GULFOOD
The Ingredients Middle East (IME)/Gulfood in Dubai is the largest food and beverage trade fair in the region. Symrise was at IME from February 27 to March 2 2011 and presented numerous new product concepts that are customized to the flavor preferences of the Middle East.
Products tailored to a dynamic market – and products that provide new inspiration to customers in the region. This was the idea behind Symrise Middle East's successful presentation at this year’s IME/Gulfood.
“The Middle East and North Africa is one of our key markets. Thanks to our strong local team, the trade fair was a major success for Symrise,” summarized Heinrich Schaper, President F&N, EAME. “With R&D teams and production facilities in the region – thanks to the 2009 acquisition of Futura Labs – we have a clear competitive advantage on the ground, signaling a bright future. The production facility that we opened one year ago in Dubai is also optimized to meet regional preferences.”
Symrise Middle East has been well acquainted with the markets, eating habits and taste preferences of consumers in the Middle East and North Africa for many years. This knowledge, combined with the know-how of an internationally positioned company, also formed the cornerstone of the new product concepts. This often involved taking the traditional ingredients and raw materials of the region and giving them a new, modern interpretation. The concepts Symrise presented included juices with a taste of orange-carrot or lemon-mint, milk flavored with pomegranate & blood orange, yogurt drinks with green tea & mint, fruit gums and candies, bouillons flavored with lamb and mutton, and blue energy drinks.
As in other regions, consumer preferences in the Middle East and North Africa are evolving. People want a healthy lifestyle that does not rule out enjoyment, and vice versa. Still, the flavor is what matters most. For this reason, the new taste for life® flavoring platform was another focus at IME/Gulfood. With this platform, Symrise supports its customers in tailoring brands and products to satisfy consumer preferences. As Heinrich Schaper said, “Creative, market-driven product concepts that offer functionality, health, naturalness and enjoyment – this is the variety that customers and consumers are looking for. At IME/Gulfood, we once again proved that we can master the entire spectrum on a global level.”
