It’s the eve of Anuga 2025, the biennial food and beverage exposition that takes place in Cologne, Germany. This year there will be more than 8,000 exhibitors from 110 countries.
Prior to the expo, 608 companies from 53 countries took part in the Anuga taste Innovation competition, the central showcase for the most important new products. It serves as a trend barometer and source of inspiration for global food businesses.
I was one of the judges and had the opportunity to explore more than 1,900 innovation submissions. We selected 62 outstanding products for their originality, sustainability, market potential and creative implementation. Ten were distinguished as being especially pioneering.
Two of the 10 are dairy foods. You got a peek at one of them a few weeks ago when I wrote about the trend in formulating with collagen. If you missed that blog, you can read it HERE.
The product is Collagen Yoghurt from YÖMilch/DBG Deutsches Biogeschäft GmbH of Germany. The other top-10 winner is from Panfruit Ukraine. The product is shelf-stable, crunchy Freeze-Dried Ice Cream. The winning flavor is Blueberry Blackberry. The product line also comes in traditional ice cream flavors of Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla.
Two additional dairy foods made it into the 62 outstanding innovations. One of them—another shelf-stable product—is Star Candies Freeze-Dried Vanilla Ice Cream with Protein. This high-protein snack breaks the boundaries between indulgence and functionality by combining real dairy-based ice cream with advanced freeze-drying technology and whey protein enrichment. The other outstanding dairy innovation is frozen Kefir Ice Cream with Berries and Chia Seeds.
Here are some other innovative dairy foods that were part of the competition.
Bubble Gum Mochi is a throwback treat with a modern twist. The flavor pops with childhood nostalgia. It’s blue ice cream wrapped in chewy pink and white double dough.
Spectaculoos Mochi features a rich, caramelized cookie flavor in the brown ice cream wrapped in a soft dough of the same shade.
Vilkyškių pieninė / VILVI Group of Lithuania has limited-edition refrigerated Murr Quark Snack Bars made with Japanese green tea matcha. There’s original Matcha, as well as Matcha Strawberry.
Speaking to gut health, a trend discussed in last week’s blog, which you can read HERE, are a number of elevated frozen yogurt products. Chillato Premium Frozen Dessert from Greece is made with real Greek yogurt and marbled with real fruit. Varieties are Strawberry & Raspberry, Mango & Passion Fruit, Forest Berries & Blackcurrant, and Caramel with Salted Caramel Sauce.
Ice Cream Bowls from Helados Estiu SA of Spain are real coconut shells filled with creamy açaí mango, mango coconut or açaí banana ice cream. They are designed for health-minded foodies who crave a refreshing, better-for-you treat after a workout. They also may serve as breakfast or a guilt-free treat any time of day.
South Korea’s Lotte Wellfood Company has Joee Greek Yogurt Frozen Dessert Bars. One bar contains more than 50 million CFU of live probiotics. The bars are coated with Greek yogurt to capture the true fermented dairy flavor.
Chilled Ice Cream Desserts from Álvarez Camacho SL of Spain are handcrafted desserts that combine creamy ice cream with delicious cake pieces. What makes them unique is they are intended to be consumed at refrigerated temperature. They have a three-month frozen shelf life and a 20 day refrigerated shelf life. Varieties are Triple Chocolate, Lemon Meringue Pie, Cheesecake and the Spanish specialty: Tocino del Cielo.
France’s Tiliz has Cookie Balls. Sold in bite-sized pieces in cups, the frozen product features artisanal ice cream wrapped with chocolate chip cookie dough. Varieties are Caramel, Chocolate and Vanilla.
The Dubai Chocolate Gelato Bomb has three luscious layers of taste: chocolate and pistachio gelato with a core of liquid pistachio all wrapped in pistachio crumble and crunchy kataifi. The product comes from Italy’s Emilia Foods. Other flavors in its Gelato Bomb Collection are Cheesecake, Chocolate, Lemon and Pistachio. They are sold in 2- and 6-pack boxes.
From Lithuania’s Varenos Pienelis comes Dubai Style Pistachio Flavored Glazed Curd Cheese with Kadayıf Pastry Coating. This refrigerated bar features smooth pistachio-flavored curd cheese with a crispy glaze layered with kadayıf pastry, creating a unique contrast between softness and crunch.
France’s Onoré has new Chocolate Dubai Glazed Mochi. This pistachio plant-based ice cream with kadaif has a hazelnut-flavored flowing center and is coated in a thin cocoa rice dough.
Gukapang from Lotte Wellfood is a “K-style” dessert inspired by traditional Korean street foods. The 100% plant-based frozen dessert sandwich features sweet red beans and chewy mochi inside of a rice cake wafer cookie. To preserve the chewy texture of the rice cake under freezing conditions, proprietary moisture-retention technology is applied, according to the company.
Emilia Foods also has new Italian Gelato Macarons. These are French-style macarons filled with gelato. The crisp shell gives way to a burst of extra-creamy Italian gelato. The product is sold in boxes of 12 macarons, with two of six flavors. The varieties are: Chocolate, Hazelnut, Lemon, Pistachio, Raspberry and Sea Salt Caramel.
And lastly, Lotte Wellfood now offers a 100% plant-based frozen dessert bar for pets and pet parents alike.
Did you have to try them all? :-)
ReplyDeleteHa! Sensory was not part of the judging criteria!
ReplyDelete