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Gama spoke to Andy Mather, Brand Director for Vitafoods Europe at Informa Markets, ahead of the latest edition of the leading ingredients tradeshow.
What are your expectations for this edition of Vitafoods Europe? What features are there for visitors to look forward to?
Since launching in 1997, Vitafoods Europe has become the go-to annual event for the nutraceutical industry, and 2024 marks our final chapter in Geneva before the event moves to Barcelona in 2025. With over 20,000 exhibitors expected and more than 70,000 sq m of floor space, this year promises to be our biggest and best yet! We’ve introduced new show features – such as an expanded Finished Products Area, which will provide more opportunities to connect with retailers, distributors and brand owners. We also have a new Technology & Equipment Area aimed at spotlighting innovations dedicated to pushing the boundaries of nutrition new product development (NPD).
Vitafoods Europe 2024 will also feature returning favourites, such as the Vitafoods Insights Theatre and the Vitafoods Europe Conference. The latter is free to attend this year as a thank you to our community for all the support over the last two decades. Attendees can expect expert insights into the latest research, ingredients, innovations and formulation strategies shaping today’s biggest nutrition trends. Plus, the Future of Nutrition Summit is back! Taking place the day before the show opens, the Summit offers a snapshot of the nutrition industry in five plus years’ time, diving deep into the trends and technologies revolutionising retail, NPD and health.
What key challenges and trends are set to shape consumer goods innovation in 2024?
One of the biggest trends influencing the innovation of consumer goods within the nutrition space is personalisation. Consumers are increasingly looking for products that meet their unique health needs and goals – and this is opening up opportunities for exciting technologies and strategies, such as data integration, as well as genetic testing and microbiome analysis. In the near future, these technologies could be instrumental in helping brands create highly personalised products that cater to increasingly specific consumer segments and their needs. But this isn’t without its challenges. For example, AI is one of the technologies that could help expedite the development of personalised nutrition solutions. However, ensuring the ethical use of AI is crucial to enabling its use and building consumer trust – transparency about how data is used is a must.
Elsewhere, sustainable nutrition is a growing trend amongst consumers. People are not only looking at the provenance of the wholefoods they eat, but also the supplements and functional foods they’re increasingly including in their diets. Essentially, they’re looking for health and nutrition solutions that are good for both their body and the planet. This is a movement that is only going to grow in importance, so consumer goods brands should take action now to ensure their continued relevance and longevity. Both of these topics will be explored across the agenda at Vitafoods Europe 2024, including at the Future of Nutrition Summit.
How are these trends being reflected in the ingredients sector in particular?
In particular, the demand for sustainable solutions is hugely influential on the ingredients market. One of the ways this is influencing ingredients is in the use of upcycled ingredients – a growing trend across many consumer categories. Whey, for example, is a byproduct of the cheesemaking process, and is high in essential amino acids and other nutrients that can deliver health benefits. By using upcycled ingredients, brands can reduce the environmental impact of their products, support the circular economy and align with consumers’ key values.
About Vitafoods
Vitafoods Europe has been bringing the global nutraceutical community together every year to connect and do business, since 1997. It offers the perfect platform for businesses to thrive and forge long term collaborations, enrich their understanding and initiate critical conversations around the most pressing issues concerning the health and nutrition industry.
www.vitafoods.eu.com/en/home.html
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