The awards of the SIRHA Budapest 2026 Innovation Product Competition have been presented

Winners of the product competition

The most significant food industry and HoReCa event in Central and Eastern Europe was opened by Gábor Ganczer, CEO of Hungexpo, Dr. István Nagy, Minister of Agriculture, and Giuseppe Scognamiglio, Ambassador of Italy to Hungary.

Gábor Ganczer emphasized that the 7th SIRHA Budapest exhibition has now become one of the most significant events in the domestic and regional industry, with the participation of more than 400 exhibitors. Food production has always been an area of ​​adaptation and innovation, as the survival of humanity depends on it.
One of the novelties of this year’s event is that for the first time the exhibition will have a guest of honor: Italy, which is both an inspiration and a benchmark in how gastronomy can be consciously built into a national brand, and how small and medium-sized enterprises can successfully contribute to this.
The Hungarian Pizza Championship and the final of the “Chef of the Year” competition will debut as new programs, while the already traditional elements of the event – such as the “Cake of Hungary” competition – will also be held.
The organizers aim to make SIRHA a professional meeting point where participants can learn about the latest trends, exchange experiences and create new business relationships.

The exhibition is a celebration of Hungarian gastronomy – assessed Dr. István Nagy – which will make Budapest the gastro capital of the region for three days. The government treats the food industry as a strategic sector and adjusts its support policy accordingly. Since 2010, the production value of the sector has tripled, reaching 6,656 billion forints by 2024, while more than 650 billion forints of support was allocated for developments between 2014 and 2024. In the new agricultural policy cycle, 3,153 billion forints are available for rural and economic development, of which significant resources are allocated for the modernization, digitalization and strengthening of the processing industry and its energy independence. The support will help both large and small plants develop, employment will increase, and self-sufficiency will be strengthened. The goal is to produce competitive products with high added value from Hungarian raw materials. The minister underlined that the choice of domestic products is both an economic and a sovereignty issue, and the key to success lies in the decision of the buyers.

The event is a decisive platform for agri-food dialogue and strategic cooperation – said Giuseppe Scognamiglio. – Italy’s participation as a guest of honor indicates the performance of the Italian food industry and the strength of the Hungarian-Italian partnership. The food industry is one of Italy’s strategic pillars, with exports exceeding 60 billion euros per year – its success is based on the combination of tradition and innovation. The ambassador emphasized the opportunities for expanding industrial cooperation between the two countries in the fields of technology, sustainability and R&D. He named the protection of the authenticity of Italian products and the action against the “Italian Sounding” phenomenon as a priority task, in order to inform consumers correctly. The goal is to implement joint, competitive industrial projects and strengthen sustainable growth.

Following the opening ceremony, the certificates and individual glass awards were presented by Gábor Ganczer, CEO of Hungexpo, István Nagy, Minister of Agriculture, and Zsuzsanna Hermann, Managing Editor-in-Chief of Trade magazin and also the president of the competition jury.

Only exhibitors could enter the competition, in 6 categories corresponding to their innovation. The jury awarded the outstanding quality applications received and awarded first, second and third prizes in 4 different areas. The first three winners received their certificates and glass awards at the opening ceremony.

Visitors can view the entries of the competition winners at the exhibition’s Innovation stand (Pavilion A 201 C) between March 3-5.

We would like to congratulate the awardees!