Sial 08: Discover the future of food at SIAL

SIAL 2008: SIAL 2008 is your opportunity to build an in-depth understanding of the fundamental trends that will shape the economy of tomorrow’s food world. Four key themes stand out.

Innovation, trends, design, lifestyle: food as art form
As well as showcasing a huge number of new products, SIAL is one of the most reliable indicators of trends in food consumption worldwide. Trends which are driven by consumer behaviours reflecting a wide range of desires and expectations.
Increasing aesthetic awareness, for example, a trend which underlies the emergence of a new discipline: food design. Lifestyle is another key factor - a wide-ranging category which interfaces with the food industry in the tableware sector. This is why SIAL 2008 will be presenting, for the first time, a non-food offer connected with the world of food.
Must-sees at SIAL 2008:
The Trends & Innovations Observatory, showcasing exhibitors’ new products (458 of them in 2006, from 34 countries) and the key trends driving the market, and including, for the first time:
- products specifically designed for the private label, catering and B2B (semi-processed food products) sectors
- plus the "Innovative Children’s Product" prize awarded jointly by Disney and SIAL.
... and the Cuisine du Sial, Retail World, the IN-FOOD Center, Food Design and much more

Well-being, natural goodness, nutrition: food that offers extra benefits
Today’s consumers expect food to do much more than simply quell their appetite. They expect it to promote good health, and even prevent illness, by providing nutritionally beneficial ingredients. They also look to food to help them stay slim - or at least to help in the battle against obesity, identified as a key challenge for the future by the medical world.
At the same time - and this is a new trend - they are now expecting their food to provide benefits which had almost been forgotten in the modern era. This quest for natural goodness is prompting food producers to rediscover their roots - while at the same time retaining the advantages that industrial processing offers. The very latest trend in this field is cosmeto-foods: where food becomes a beauty product.
Must-sees at SIAL 2008:
The Nutrition Village, an area bringing together expert players in this field (manufacturers, research, training, etc.), as well as incorporating the Nutrition Agora with its packed programme of talks tackling four key themes: behaviour, food and health, nutritional techniques and sustainable health.
... plus Food & Beauty, organic products, health foods and food supplements in the new Hall 7, Fruit & Vegetables Day (Tuesday 21 October) and much more

Sustainable development and Fairtrade: food that promotes development
The concept of sustainable development has come to the fore across all sectors of the economy. And it has an especially prominent role to play in the food sector, which encompasses all its various components: the environment, balanced economic growth and social justice. Food manufacturers have already brought in many initiatives to promote the responsible use of natural produce and to clean up their production processes.
Fairtrade has effectively become the spearhead of this movement. Its aim is to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from the globalisation of trade, in order to promote balanced economic growth. From farm to plate, the food sector has a uniquely important role to play in this process.
Must-sees at SIAL 2008: the talks programmes (organised by the Fédération des Entreprises et des Entrepreneurs de France and in the Nutrition Agora); the Fairtrade Pavilion (Hall 7), an information area dedicated to social responsibility in the food business.

Wine and innovation: where food meets pleasure
Wine is an increasingly prominent sector at SIAL - generating considerable interest and enthusiasm among many multi-product buyers. Why? Because wine is establishing itself as a product in its own right in the global food marketplace... consumed in moderation, of course! While the traditional consumer markets are increasingly focused on responsible enjoyment, new regions of the world are discovering the pleasures wine has to offer - regions such as Asia, for example.
Wine as a product is of course highly traditional - yet it’s also at the cutting edge of contemporary developments in everything from sophisticated product research to finely-tuned marketing, and including a wealth of packaging innovations (containers and labelling). In short, wine opens a window onto the future of the food sector as a whole.
Must-sees at SIAL 2008:
Best Buy, the return of the initiative which showcases wines offering the best quality/price ratio, and the Wine Innovation Forum, a meeting and information area dedicated to varietals and brands.
... plus the Wine Women Awards and the Wine category of the SIAL d’Or awards

The SIAL network, from America to Asia
7,500 exhibitors from more over 100 countries, 270,000 sqm and 200,000 visitors from 200 countries put their trust in the SIAL network in 2006 and 2007, in North America, Latin America and Asia