Focused FoodTech attracts 8,675 trade visitors

10 November 2016

After three busy days featuring rising visitor numbers, 297 exhibitors, a royal visit, prize ceremonies and an extensive activity programme, on Thursday, FoodTech closed the doors on a highly successful trade fair at MCH Messecenter Herning.

FoodTech 2016. Photo by MCH/Torben Worsoee.

Northern Europe’s largest trade fair for food technology ended on Thursday afternoon after a glittering three-day activity programme. The eleventh trade fair had served up a visit from Prince Joachim of Denmark, 297 eager exhibitors, 77 product innovations, the FoodTech Challenge innovation competition, the International Food Contest, several prize ceremonies, a plethora of conferences and much, much more.

The right visitors
After a successful time at the trade fair, the mood among exhibitors was naturally one of great satisfaction:

“It has been a fantastic success. The fact that so many people have come to see us expressing an interest in our technology quite simply makes FoodTech the best trade fair in Scandinavia as far as we are concerned,” explained Jimmy K. Larsen, Managing Director at Jimco A/S.

His sentiments were echoed by Kenneth Robert Pilheden, Area Sales Manager at JVL Industri Elektronik A/S:

“FoodTech is a highly focused trade fair compared with many other large, wide-ranging industrial trade fairs. The event attracts the right customers and is also the right place for us to gain inspiration from the other exhibitors,” confirms Kenneth Robert Pilheden, before adding:

“Having already gained an important new customer, we knew even after the first day that our visit would be worthwhile. Things could hardly have gone better.” FoodTech 2016 attracted 8,675 visitors. This represents an increase of almost five per cent.

FoodTech moving with the times
MCH’s management team was also highly satisfied with this year’s successful event.  “We are delighted with the extensive positive feedback we have received from exhibitors and visitors alike, confirming that FoodTech, thanks to its International Food Contest, the FoodTech Challenge, 297 exhibitors and the EHEDG World Congress, is keeping up with the times, and has managed to bring together the food industry to showcase product innovations and new technology and facilitate knowledge-sharing,” explained Georg Sørensen, CEO at MCH A/S.

 “I would like to express my sincere thanks to both the exhibitors and our partners who as always have gone out of their way to help make FoodTech 2016 the place where the food industry meets. We are already looking forward to welcoming everyone again in 2018,” he concluded.

Students honoured
The final day of FoodTech also saw the conclusion of the FoodTech Challenge innovation competition – sponsored by Damstahl. After three days’ intensive work, in which competitors were given the task of “inventing” the future for healthy plant-based dairy products, the prize was awarded to Team AAK. Using water and algae, the team had found a way of producing sustainable and healthy vegetable-based dairy products.

“If we all still want to be eating ice cream in 2050, we will have to rely on more than cows’ milk. We will have to utilise the world’s resources more wisely, and one of the ways we can do this is by producing vegetable-based dairy products,” explained Nellie Rindorf, a member of the winning team from AAK. More than 1,800 students had applied to participate in FoodTech Challenge 2016. Fifty of the students were selected, including Team AAK’s five winners from Denmark, Greece, Indonesia and Estonia.

The next FoodTech will be held on 13–15 November 2018 at MCH Messecenter Herning.

Facts:

Between 1–3 November 2016, FoodTech gathered the food industry at MCH Messecenter Herning for three days focusing on the latest trends and solutions. Visitors to FoodTech were able to enjoy an International Food Contest, the EHEDG World Congress, the FoodTech Student Challenge, Science Street, FoodLab, two inspiring production lines and much, much more.

Go back