IFE Manufacturing, part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, returns to ExCeL London on 25-27 March to showcase the latest innovations in ingredients, packaging, processing and technology in the world of food & drink.

The ultimate business event for food & drink product development, IFE Manufacturing provides food & drink brands and industry innovators with the tools to develop initial ideas to finished products.

At IFE Manufacturing this year Gerald McDonald Group will be showcasing and sampling exotic fruit juices sourced by its Japanese division – Yuzu Juice and Kabosu Juice. Kabosu Juice is a brand-new product coming to market, which the business will supply in bulk to food and drink manufacturers who want to use it as an ingredient in their products.

Healy Group will be showcasing two key ingredients products this year. Marketing Director Hannah Pegg comments: “This year our main two focus areas will be Saltwell and Millbio’s X-Tra Guard. The latter is particularly interesting right now given the ongoing focus on UPFs (and cleaner labels). It is a botanical extract from rowanberry which has natural sorbic acid. It can therefore be used to extend shelf life naturally, with a simple label declaration of “rowanberry extract” or “rowan extract”.

“For Saltwell, we will showcase it in bread, as this is an area where it is particularly important to retain functionality when reducing sodium. As it’s an area which contributes a lot of sodium in people’s diets, it has a particular purpose with regard to national health and government-led targets.”

Malaysian brand Yakin is synonymous with fine sauces for dipping and seasoning. With the increasing popularity and demand of the market, the business extended production to pasta and BBQ sauce which will be on display at IFE Manufacturing.

Visitors to this year’s event will also have the opportunity to meet with Ukrainian producer Interstarch, which in addition to offering a wide range of products and production facilities certified to standards such as FSSC 22000 (GFSI), Ecovadis, with Kosher and Halal Moui certificates, also has extensive experience developing new products based on special customer requests.

Topics under the microscope on the show’s Trends & Innovation Platform this year will include the disruptive forces impacting the world of food & drink, the AI revolution, changing attitudes to ultra processed foods, building more resilient supply chains and the projected impact of rising prices on consumers in 2024.

Richard Werran, Global Director Food and Retail at BSI and moderator for the session, ‘The AI revolution: a food transformation’, comments: “AI makes precision agriculture a reality and will optimise on-farm resources through data analysis of soil health, weather conditions, and crop growth, boosting yields while simultaneously minimising environmental impact. I’m hugely looking forward to joining this discussion at IFE Manufacturing 2024.”

Mark Thompson, Co-Founder of Edinburgh-based insight and innovation company TRKR, and panellist for the session, ‘Ultra Processed Foods: What is all the fuss about?’, says: “I’m looking forward to attending IFE Manufacturing and sharing my thoughts and views on the topic of ultra-processed foods.

“It’s an important topic as whilst many of the foods that fall under the umbrella of ‘ultra-processed’ are everyday staples for most consumers. A loaf of bread for example, the very fact that these items are part of our weekly diet means that as an industry, we need a measured and informed approach to tackling their uptake.”

Ruth Dolby of Food Science Fusion will moderate a session on efficiency in food & drink development. She comments: "Working across the food chain, we will be looking at best practice for optimising NPD value in all areas of the process. It is great to be invited back to facilitate this panel on the Trends & Innovation Platform and to be joined by colleagues with some great insights and to share."

IFE Manufacturing takes place alongside IFE, The Pub Show, HRC and International Salon Culinaire as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week. To find out more and to secure your free trade ticket, visit ifemanufacturing.co.uk.