Biofach 2024 preview: Organic gastronomy, vegan innovation and flavor tech

06 Feb 2024 --- Stakeholders from the organic food value chain will gather once again at the annual Biofach show in Nuremberg, Germany, piloting new processing innovations and finished products for the sector. Food Ingredients First previews the key highlights ahead of next week’s event (February 13–16).

At the trade fair, visitors can explore and take part in various forums and network hubs — such as the “Fachhandelstreff” for specialist retailers or the “Initiatives and NGOs” hub — designed to encourage dialogue on specific topics.

A new feature at Biofach 2024 will be the HoReCa – GV & Gastro hub, a “communicative space” geared toward interested parties and representatives of the out-of-home catering and hospitality segment. It gathers experts from the catering industry to experience best practice examples and gain inspiration.

“With this new area, we are creating an interactive networking space, offering plenty of opportunities to enhance knowledge and share experiences. Participants will also gain valuable insights to help them optimize their own business processes,” says Steffen Waris, director of Biofach.

“The format is geared toward communication and includes pitch sessions, working spaces and communication areas that encourage mutual exchanges. The digital guide to out-of-home catering rounds out the program nicely.”

Biofach will also host Sustainable Future Lab, which offers “new, open and collaborative interactive spaces” to kick start discussions around the green transformation of global food.

“Through the Sustainable Future Lab at Biofach 2024, we aim to facilitate discussion and co-creative input about the future of the organic sector and an ecologically sustainable food revolution. This new event series adds yet another facet to Biofach’s interaction and dialogue spaces,” says Barbara Böck, director of marketing for Biofach and Vivaness at NürnbergMesse.

“And we want to invite the community to tackle even controversial, ambivalent issues and develop solutions in workshops and other interactive formats.”

On the first three days of the trade fair, the Sustainable Future Lab will present four different events with a total of six sessions. Key topics include best practices and crisis management in the organic sector, the future of the organic sector, issues of intergenerational dialogue and the influence of corporate culture on sustainable change.

These talks will kick off with the IFOAM EU Business Talks under the heading “Organic Insights 2024: shaping the future of sustainable business,” which will take place shortly after the fair’s opening on February 13.

Organic product spotlight
High-end adventurous flavors, healthy indulgence and sustainability remain prominent brand drivers that are anticipated to feature prominently at the show. 

Within finished product innovation, Aromatech will showcase its new iterations of organic flavors. The company will feature a selection of its top organic flavors incorporated into delicious applications. 

Aromatech will introduce energy-boosting protein biscuits infused with organic flavors like bergamot and acai (Image credit: Aromatech).Aromatech’s R&I laboratory will be presenting innovative savory and sweet applications. Highlights will include a hummus innovation, where visitors can experience the flavors of grapefruit and Madagascar pepper, as well as garlic and basil variety — blended organically for a “subtle and original” twist. 

Additionally, Aromatech will introduce protein biscuits infused with organic flavors like bergamot and acai, positioned as an energy-boosting snack option.

Meanwhile, in the vegan sweet segment, Agrana will present vegan soft ice based on rice, further developed for Biofach in the form of two new organic taste options — blackcurrant and blueberry and mango. A low-sugar positioning and high-fiber content complement the product’s soft, creamy texture.

Agrana’s vegan ice cream display cabinet will also contain other adventurous concepts, such as a creamy oat ice cream with a salted caramel swirl and two exotic sorbets made with dragon fruit and a mango-passion fruit blend. 

The company’s range of organic products also extends into its starch segment. The company will spotlight its certified organic commodities, such as potatoes, corn, waxy corn and wheat to produce organic starch for the downstream processing industry. 

“Awareness of a sustainable and healthy lifestyle, which also includes the consumption of organic foods, is particularly high among consumers in Europe, especially in Germany and Austria. Agrana is responding to this trend with a wide range of plant-based organic foods. We can rely here on our many years of expertise and synergies in all business segments,” comments Agrana CEO Stephan Büttner.

Trend-driven chocolate innovation
Tapping into the clean label positioning and flavor exploration, Herza Schokolade will exhibit its four new organic lines of chocolate pieces. Visitors at the company’s booth will be offered these specialties for ice cream, muesli, porridge, snacks and garnish formats.

“In the development of the NobleChoc range, Herza went for flavors that are especially popular these days. The result is six noble combinations with traditional components like caramel, nougat and coffee,” details the brand.

“The leaves of gently melting caramel chocolate with caramelized crunchy bits of coconut flower sugar are perfect for staging ice cream, muesli, porridge and snack products, whether as inclusion or garnish. The same goes for the creamy leaves of finely rolled milk chocolate with caramelized milk powder.”

For summer flavors, Herza offers “fruity accents” in the form of chopped pieces of yogurt chocolate with strawberry bits and a touch of vanilla. 

More intense flavors are conveyed by servings of mocha chocolate leaves with a high coffee content and crunchy roasted coffee pieces for adding a “strong cocoa note” to ice cream, muesli and snack products. They are accentuated by a pinch of sea salt.

For nut lovers, Herza offers chips of milk chocolate with nougat and an extra portion of hazelnut paste.

Clean label and caramel chocolate lines
Targeting clean label demands, Herza will also exhibit a PureChoc Perfection line featuring six different organic products free from refined sugar, milk products and grains. 

“They feature a natural flavor that makes them a perfect fit with what consumers want right now: pure, authentic indulgence, not too sweet and definitely vegan,” the brand details. “For example, the organic orange leaves have only two ingredients — cocoa mass and orange oil.”

Alongside protein powder from sunflower seeds, oat powder and tiger nut flour are used as milk replacements. 

The other chocolate pieces in the range are based on a preparation of cocoa mass and cocoa butter, which is then individually seasoned with spices like cinnamon or cardamom, vanilla and tonka bean or chili.

With caramel maintaining its craveability factor on the market, Herza has crafted three organic caramel leaf varieties. For a strong note, it offers caramel chocolate leaves sweetened with natural coconut flower sugar. 

For a mild caramel flavor, Herza crafts chocolate leaves sweetened with cane sugar. The third product type is designed for vegans. These leaves of caramel cocoa-butter glaze have a natural sweetness from date powder, while oat powder stands in for milk.

Food Ingredients First will report live from the Biofach 2024 show floor in Nuremberg, Germany, next week, sharing direct coverage of the show.

By Benjamin Ferrer