The 17th Cibus Food Fair will include new features that will transform the traditional international fair into a multichannel expo, open to the whole food industry, from producers to distributors.
Cibus 2014, which will take place in Parma, Italy, May 5-8, will include a large variety of exhibitors from large food companies to medium and small food enterprises, and national and international distributors as well as retailers and duty-free companies. Also included will be producers of products made in Italy as well as trending organic, halal, kosher and gluten-free products.
Between January and November 2013, the Italian market decreased by 2.1 percent, while the international (export) market for Italian products showed steady growth of 7.1 percent, according to Federalimentare, the Italian food industry association, which is a partner of Fiere di Parma for Cibus.
Data from the same time period reveals that the hottest export markets for “Made in Italy” products continue to be Europe, up 4.9 percent, and the United States, up 5.9 percent. New markets include Russia, up 21.3 percent; China, up 9.7 percent; Hong Kong, up 13.7 percent; India, up 10.5 percent; Brazil up 7.2 percent; and South Africa, up 20.5 percent.
Over the past two years, Cibus developed the “Cibus Market Check” project, which introduces Italian companies to potential distributors from high-export countries. The focus countries during Cibus 2014 will be Germany, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Europe and USA, Canada, Brazil, Japan and Russia. Special attention will also be paid to countries in Southeast Asia, according to Cibus.
“Italian Region B2B” is a new program kicking off at Cibus 2014, which will make exporting an option for small and medium-size producers as well.
“We have created a new Cibus 2014 for producers and distributors, which is reflective of the market’s needs, and we have received [an] amazing response,” said Elda Ghiretti, Cibus brand manager. “In fact, we have filled in the entire fair and have several exhibitors on our waiting list.”
Among the new category entries this year are organic-, kosher- and halal-certified products, which are in high demand for export, according to Cibus, which has created brochures on each category to make it easy for attendees to find exhibitors with these offerings.
The expo will be divided into four main areas: Fresh (salami, meet, cheese, gastronomy and frozen food); Grocery (pasta, canned food, oils, sauces and confectionery); Regional and International Specialties; and Drinks.
