Anuga FoodTec, an international supplier fair for the food and beverage industry, will run March 20 to 23, 2018, at Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany. Almost 1,700 suppliers from more than 50 countries will present their new products for the production and packaging of all types of foods and beverages. The exhibits will be accompanied by a multi-faceted technical program, show organizers said, including workshops, conferences and guided tours.

“Traditionally process technology has been the most represented section at the trade fair,” said Katharina Hamma, CEO, Koelnmesse GmbH. “This year there is greater emphasis on food safety and quality management, as well as food ingredients.”

The theme of this year’s exhibition and technical program — resource efficiency — will be showcased through topics such as optimizing production processes, reducing energy and water consumption, and minimizing food loss through ingredient, process and package technology, the show’s organizers said. The technical program is organized by Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft (DLG), the German agricultural society.

“The growing demand for commodities and energy sources worldwide and the increasing urbanization are compelling us to review our present behavior and economic activity,” said Simone Schiller, managing director – competence center food at DLG. “Careful and, at the same time, efficient management of natural resources is the key competence of sustainable societies, societies that are fit for the future. The exhibitors this year will be presenting a range of solutions showing how competitiveness can be strengthened and how the use of energy and water as well as food losses during production can be reduced.”

Complementing this theme is next-generation robotics technology, which will be demonstrated through every step of the manufacturing chain, from incoming raw materials to outgoing finished product, Koelnmesse said.

Also on the agenda is an expert forum on topics of current interest to the food industry under the heading “Topics, trends, technologies — what’s moving today’s food industry?” This forum will offer presentations and panel discussions on topics of current interest, including convenience, food authenticity, modified atmosphere packaging, genome editing, high-pressure processing and more. A separate forum will be dedicated to food ingredients and product development and will address the topics of clean labeling, personalized nutrition, texture design, enzymes in food production and functional foods.

For more information about Anuga FoodTec 2018, visit www.anugafoodtec.com.