This edition of Europain, taking place March 8-12, has put forth some of the new directions for professionals, based on changes in consumer behavior. As the theme for this year’s Europain was innovation, the frozen food sector held its acknowledged place in the spotlight, with companies exhibiting their latest technological advances.
From 8 to 12 March 2014, the 804 exhibitors and brands represented at Europain & Intersuc and SuccessFood welcomed 76,950 professional visitors from 138 countries, among which 30 percent from outside France.
The Seven Trends
The Paris exhibition researched, identified and showcased seven major industry trends for attendees during the five days for the show, following the evolution in consumption habits and consumer priorities. Contemporary bakeries will be more and more suited for all-day consumption, as one of the market trends is the thinning of barriers between baking, pastry-making or fast-food, as consumers are progressively seeking more places where they can have available a varied choice of products, either sweet, sour or combined, at all times during the day. Consumer’s increasing focus on health and well-being shapes another trend Europain stapled: “I can get things that are good for me at the baker’s”, translating into fresh, nutritious, safe and simple foodstuff, either pastries or confectionery products. With a twist (and yet another trend to be considered): they have to come in designs and matching tastes to suit every season and preference. Furthermore, the innovation’s 2014 trend is to go „au naturel” in what bakery and confectionery are concerned, to respond to increasing consumer demands for healthier, free-from or gluten-free products. “«E-free» ranges and «Clean Label» ingredients have a bright future in store,” Europain anticipated.
Faster and Better
Timing is of the essence for modern-day consumer, and so it must be for bakery manufacturers, as the trend is for them to deliver faster, more practical products – that are easier to handle once purchased but also to allow professionals to adapt and improve their manufacturing timetables and process efficiency, without compromising quality. Pastries hold the spotlight as one category favored by consumers, as long as they keep getting lighter and increasingly more “user-friendly” while on the move: easy to carry, miniature servings and coming in creative concepts are favorites. Even more so, as “smart breaking” is a developed trend, with changing timeframes – lunch breaks have shrunk to a quarter of their classic 90 minute duration, according to Europain’s trend research.
News from France
The exhibition comprised the international frozen foodservice and refrigeration exhibitors, as well as local ones. French company OCF’s news during the exhibition included the innovation awarded Igloo, an islet-shaped display case featuring the first industrial-scale magnetic refrigeration system (MRS). Panem
International has also contributed with a spotlight on the frozen food sector at Europain, as the company’s deep-freezer/preserver range was nominated under the production equipment category. The group’s innovations are developed in two facilities dedicated to refrigeration and linear equipment.
Competitive Atmosphere
With 2,480 demonstrations and 5 contest categories over the five days of the show – besides the Innovation Trophy Awards, Europain hosted non-stop baking. The Cube, a competition space of 4,000 sqm, set the stage for 2014 Bakery Masters in 8 hour baking marathons. The International Confectionery Art Competition was held simultaneously, as well as the French Schools Cup, the prestigious gastronomic competition Bocuse d’Or France and the 7th edition of the French Championships of Coffee.
The biennial show has been one of the most anticipated events dedicated to the bakery, pastry and confectionery industries in 2014, having attracted 82,690 visitors at its previous edition in 2012.