The first 2018 stop for the celebration of flavorings tour #FlavourDays took place in Istanbul on the 21st of February 2018, together with the 31th anniversary celebration of AREP, the Turkish Flavor Association.
“The FlavourDay brand is making its way through Europe, and this time has stopped in Istanbul to highlight and celebrate the long standing Turkish tradition on flavorings. With more than 100 attendees, the event was a success. It combined scientific and regulatory presentations with a classic on #FlavourDays: tasting stands where attendees could experience themselves the passion for flavorings,” said a representative of the European Flavor Association.
The #Istanbul_FlavourDay was organized by AREP, the Turkish Flavor Association. AREP was founded in 1987 by three entrepreneurs and has grown to 24 members from 15 companies since then. Murat Yasa, AREP President, was very satisfied with the outcome of the event: “This FlavourDay was very fruitful for the AREP membership. To have the opportunity to be informed and to exchange with the authorities and other partners is key to the good functioning of the industry”.
Antoine Kastler, EFFA President, highlighted also the long history of AREP: “More than 30 years of tradition have to be celebrated, this is the spirit of the FlavourDays, sharing with our members and main stakeholders the beauty of our profession”.
The program of the event included two speakers from the Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock who explained the details of the flavoring legislation in Turkey, which follows closely the EU Flavorings Regulation.
EFFA contributed with two presentations: Jan Demyttenaere, EFFA Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Director, gave an update on the European Union regulatory issues and EFFA Communications Director, Jimena Gomez de la Flor, discussed the importance of speaking up for flavorings.
One of the main outcomes of the day, similarly to other #FlavourDays around Europe, was the discussion on food trends, and what drives consumer’s choice. Emma Schofield, Global Food Science Analyst for Mintel, highlighted the crucial role of flavorings: “Where food and drink are concerned, taste is king. Taste and flavor are consistently ranked as one of the most important, if not the single most important attribute to consumers, when buying food and drink”. This was followed by an interactive panel, which dived deep on the role of flavorings in consumer’s choice, with professionals from the industry and the academia providing their insights on the topic.
