Italy: The World’s Artisan Food Producer on Show in Milan

The four day TuttoFood event this year takes place from 8th to 11th May at the Fiera Milano in Milan. Held biennially, this premium event has made its way into third place among B2B food fairs in Europe. It is renowned as the only Italian trade show with a truly international feel. Out of the one hundred thousand visitors anticipated, 30% will be from outside of Italy, including many Israeli distributors drawn by the close proximity of the two countries and the extensive variety of quality food and drink on show.

TuttoFood is an event which not only meets the needs of companies looking exclusively to the Italian market for business, but it also highlights those interested in export. There are great opportunities to learn about the latest trends and innovations in the industry by attending some of the workshops, seminars, and conferences run by leading food professionals in their respective fields of expertise at Spazio Nutrizione.  Importantly, through the professional search engine of Smart Voice, it will be possible to access the wealth of media content before, during and after the show. The search engine accesses millions of pages from exhibitors’ websites, posts, videos and images from social media.

Traditionally, TuttoFood showcases a comprehensive array of trends and products from the food and drink industries, reflecting the high calibre of exhibitors and visitors expected to attend. This edition is no exception and the latest range of trends and products will include TuttoFrozen, TuttoPasta, TuttoDairy, TuttoBakery, TuttoMeat, TuttoGreen, TuttoSweets, TuttoDeli, TuttoSeafood, TuttoGrocery, TuttoDrinks and TuttoOil.  A dedicated area for Fruit & Veg Innovation will be a major feature, as well as the first appearance of TuttoHealth, a category intended to embrace the concept of overall wellness.

The continuing allure of Italian fresh food produce and other products to consumers throughout the world continues to boost Italy’s high ranking as a major exporter in the global food and drink industry.  In their article entitled, ‘Food, the Italian export relentless growth’, Italian Food.Net reported that according to the Italian Institute of Services for the Agricultural and Food Market (ISMEA), the food and drink sector is driving Italy’s export with a turnover of €28 billion.

A company which typifies all these attributes as a major exporter of high quality organic Italian foods is Bioitalia Srl whose adage, ‘Good for being simply but wisely made’ is evident from their delicious and expansive range of organic products including vegetables in oil, ready to use sauces and wines without sulphites to name but a few items.  KLBD certified Bioitalia prides itself on ‘expressing the flavour of our lands’ and credits a combination of organic farming and advanced industrial technologies for being able to produce high quality foodstuffs at an affordable price.

Another highly successful Italian company based in Vicenza is The Bridge Srl, which has been operating since 1994, and continues to serve the expanding dairy free market with a mouth-watering range of 100% organic drinks, desserts and cooking creams made with carefully chosen and certified ingredients. Just some of the exciting flavours in their drinks range include Bio Rice, Bio Soya, Bio Oat, Bio Almond, Bio Quinoa and, in their dessert range, Bio Oat and  Bio Soya. KLBD certified, all the products are vegan, lactose and cholesterol free and most are also gluten-free.

Broadly speaking, the definition of ‘Made in Italy’ in the context of agri-food exports reflects some of the most typical food products of Italy associated with the Mediterranean diet, especially fresh vegetables and fruit such as apples from Trentino Alto Adige and cherry tomatoes from Campania. Besides producing 25% of the world’s olive oil other processed products which also carry the ‘Made in Italy’ label are often converted from imported agricultural products. Italian pasta which surprisingly uses imported durum wheat is an example. Meanwhile, much sushi rice sold in Europe is actually grown in Italy.

When it comes to the favourite staples of Italian food, chocolate and ice cream products spring to mind. Italian manufacturer, Ferrero Spa,  is the third biggest chocolate producer and confectionery company in the world, whereas Nutkao Srl. founded in 1982 by Giuseppe Braida, is a global leader in the production of cocoa, hazelnut spreads and semi-finished products for the sweet industry. Italian ice cream may be well known as ‘gelato’, but in order to achieve its authentic creamy taste, there is a mandatory legal requirement it should contain at least 10% butterfat.

The exhibition is not exclusively Italian. An example is a success story in export of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables from Poland: KLBD certified Quadrum Foods Sp. z o.o.  Market leaders in vegetables for direct consumption, as well as processing, the brand for which Quadrum is best known is their ‘Golden Garden’ range, through which there are endless permutations of mixed fruit and vegetables, or items packed on their own.

TuttoFood in Fiero Milano lives up to his reputation as the leading food exhibition in Italy with new and exciting Italian food products being exhibited in all the Halls. Italian kosher certified products to look out for from KLBD in 2017 include breaded fish, ice cream and possibly mozzarella.

For more information visit the exhibition website at www.tuttofood.it/en or follow on Twitter