Food Matters Live (London Excel 22-24 November) was intriguing as usual. TradeScope went to a sugar reduction seminar which featured an impressive group of speakers, including Rend Platings from SugarWise, the international certification authority for sugar claims (of which, incidentally, TradeScope client SweetLeaf® is a founding member).
The nutrition and sustainability seminars are the real draw for Food Matters Live. Many people in the UK food industry (e.g. manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers) come to the show to immerse themselves in the generous selection of seminars and presentations. The organisers focus particularly on getting influential speakers and panel members and are, by and large, very successful at it.
The exhibition is getting better but it lacks focus. This year, we had one side of the show with larger ingredient and food solutions company stands. The other side was mainly smaller niche food manufacturers. Among these stands were a smattering of university programmes, food wholesalers, trade associations, food research organisations and certification companies.