The German town of Frankfurt will look on as 12,000 food and drink industry professionals hit the exhibition centre to eat up the latest innovations and visit 1000 exhibitors at the 16th edition of Fi Europe.
With European enlargement imminent, ingredients companies and manufacturers working in the EU zone require an intimate knowledge of food safety and food quality measures. What is more, recent food safety scandals have only compounded the issue of food safety with political and public debates on the matter an almost daily occurence.
Reflecting the importance of food safety today, for the first time the organisers of the show - CMP Information - have set up a food safety and hygiene arena and summit to help the industry get to grips with the issues and tools.
According to CMP, exhibitors signed up include Ecolab, Scil Diagnostics, Merck, the AAC Consulting Group and Q - bioanalytic.
The summit, claims CMP, aims to serve as a platform for participants to discuss issues affecting food safety today, such as contaminants, microbiological food safety and new legislation.
No FiE would be complete without the awards. Given in recognition of those companies, research institutes or universities that 'deliver both innovation and quality to the manufacture and development of food ingredients', the gold, silver and bronze awards will be presented on 18 November in the evening by the awards committee.
Weighing in heavily this year are the giants of the industry. Danisco has been nominated for its edible moisture barrier product, Grindsted Barrier System, German company Degussa Food ingredients for Unipectine FZ 244, a new stabiliser concept based on pectin.
US company ADM Specialty Ingredients gained a nomination for its NutriSoy whole bean powder product, and Dutch group DMV International for Textrion Gel 01, its gelatine replacer for dairy products.
Two leading ingredients companies from northern Europe also scooped a nomination. Vegetable oils and fats company Aarhus won a nomination for Triplefill, its non-trans fatty acid filling fat for confectionery and biscuit fillings, and Karlshamns for Akocheese, a vegetable fat blend for cheese production.
Finally, French group Limagrain Céréales Ingredients received a nomination for FCI TW 1000R product, the latest texturant in its FCI range, and Lipofoods for its health ingredients product Lipophytol.