutritious and sustainable food by 2050.
The shift away from animal protein isn’t a fad but rather a global phenomenon. Plant-based meat and dairy substitutes will improve and proliferate. In Thailand, the plant-based market has grown dramatically thanks to a surge in the popularity of vegetarian, vegan and flexitarian lifestyles. The percentage of Thais who don’t eat meat increased from 4 percent in 2013 to 12 percent in 2017, according to Siam Commercial Bank’s Economic Intelligence Centre.
Clean label tops priority among health-conscious group
CEO of Blue Elephant International Group Kim Steppe said that the company, which sells food ingredients and ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products under Blue Elephant brand, had adjusted their packaging to one that is more environmentally friendly.
Blue Elephant has also have moved toward ingredients form natural sources for its products.
The clean label trend is growing thanks to the health-conscious group. It is born from people who prefer organic, whole food and other natural ingredients over processed food and thus pay more attention to the details on food labels.
Globally, the clean label is projected to expand up to 10% per year. The Thai Health Promotion Foundation refers to a survey which reveals 84 percent of Thai people prefer non-chemical food and 82 percent prefer clean-label food that is all-natural and has no chemicals or food additives.
The top trends of this year are interrelated and are giving hope that the world can cope with the deteriorating environment especially the global warming crisis and the pandemic. All three clearly follow the path toward the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals.
Source : Thai PBS
June 24, 2022
