The world is coming

This weekend marks the start of one of my favourite exhibitions, in IFFA. I am reliably informed that the organisers of IFFA 2025 are prepared for the return of enthusiastic crowds to the international celebration of food processing technology and food manufacturing innovation.

Hosted in Frankfurt, Germany, every three years, roughly 1,000 exhibitors at IFFA welcome food processors, craft manufacturers, stakeholders in ingredients, spices, catering and hospitality. The focus is food, but key themes and trends also will be on display for the tens of thousands of visitors expected to descend upon the enormous exhibit halls.

Given the pressures that manufacturing faces, from increasing efficiency, and incorporating automation, to, now, tariffs, it’s no surprise that work processes will be under scrutiny to add greater value.

Exhibitors will be hard pressed this year, I feel, as they will have to provide visitors with answers to how they can help reduce downtime while increasing the level of transparency consumers expect as well as help with sustainable production.

Yet, one of the purposes of attending IFFA is to learn what’s new. This is a key reason for attendance. IFFA provides a splendid stage for new technologies and discussions about new ideas impacting the food manufacturing industry.

For the first time, there are a number of ‘Worlds’, so that you can find your way around the World of Processing, World of Packaging, World of Ingredients, World of New Proteins and World of Skills and Sales. I am keen to visit these as well as the IFFA Kitchen for guidance on topics such as innovation, process optimisation and the all-important area of data security as digitalisation becomes more mainstream.

I can’t finish this blog without mentioning alternative protein solutions. IFFA will present plant-based proteins and cultured meat technologies, in the ‘World of New Proteins’. It will bring together products, technologies, presentations, research projects and relevant players on the subject of new proteins in Hall 11.0 for the first time.

IFFA is nothing short of a world of wonderment for me. The topics it covers, the trends and the recipes based on plant-based, fermented and mycelial proteins it will present in all areas of meat will be exciting.

IFFA is a particularly unique opportunity to see and learn a lot within a short time. With a full slate of programmes and experiences at the show, I’m expecting to be wowed at IFFA 2025.

See you there.

• Rodney Jack, editor, Food & Drink Technology.
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