Alternative protein sources present at IFFA 2022, the world’s leading meat trade fair

By: Trademagazin Date: 2022. 05. 25. 08:55

IFFA 2022 took place last week, being historically one of the world’s oldest and leading international meat trade fair, where 860 exhibitors from 44 countries showcased innovations. Around 50,000 visitors from 129 countries traveled to Frankfurt where IFFA takes place on a three-year cycle – corresponding to the industry’s innovation cycle. Besides presenting the top themes (like sustainable production, automated processes andn digitalisation in all areas of processing, packaging, and sales), IFFA expanded this year its product portfolio to focus on process technology and ingredients for alternative proteins for the first time in its history. IFFA reports visitors showing great interest in plant-based meat alternatives, hybrid products, and cell-cultured meat both on the exhibitors’ stands and with their participation in the event program. The high interest in alternative proteins also showed the great future and growth potential of this market.

A new report revealed at the international meat fair presents the opportunities that animal meat producers can seize in the booming plant-based meat sector. The report, published by food awareness organisation ProVeg International, says the sector offers huge opportunities for meat companies, with sales values of plant-based meat in Europe amounting to €1.4 billion in 2020 on top of a growth rate of 68% over the past two years. Key insights in the report include, that 90% of plant-based food consumers are flexitarian, not vegan or vegetarian, that taste and price are key drivers for consumer demand and that the leading category in the market is the plant-based burger patties segment. According to the report, the UK leads the European market, followed by Germany and the Netherlands. Germany leads the European market in terms of growth rates, followed by Austria. In the conclusion to the report, ProVeg makes several key recommendations, including that all meat producers enter the plant-based market and that they direct their marketing at flexitarians as they are the largest, and therefore, most important consumer group at present.

Fabio Ziemßen, first chairman at the German Association for Alternative Protein Sources, draws a positive conclusion from his association’s premiere participation at IFFA: “IFFA 2022 has made it clear that alternative protein sources will continue to have a firm place at the leading international trade fair in the future, and that this topic will continue to grow in the coming years. It is therefore indispensable for producers and distributors of alternative protein sources to be present here in three years’ time.”