Hi Europe & Ni returns to Frankfurt: The right ingredient for innovation

This year, the Health ingredients (Hi) Europe & Natural ingredients (Ni) trade fair, Europe’s leading trade fair for natural and healthy food ingredients, will be held in Frankfurt from 29 November until 1 December, marking the third time that the fair is held there. 

The event could not have come at a more poignant time. ‘Natural’ and ‘free from’ have become the critical sales factors on the supermarket shelf, and the trend toward foods with added value is, in contrast to the United States, just now at the start of a colossal shift in perspective.

In 2014, the global market in health or fitness products had a volume of $774 billion, with an expected growth (CAGR) of four percent by 2019. And this market is expected to pass the trillion-dollar mark by next year. With a turnover of $8.3 billion (2013), Germany is the world’s second largest market and can look back on a growth of 250 per cent over the past ten years.

To keep track and take best advantage of these hyper-trends, Hi Europe & Ni is creating a unique global market place for buyers and sellers within the food & beverage industry. This year’s fair will focus on innovative food ingredients, as well as solutions for foods and beverages, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals and bio-products, as well as the themes packaging and processing.

As 95 per cent of stand space has already been booked, this year’s edition promises to be the most successful Hi Europe & Ni yet. More than 450 manufacturers of natural health and nutrition products will be exhibiting, including big industry players such as Naturex, Kerry Group, Nexira, Avebe, Beneo and Tate & Lyle.

Richard Joyce, Brand Director, UBM:

“Hi Europe & Ni Trade Fair has firmly established itself as this market segment’s most important event, where the important trends are set, and important deals are made. This year, an unbelievable five thousand food ingredients will be there to be discovered, on 16,500 square metres’ exhibition space.

“Nowhere else in the world is such an overview of the entire market available under one roof. Frankfurt shall once again fulfil its role as hub of Europe’s largest foods industry market, and for both exhibitors and visitors, the opportunities were never as great as they are this year.”

Over the three days of the fair, more than nine thousand visitors from a total of ninety countries are expected to attend. A questionnaire on the fair’s previous edition revealed that eighty per cent of visitors use it to make deals and seek opportunities for further development and improvement of products.

Hi Europe & Ni: A trade fair with added value

•        The specialist conference The Future of Nutrition is a conduit for expert knowledge and expertise on cutting-edge topics as 3D printing of food.

•        The Start-up Innovation Challenge: this year, in cooperation with partner firms Agroparc and Presence, Hi Europe & Ni has made it possible for start-ups to present their innovations, free of charge, in a special dedicated area.

•        Industry Insight Theatre: segment experts share their insights in the form of short presentations. This format has proven to be one of the most popular ones at the exhibition. This year, the topics will include omega-3 fatty acids.

•        Global Seminar Theatre: when confronted with five thousand products, it can be difficult to make a choice. For that reason, exhibitors will be presenting their product highlights at the Global Seminar Theatre.

·         Innovation Tours, in cooperation with Nutrimarketing. Grouped by topic, the Innovations Tours are designed to enable visitors to organise their time at the fair as efficiently as possible.

·         New Product Zone. Here, especially innovative and/or market-relevant new products are to be presented.