After 100 years of deep-freezing, the frozen food industry is celebrating the day of its inception at the world's largest trade fair for the food industry.
Frozen products are trendy at Anuga. For over 600 companies from 56 countries, Anuga Frozen Food is the leading export platform for the global frozen food industry. In this special anniversary year 2023, celebrating 100 years since flash freezing was invented, the trade fair is back with strong participation.
Additionally, a diversified event programme is again being supported by the long-standing Anuga partner, the German Institute for Frozen Foods (dti). The dti is the lobby and communication platform of the frozen food industry in Germany, which has a turnover of around €18.5 billion and reliably supplies 80 million people with frozen food daily.
"We are delighted that the international frozen food sector is using Anuga as a central platform for its business and is taking the anniversary year as an opportunity to meet up in Cologne," said Jan Philipp Hartmann, Director of Anuga.
"This year, with our strong partner, dti, we are offering a versatile programme with new impulses from and for the industry."
Executive Director of dti, Sabine Eichner, shared with great anticipation that the dti and frozen food industry were forward to Anuga.
Eichner explained that frozen food was not only achieving record turnovers in Germany, but the international business was also experiencing high growth.
Frozen food is a future category. Frozen food is the driving force and game changer for addressing challenges in creating more sustainable food systems,
"Frozen food is a future category. Frozen food is the driving force and game changer for addressing challenges in creating more sustainable food systems," said Eichner.
Anuga's motto, 'Sustainable Growth,' harmonises perfectly with the frozen food industry, and the trade fair is a special and unique opportunity for the global frozen food industry to engage and network.
"We are looking forward to exchanging with our members and guests, with frozen food fans from all over the globe – at our stand and during the many event highlights we are offering for the industry in Cologne."
The leading exhibitors at Anuga Frozen Food include, among others, Agrarfrost (Germany), Aviko (Netherlands), Clarebout (Belgium), Lutosa (Belgium), McCain (France) and Surgital (Italy). Other frozen food suppliers can also be found at the Anuga Out of Home, Anuga Meat and Anuga Bread and Bakery trade fairs. The product spectrum ranges from fish and meat, fruit and vegetables, ready meals, bread and bakery products, ice cream, pizza, and potato products to bulk packs for customers from the communal catering and gastronomy sectors.
According to the recently published report by Future Market Insights, the worldwide market for frozen food made a turnover to the value of US$314 billion in the year 2022, and with an annual growth rate of 6.7 percent, this will increase up to US$602 billion by 2032. Consumers' preference for food that is fast and simple to prepare is driving the growth.
The popularity of frozen food dishes that are fast to prepare, like pizza, but also of fresh frozen food components for self-cooking, such as vegetables and fish and the high quality and freshness of frozen food has further increased the demand for frozen products.
The concentration on high-quality frozen products in the branded and private label section and the rise of vegan and vegetarian lifestyles have also promoted the category's growth and range.
According to the dti sales statistics, frozen food sales in the food retail sector amounted to 1.974 million tons in 2022, over six percent up in 2019 (1.861 million tons). The out-of-home market experienced significant growth in 2022 after the end of the COVID restrictions, with frozen food sales rising by 14.9 percent up to 1.935 million tons (2021: 1.684 million tons, 2019: 1.973 million tons). Hence, the present record figure of 2019 was already almost achieved again.
The freshness of the products, a healthy diet, and, of course, ingredients are the aspects that people personally find the most important regarding food (74 to 89 percent). Vegetarian or vegan alternatives come at the bottom of the list (so far). Due to the ongoing high inflation in Germany, a low price continues to be very relevant for consumers (67 percent).
As usual, as an official partner of Anuga Frozen Food and Anuga Out-of-Home, dti will once again be represented at a stand in Hall 4.2, B11/C10, which is traditionally a popular point of contact for all its members, visitors and those with an interest in frozen food. This is where the German frozen food industry meets with guests worldwide for industry discussions.
Together with the trade journal Lebensmittel Praxis and Koelnmesse, the dti will present the awards for the TIEFKÜHL STARs on the 9th of October 2023 from 6 pm.
Guests from the industry, the retail trade, and, most importantly, the nominated retailer teams are expected to attend the festive evening with the emotional award ceremony. Participation is free of charge for trade fair visitors.
Furthermore, the dti will distinguish innovations for and from the frozen food industry with the 'FROZEN! dti Innovation Award'. For the first time, the award will be conferred at Anuga on the global anniversary of 100 years of deep-freezing.
The innovation award pays tribute to ideas, for example of start-ups, who, in the spirit of the inventor of deep-freezing, Clarence Birdseye, are bravely tackling the challenges regarding climate protection, energy efficiency, digitalisation, automation, logistics optimisation and more sustainable supply chains or who have developed a new, innovative frozen product that satisfies the needs of today's society.
The cooperation partners are AFC Consulting Group AG (AFC) and Anuga.
For the first time, the International Frozen Food Network (IFFN) is offering a trade conference entitled 'Frozen Food as a Game Changer for a Healthy and Sustainable Future'. In the anniversary year of 100 years of deep-freezing', the global frozen food industry sends a strong signal for innovation, sustainability and growth. International experts from the industry, food trade and food service sector will discuss current market developments and the potential frozen food offers for more sustainable food systems.
