SEEN & HEARD
Gulfood 2019 review
This year’s theme, The World of Good, The World of Food ensured the fair was a truly global edition, with international Michelinstarred chefs participating in the Tastes of the World competition, a first for Gulfood.
Gulfood highlighted how innovation is playing a key part in the health and wellness sector. “The phrase ‘you are what you eat’ has been around for a long time, but now its meaning has been extended and applied to personal values,” said Monique Naval, an analyst with the consultancy Euromonitor International. “Organic, free-from, ethical, halal, fair trade, sustainable… consumers are linking health consciousness with conscientiousness when they think of ‘good’ food.” Naval added that while this trend was still nascent in the GCC, it has been growing steadily in Western markets. A major takeaway of the exhibition was that rather than competing on price, businesses should instead focus above all on corporate responsibility and quality assurance. This trend toward premiumization was welcomed by many, especially given current fluctuations in commodity prices.
Quality standards have intensified, with new technology playing a key part in this area. The concept of quality is also extending to ‘value-added’ ingredients, like Chia seeds, Vitamin-d infusions and Nitro. These and other fusions were a highly popular feature at the event.
One of the busiest booths at the fair was Beyond Meat, a plant-based burger patty company, based in the Netherlands. Another major attraction was Monin’s new La Flavour de Monin range which contains zero-added sugar or sweeteners.
Perhaps the most interesting takeaway of Gulfood 2019 was an acknowledgement that in today’s consumer-led F&B landscape, brand loyalty isn’t as strong as it once was. Consumers are willing to try new things that guarantee quality and appeal to their personal and physical wellbeing. This state of play means there is an until now, rarely available advantage for niche players to tap into a market with huge potential and convert consumers who are hungry for the next big thing.