BANGKOK, THAILAND – The THAIFEX – Anuga Asia PR Event, held at the IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, painted a compelling picture of the global food and beverage industry, with Koelnmesse and its leading partners at the helm of driving direction and innovation. Amidst geopolitical and economic challenges and evolving consumer expectations, the event underscored Asia’s critical role as a high-growth market and innovation hub. It also offered a preview of Anuga, the world’s largest food and beverage trade fair, scheduled for Cologne, Germany, in October 2025.
Koelnmesse Highlights Global Role and Asia’s Growing Importance in the Food Sector
Mr. Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Koelnmesse, opened the event, emphasizing Koelnmesse’s global role in shaping the future of the food and beverage industry through its network of leading trade fairs across continents, including Bangkok, Shenzhen, Tokyo, Cologne, Bogotá, and São Paulo. “Our goal for today is clear: We want to engage with you and provide you with an overview of our international strategy, the Anuga portfolio worldwide, and the growing importance of Asia,” stated Mr. Frese. “And, of course, we are also looking forward to Anuga 2025 in Cologne with great anticipation. All of this forms the framework for our shared future in a rapidly changing industry.”
The global food industry is currently undergoing profound changes. Geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainties, and new societal expectations are influencing consumer behavior, production, and trade relations. Global trade flows are shifting, and companies are adapting their supply chains to become more resilient. Amidst these challenges, sustainability is increasingly becoming a decisive criterion for investments, market strategies, and purchasing decisions. “Those who want to be successful today must take responsibility,” Mr. Frese asserted.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital processes are fundamentally changing the industry, enabling more precise customer communication, optimizing supply chains, and creating new opportunities in product development. However, Anuga’s focus is not on the technologies themselves but on the market-ready products made possible by these developments.
Asia plays a key role in this transformative landscape, characterized by strong economic growth, a dynamic innovation culture, and an increasingly demanding consumer base that values quality, health, and convenience. “That is precisely why THAIFEX – Anuga Asia is so important to us,” Mr. Frese remarked. This trade fair is not only a trading platform but also an important place for exchange and orientation, creating connections across national borders and opening up new market opportunities, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Koelnmesse has a strategic commitment to operating its Anuga portfolio worldwide, collaborating with strong local partners to create formats tailored to the needs of respective markets while fostering global networks. The figures in Koelnmesse’s food sector reflect its global standard-setting role, with approximately 12,800 exhibitors, over 400,000 trade visitors, and an exhibition area of more than 486,000 square meters.
“Anuga is not only the largest, but also the most important platform for the food industry worldwide,” Mr. Frese concluded, extending an invitation to Anuga in Cologne from October 4 to 8, 2025.
Anuga Cologne 2025: Innovation, Sustainability, and Global Connectivity
Mr. Bastian Mingers, Vice President of Trade Fair Management for Food and FoodTec at Koelnmesse, provided deeper insights into Anuga in Cologne, the world’s leading platform for the food and beverage industry. “We are guided by one clear principle: The food industry is a global community. We bring people, markets, and ideas together – across continents, with the goal of jointly rethinking nutrition,” Mr. Mingers stated.
Anuga is expected to host over 7,900 exhibitors and around 140,000 trade visitors from more than 200 countries. Asia’s importance to Anuga is particularly noteworthy, with approximately 1,800 exhibitors and 21,000 visitors from the region. “Especially here, in one of the world’s fastest-growing food markets, the extent to which consumption, technology, and nutrition are changing is palpable. THAIFEX – Anuga Asia is not just an observer of this change, but an active shaper – with strong ideas, marketable products, and global collaboration,” Mr. Mingers added.
Anuga in Cologne, held every two years, brings together ten specialized trade fairs under one roof. Since Anuga 2023, targeted strategic changes have been made to further strengthen its position as the world’s leading trade fair. This includes the introduction of Anuga Alternatives, a new trade fair for alternative protein products, and a redesign of the hall layout to bring thematically related areas closer together, creating synergies and ensuring a more efficient trade fair visit. A special highlight is that Anuga Fine Food 2025 will also be held for the first time in the new Confex building, one of Europe’s most modern conference and event venues.
The Boulevard of Innovation will combine several pioneering formats, such as the Anuga Trend Zone, startups, and the Anuga Taste Innovation Show, to showcase the latest trends and innovations. The Anuga Trend Zone stage will feature cutting-edge research from knowledge partners like Innova Market Insights B.V. and Euromonitor International Limited. On the Anuga Horizon Stage, within the new Anuga Alternatives, the future of the food industry – from alternative proteins to sustainable nutrition – will be explored.
Another highlight is Organic on Stage 2025 and the Anuga Organic Supermarket, an event space for sustainable organic trends and innovative solutions. Furthermore, high-profile conferences from partners, such as the first Anuga Halal Forum, the International Frozen Food Conference, and the System Gastronomy Forum, will offer numerous opportunities for engagement. For 2025, Korea will be the official partner country of Anuga, a nation that combines technological innovation with culinary depth.
In response to media questions, Mr. Mingers noted that Anuga has been around since 1919 and has constantly evolved for over 100 years. Today, trade fairs must offer more than just product displays; they must provide orientation, inspiration, and real added value. Anuga combines product innovations with in-depth expertise, exclusive insights, high-quality content, and a strong community, serving as a knowledge and networking platform.
Key trends to look forward to at Anuga in Cologne include personalized products, sustainability with climate-friendly ingredients like broad beans and lupin coffee, booming alternative and hybrid proteins (especially in meat substitutes and ready meals), clean label products with natural ingredients, and high-quality, ethically sourced private labels and premium products.
BVLH Unveils German Food Retail Landscape and Food Politicization Trends
Mr. Franz-Martin Rausch, Chief Executive of the Bundesverband des Deutschen Lebensmittelhandels e.V. (BVLH), the German Food Retail Association, presented an overview of Germany’s food retail sector, a significant pillar of the national economy, generating approximately €306.9 billion in annual sales, which is around 5% of the country’s total GDP. The market is highly consolidated, with four dominant players—Edeka, Rewe, the Schwarz Group (owners of Lidl and Kaufland), and Aldi—commanding 76% of the total market share. The sector includes over 37,000 retail outlets and employs around 1.3 million people. Notably, Germany is home to eight of the world’s top twenty food retailers.
The German grocery retail landscape is segmented into four primary store formats: discounters (the most prevalent and economically dominant with €97.6 billion in annual sales ), supermarkets, large supermarkets, and hypermarkets. Post-COVID-19 and compounded by economic pressures from the Ukraine war, consumer behavior has shifted. Consumers are “trading up” at the grocery store for premium products for home consumption, a “cocooning” phenomenon has emerged with more home cooking, and cooking itself is evolving into an experiential activity. However, these trends are tempered by a rise in price sensitivity due to inflation.
The German food industry is undergoing a phase of politicization and ethical realignment. A major initiative in animal welfare has seen food retailers and the meat sector develop a cross-company labeling system. Additionally, the new origin label “Gutes aus deutscher Landwirtschaft” (“Good from German Agriculture”) is gaining traction. Consumer demand is also shifting toward sustainability, with increasing expectations for fair trade, organic, regional, and GMO-free products, which are now prominently available under private labels in discount and supermarket chains.
BVLH is a founding organization of Anuga and plays a strategic role in connecting retail, wholesale, and production stakeholders. At the next Anuga, BVLH will once again curate and host the Retailforum Lounge.
Innova Market Insights Highlights Asian Consumer Trends: Health, Sustainability, and Personalization
Ms. Fellicia Kristianti, Customer Success Manager APAC at Innova Market Insights, presented data on top new F&B trends for the global market and the top five for the APAC region. The macro context shaping consumer behavior in Asia includes dominant environmental concerns (climate change is the #1 issue ), health and wellness pressures, and continued economic uncertainty despite forecasted growth.
Evolving consumer values in Asia show that health comes first (56% of Asian consumers say health and nutrition is the most important factor ), safety and quality are gaining importance (ranking above price ), conscious consumption is on the rise (minimizing food waste ), and consumers report increased self-reliance in managing their health.
Five emerging lifestyle trends in Asia identified by Innova Market Insights are:
- Savvy & self-sufficient: Digitally empowered consumers managing health, finances, and food choices independently.
- Authentic connections: Greater appreciation for nature, real-world experiences, and meaningful social connections, especially through shared food moments.
- Positive best: Emotional and mental wellness is now a primary driver of health-related decisions; food is increasingly seen as self-care.
- Transformational moments: Consumers seek exciting, multi-sensory experiences from brands that deliver a sense of wonder or indulgence.
- Quality & safety: Despite growing trust in large brands, transparency, ingredient sourcing, and health claims are under scrutiny.
Key 2025 F&B innovation themes include “Ingredients & beyond” (consumers want value beyond just ingredients; brands must elevate quality through storytelling and function ), “Precision wellness” (personalized nutrition based on specific health needs ), “Flavors: wildly inventive” (demand for bold mash-ups and unexpected combinations ), “Gut health revolution” (gut health is a top concern; products with fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics are gaining traction ), “Plant-based reimagined” (shift from processed meat alternatives to whole-food plant options with transparent labels ), “Taste the glow” (1 in 4 Asian consumers are buying F&B for beauty benefits ), and “Sustainability & climate adaptation” (ingredient sourcing and product design must consider affordability and resilience ).
Innovation opportunities lie in natural and functional products, indulgent yet healthy treats, reviving familiar local ingredients with modern technology, transparency in sourcing and processing, and mood-driven foods designed to support mental health.
Ms. Kristianti shared a surprising insight: mental and emotional wellbeing has overtaken weight and fitness as a top health goal for many Asian consumers, redefining how brands must address “health” to include mood, stress, and overall life balance. Regarding AI’s role in the future of food, she noted its enormous potential but emphasized the need for better data-sharing norms for AI to fully drive innovation at scale. AI is expected to increasingly handle trend detection, supply chain optimization, and personalized food development.
German-Thai Food Trade: Opportunities and Dynamics
Data from BVE (Federation of German Food and Drink Industries) provided an overview of processed food trade between Germany and Thailand for 2024 (preliminary figures). Exports from Germany to Thailand were valued at €147.6 million, a decrease of 16.0% compared to 2023. Key exports included processed meat (€31.6 million ), milk and dairy products (€22.6 million ), and starch and starch products (€11.6 million ). Imports from Thailand to Germany amounted to €467.5 million, an increase of 6.0%. Main imports were prepared feed for other animals (€120.9 thousand ), processed meat (€105.7 thousand ), and seasonings and sauces (€50.2 thousand ). These figures indicate an ongoing trade relationship with dynamic shifts within product categories.
In conclusion, the THAIFEX – Anuga Asia PR Event offered a comprehensive overview of the dynamic global food and beverage industry, highlighting the growing importance of the Asian market, evolving consumer trends, and the direction of leading trade fairs like Anuga, which are focused on innovation, sustainability, and fostering global networks to navigate the industry’s future.
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