Vitafoods Europe And Finished Products Expo: The Most Powerful Nutraceuticals Platform In The Industry

Leading industry shows – Vitafoods Europe and Finished Products Expo – return to Geneva from the 10 – 12 May 2011, for what is set to be their biggest instalment to date. With the market for functional foods, drinks, nutraceuticals and dietary supplements expanding at an uncontrollable rate – and expected to reach US$243 billion in the next four years – there couldn’t be a better time for the events to take place.

With rising healthcare costs, more consumers seeking healthier lifestyles and increasing scientific evidence supporting the benefits of health foods, the nutraceutical market continues to boom. The exhibitions will together play host to more than 500 Vitafoods Europe and 100 FPE suppliers of dietary supplements, functional foods and drinks and raw materials, plus leading laboratories, industry associations and publishing houses. Exhibitors set to showcase their latest innovations include international brands such as DSM, Croda Europe, Glanbia Nutritionals, NOW International and Nutribio and other players including Algaecal Inc, Bioiberica S.A., Go Caps and Select Botanicals.

More than just an exhibition

Run alongside the exhibition, the Vitafoods Europe Conference has built an international reputation within the nutraceuticals industry as a high-quality conference delivering a programme that covers the hottest topics and themes in food ingredients. Organised by Leatherhead Food Research, the conference attracts some of the leading industry figures to share their latest discoveries, and is tailored to meet the needs of an ever-changing industry.

Topics for 2011 include Functional foods chaired by Matthew Incles from Leatherhead Food Research, with a session from Intermed Discovery GmbH; Appetite Control, with Dr Jeff Brunstrom from the University of Bristol and Unilever; Immunity and Gut Health with representatives from the Institute of Food Research and Plant and Food Research; Physical Performance delivered by the English Institute of Sport, Glaxo SmithKline and the University of Stirling. Martek Bioscience will discuss Mental Health whilst DSM and Good Food Practice will debate Heart Health.

The free-to-attend Vitafoods Discussion Forum will be chaired once again by Simon Pettman from EAS and will build on the exceptional debate at Vitafoods Europe 2010, where more than 250 participants witnessed a snapshot of the implications of the Claims Regulation for business. In 2011 it will provide a countdown of the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the functional food and supplement industries as they look forward to the next decade. The Discussion Forum will be chosen, rated and explained by a panel of multi-disciplinary experts including Bas Van Buijtenen of DSM, Henry Dixon of BDB and Patrick Coppens of EAS.

EAS will also be offering FREE one-on-one sessions from its experts, meaning visitors can benefit from sessions tailored to any aspect of their business including regulations, strategy, labeling and claims.

Also joining this year’s compelling educational line-up will be Vitafoods Europe Supplier Seminar Theatre, sponsored by NATUREX [stand 840]. Always a popular attraction, this free-to-attend feature is crammed full of new products, developments and discoveries. Exhibitors will demonstrate their latest innovations to a captive audience whilst customers benefit from seeing the product in action.

Innovation will be the central theme at the Vitafoods Europe New Products Zone, sponsored by NOW International. Companies with innovative new market launches are eligible to enter their products for display in the feature, which is located at the show entrance. Always a hive of activity, it is a valuable tool in helping visitors decide which stand to visit first.

Meanwhile VitaTrend will bring together the latest, exciting trends and themes on nutraceuticals and functional foods in two daily presentations to visitors from an Innova Market Insight expert along with an interactive tour of the exhibition floor to see these trends in action.

New to the show this year will be The Nutraceutical Business & Technology Awards (NBTAs), which recognise excellence in R&D, marketing, business and technology in the areas of ingredients, finished products, applications and business practices. The business roundtable will feature some of the world’s major health, nutrition and wellness companies in a lively debate about overcoming the barriers to commercial success. Panellists will discuss the trials and tribulations of getting consumers to adopt and accept functional food and drink products. The intention is to deliver a set of benchmarks that will provide a global audience of nutraceutical professionals the opportunity to recognise significant developments in quality of service, health management, R&D and relationship management, and will also provide a recognised and tangible reward for the successful companies.

Finished Products Expo equally has an array of exciting features to attract a whole host of visitors. The Tasting Bar @ FPE, sponsored by Laboratoire PYC offers a unique opportunity to sample the latest innovations in the functional food and drinks market and establish the next big product to hit the industry. Likewise, the New Products Zone sponsored by NOW International will also showcase revolutionary developments launched within the last 12 months.