< Previous40 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net FOOD MATTERS LIVE F ood Matters Live is heading to Rotterdam this autumn, bringing its unique blend of innovation, insight and ingredient discovery to the heart of Europe’s food and nutrition community. Taking place on 23–24 September 2025 at the Ahoy Convention Centre, the event is designed for R&D, technical, NPD and innovation professionals working across the food, drink, and nutrition landscape. With more than 750 attendees, 100 expert speakers, and 100 curated sessions, the programme offers a rare opportunity to explore the future of innovation from every angle of the ingredients value chain. A focus on ingredient innovation The 2025 Rotterdam edition features four flagship programmes—each designed to offer practical insight and exclusive access to cutting-edge developments: * Tastes of Better – A curated showcase of ingredient innovation featuring presentations and tastings delivered by technical and culinary teams. Hosted in state-of-the-art partner suites, this programme connects solution providers with a premium audience. * Insights and Trends – A forward-looking speaker series covering the most pressing topics shaping the industry today: from ultra-processed foods and sustainable sourcing, to protein diversification, the future of NPD, and filling the fibre gap. * Future of Positive Nutrition – Featuring global leaders in science, research and product innovation, this programme explores key topics like healthy ageing, women’s health, active nutrition, and more—through the lens of breakthrough ingredients and functional food. * The NPD Discovery Zone – A central feature of the event, this zone brings together live demonstrations, expert-led sessions and interactive insights into the latest technologies and health trends, including GLP-1, clean label reformulation, and shifting consumer demands. Reflecting on a previous edition, the head of growth at Purezza said: “Food Matters Live was jam packed with fantastic workshops, tastings & talks. It was fascinating to learn about specialist ingredient suppliers & their innovative solutions.” With a strong line-up of lead partners— including AAK, Agrana Fruit, Ingredion, and Tate & Lyle—the programme delivers top- tier technical insight and hands-on expertise. They’re joined by a wider group of expert contributors such as Rousselot, Ulrick & Short, ENOUGH, BESMOKE, ARBOREA, Aminola, Proxy AI, and Brightlands NovaBite, each bringing targeted solutions and case studies to the table. “We’re proud to be working with such a strong line-up of partners and contributors,” says Briony Mansell-Lewis, managing director of Food Matters Live. “Their involvement ensures the programme is rooted in real-world expertise and gives attendees access to practical, in-depth perspectives across key areas of innovation and product development.” Apply to attend From challenger brands to major manufacturers, retailers, QSRs and foodservice operators, the event draws a curated audience of decision-makers looking to tackle the next generation of product development challenges. To apply to attend Food Matters Live in Rotterdam as a VIP or alongside your VIP team, visit: foodmatterslive.com/rotterdam Food Matters Live in Rotterdam - Programme announced: Exclusive content, insights and opportunities for R&D, technical and innovation leaders Food & Drink International 41 www.fdiforum.net LONDON PACKAGING WEEK A t first glance, packaging might seem a simple act—wrapping a product, protecting it on a shelf, or catching a shopper’s eye. Yet, at its core, packaging is a quiet alchemy where material meets message, and shape becomes story. London Packaging Week has been the crucible of this transformation for fifteen years: a vibrant gathering where visionaries converge, design sparks dialogue, and the future of brand experience is continuously reimagined. This milestone isn’t just a measure of time passed but a celebration of profound evolution. Over a decade and a half, London Packaging Week has traced the shifting contours of consumer desire and creative possibility, from the whisper of hand-drawn concepts to the bold clarity of sustainable innovation. It has been a stage for pioneers and provocateurs, artisans and engineers, each contributing to a symphony of texture, tone, and technology defining modern packaging. As London Packaging Week steps confidently into its next chapter, it does so not as a static exhibition but as a dynamic eco- system—responsive, restless, radiant. Ahead lies the frontier of circular systems, intelligent materials, and design, dissolving the boundaries between product and planet. This story of transformation is told best by those who live it: the Voices of Packaging. Weaving together insights from the industry’s brightest minds. “Back in 2010, packaging was often the afterthought that kept a product safe on its way to the shelf,” reflects Lisa Cain, technical manager at Smurfit Westrock. “Fifteen years later, it’s the meeting point of regulation, brand reputation, and resource efficiency, and it tends to set the brief rather than follow it.” The shift Lisa describes marks a revolution in packaging’s role—from simple protection to strategic driver. Joanna Stephenson, managing director of Think B2B Marketing, agrees: “Fifteen years ago, packaging was rarely centre stage— functional, maybe decorative, but seldom strategic. It’s a critical touchpoint for regulation, sustainability, and brand trust today. It must perform technically, communicate clearly, and prove its environmental impact—all at once.” The evolution from trend-chasing to navigating complex global regulations, supply chains, and consumer expectations requires confidence and collaboration across every stage of development. This transformation is powered by data. “The biggest change has been the move from ‘recyclable’ as a tick-box to sustainability as a measurable system,” Lisa Cain explains. “Carbon data, refill loops, and EPR fees now shape material choice long before artwork appears, and a design that cannot prove its footprint rarely survives the concept stage.” Packaging’s story is no longer told just by its form or look but by the numbers, science, and traceability embedded deep within. Paul Jenkins, founder and managing director of ThePackHub, whose perspective captures the full scale of change across the global packaging landscape, frames this evolution: “Since London Packaging Week began in 2010, sustainability has gone from a burgeoning concern to the industry’s central driver—fuelled by consumer awareness, landmark programmes like Blue Planet II, and ever-tighter EPR and PPWR regulations. Today, compliance and innovation are inseparable.” To register for London Packaging Week, which will this year take place on 15 & 16 October at Excel London, please visit www.londonpackagingweek.com The evolution of packaging: 15 years of impact at London Packaging Week Sustainable Foods Summit 26 - 27 June Amsterdam, The Netherlands Since 2009, the Sustainable Foods Summit has been covering major sustainability developments in the food industry. How are sustainability schemes and eco-labels evolving in the food industry? With growing proliferation in labels, what are the prospects for a single sustainability standard for food products? What is the future outlook for plant-based foods? What developments are occurring in sustainable ingredients? How can food & beverage firms move towards circularity? How can operators close their material loops? Such questions are regularly addressed at this summit. Food & Drinks Malaysia 1 - 3 July Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Set across 12,000 sq m of exhibition space at the Malaysia International Africa Food Show 10 - 12 June Cape Town, South Africa Connecting buyers with a global network of suppliers, the Africa Food Show offers a handpicked selection of innovative, high-value products from around the world. It’s a powerful platform to spot emerging trends, understand shifting consumer demands, and make confident sourcing decisions. With three days of meaningful connections, fresh insights, and future- focused products, it’s where growth across Africa’s food and beverage sector begins. ProPak Asia 11 - 14 June Bangkok, Thailand ProPak Asia is Asia’s must-attend international trade event for processing & packaging technology as quality and variety of products increase and expand, productivity of operations and manufacturing standards are driven higher by consumer demands, and new automation and technological advances are made. 42 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net Events Food & Drink © stock.adobe.com/Travel mania Manila Foods and Beverages Expo 11 - 15 June Manila, The Philippines Founded in 2006, the Manila Foods and Beverages Expo (MAFBEX) is the Philippines’ biggest gathering of the iconic pillars and outstanding newcomers of the food trade. Held every June, the top-notch trade affair turns a spotlight on the latest food and beverage innovations. Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur, Food & Drinks Malaysia by SIAL is poised to be a key event in the global food & beverage industry. This year’s show will feature leading businesses from across the globe, showcasing innovation and excellence in 8 distinct sectors. Visitors can explore dedicated state and international pavilions, along with thematic exhibits that offer a glimpse into the future of food. © stock.adobe.com/a_medvedkovMultimodal 17 - 19 June Birmingham, UK Since 2008, Multimodal has been successfully building a supply chain and logistics community of shippers, retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers, importers and exporters and the suppliers who support them. The logistics trade show runs the gamut from awards and networking to expo space representing the best and brightest in the supply chain, trucking and logistics industries. The event celebrates logistics in all its forms and strives to create events where you can grow your business and discover untapped potential. Food & Drink International 43 www.fdiforum.net © stock.adobe.com/PRASERT IFT FIRST 13 - 16 July Chicago, USA IFT FIRST means Food Improved by Research, Science, and Technology. It is IFT’s response to the transformative nature of the global food system. IFT FIRST will bring together researchers, scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs from across the global food value chain to discuss scientific solutions in presentations and panels focused on transformative innovation. Attendees will have the chance to interact with 1,000+ exhibitors showcasing the latest innovative solutions, technologies, new products and ingredients. Experiential innovation areas, scientific posters and intentional networking are key pieces of the IFT FIRST experience. And, at IFT FIRST, you can conduct more business and learning in three short days than you might accomplish all year long. Fi South America 26 - 28 August São Paulo, Brazil Fi South America brings local and global tastemakers together at one dedicated event for the food and beverage industries. Gathering food ingredients, health ingredients and natural ingredients together, the event is your best chance to meet your next business partner, mingle with thousands of industry professionals and discover the future of food. Speciality & Fine Food Fair 9 - 10 September London, UK Over the last 26 years Speciality & Fine Food Fair has built up a rich heritage and has become the home of fine food & drink discovery for buyers from across the retail, hospitality, foodservice, manufacturing, import & export, and wholesale sectors. Whether you’re looking for product inspiration for your business, or you’d like to learn the latest trends and insights from top industry experts, then you’ll uncover the ideas you’re searching for at the Fair. FEATURES Health, Safety & Hygiene Spotlight Packaging Cold Storage Engineering and Components Dairy Industry Meet the Experts Import & Export Next month in July 2025 - Deadline 18th June INTERNATIONAL Visit us at www.fdiforum.net where you’ll find the latest news as it breaks – and why not subscribe to our newsletters so you can have the latest news emailed to your inbox, in between printed issues?Classified You can feature your company in our hugely popular Online Directory with a description, contact details and a hyperlink If you would like further information please contact Angela Cooper on +44 [0] 1472 310310 or email a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk or visit www.fdiforum.net/directory From field to fork, Food & Drink International is the voice of the industry. 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June 10 - 12, Africa Food Show, Cape Town, South Africa 11 - 14, ProPak Asia, Bangkok, Thailand 11 - 15, Manila Foods and Beverages Expo, Manila, The Philippines 17 - 19, Multimodal, Birmingham, UK 26 - 27, Sustainable Foods Summit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands July 1 - 3, Food & Drinks Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 13 - 16, IFT FIRST, Chicago, USA August 26 - 28, Fi South America, São Paulo, Brazil September 9 - 10, Speciality & Fine Food Fair, London, UK Online this month… www.fdiforum.net is the best place to go for up-to-date food and drink industry news. Here’s a sneak peek at one of our latest stories. Retailers face pressure as food inflation creeps up Food inflation in the UK accelerated for the fourth month in a row in May, with prices now 2.8% higher than the same period last year, up from 2.6% in April. The increase, driven mainly by rising wholesale meat costs, comes despite overall shop price deflation holding steady at 0.1% year-on-year, according to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC)-NIQ Shop Price Index. Fresh food prices increased sharply, climbing to 2.4% from April’s 1.8%. In contrast, ambient food inflation eased slightly to 3.3%, down from 3.6% the previous month. Retailers in non-food categories continue to face deflation, particularly in electricals, where prices dropped as businesses moved early to stimulate demand ahead of potential US trade impacts. However, deflation in fashion and furniture has slowed as discounting activity tapered off. The report comes amid mounting cost pressures on retailers, who are absorbing additional expenses from national insurance and minimum wage increases. 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