Gulfood 2024: The future of food is reduce, reuse, recycle and regenerate

05 Mar 2024 --- Being less reliant on imports of packaged food and more focused on using modern technology and sustainable practices to manufacture products at the local level was the overarching theme of Gulfood, which was held recently in Dubai.

Global food futurologist Morgaine Gaye spoke at the co-located Inspire Conference and told attendees, “food doesn’t exist in a vacuum.”

Speaking with Food Ingredients First, Gaye said that as a food futurologist, she is in tune with general pop culture, everything from fashion to geopolitics. “This is how consumers form aspirations.”

It is these aspirations that enable Gaye and the other futurologists who spoke at the conference, to forecast long-term trends in F&B. These predictions provide direction to product developers and marketers so they may focus on purposeful innovation. 

“Consumer anxiety, post-COVID chaos and global conflict are reshaping food product innovation,” she said.

It’s all about the rebirth of food based on authenticity and tradition. For the Middle East, in particular the United Arab Emirates, this will include the incorporation of Western foods with an Arabian twist.

Bringing production closer to home
Food Ingredients First spoke with packaged product and raw material suppliers on the show floor and the consensus was that the Middle East presents the biggest growth opportunity for exports. Those exports are increasingly more in the form of raw materials as Gulf countries invest in local manufacturing facilities. 

The high-protein trend taking place in the US and Europe is expected to enter the Middle East.Prolife Snacks, for example, is a start-up business based in Kuwait. The company exports its diverse range of protein-infused snacks to all the Gulf countries, reducing reliance on such value-added snacks traveling long distances. These are not your ordinary chips or cheese puffs. These are savory snacks designed to cater to a variety of dietary preferences. 

It’s all about personalization, which is going to fuel innovation, according to Gaye. She predicts that we will be “chipped” by choice and be able to get notifications of what nutrients the body requires at a specific point in time. 

“People are going to be wanting something more personal,” Gaye continued. 

That’s what Prolife Snacks is all about. The protein-infused Pro Puffs are made with imported corn grits, milk protein and milk solids, while the vegan Pro Chips are made with pea protein. 

Children get their own snacks as well. Pro Heroes are infused with vitamins and minerals. And for those looking to defy the aging process, there are Pro Collagen Puffs, which come in sophisticated flavors such as black truffle, coconut and olive oregano.  

Plant-based meat
Dubai-based IFFCO Group is a new plant-based meat company that opened its first production facility in early 2023. It is the region’s first plant-based venture, with products sold under the Thryve brand.

The brand’s hero ingredient is locally grown fava beans, which are packed with high-quality protein, heart-healthy fats and dietary fiber, according to the company. 

“Our plant-based venture launch is guided by IFFCO Group’s Vision of ‘investing in the future,’ where building a resilient and sustainable food chain is fundamental,” said Andrey Dribny, chief executive officer-culinary at IFFCO Group. “We have embarked on our journey by investing in cutting-edge food technology and are committed to catalyzing a sustainable shift in the food system in the Middle East.” 

IFFCO Group recently opened its first plant-based meat production facility in the Middle East.“Thryve is an innovative plant-based food, where rediscovered ancient agricultural wisdom meets new food research and technology while preserving the goodness of the plants’ macro and micronutrients and celebrating the flavors of local cuisine.”

Valeria Krynetskaya, head of plant based venture by IFFCO Group, said, “Our actions today impact how we can “Thryve” tomorrow. IFFCO’s action today is to seed a movement of change towards healthier, more sustainable eating in the Middle East and spark a local, regenerative, greener food value chain.”  

Food strategy
IFFCO’s investment is what Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak Al Shamsi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, was referring to in her opening remarks at the Inspire Conference. 

“Our national food strategy aims to enhance local production sustainability through the use of modern technology. This year, on our national environment day, we focused on collaboration and started working together for sustainable local products. We invite all our relevant stakeholders to join efforts in empowering local products.”

This is paramount for the Gulf countries to grow and be prosperous. The current marketplace is simply not sustainable. The UAE, for example, imports about 80% of the food and beverages required to feed its growing population and the millions of tourists who visit every year. Less than ten years ago, it was almost 99%. 

The country is investing heavily in agriculture technology to grow local food production, but it is not even close to making a dent in what’s required.

Protein enrichment
Bahrain-based Amalfi Foods, producers of baked goods and confectionery, used Gulfood to debut its new line of PlusPro protein-enhanced pancakes and waffles. 

“They’re not just treats. They’re a lifestyle,” according to the company, which believes that the high-protein trend taking place in the US and Europe will start making its way to the Middle East. 

Amalfi Foods unveiled its protein-enhanced pancakes and waffles at Gulfood 2024 (Image credit: Amalfi Foods).While Gaye agreed that the protein trend is a “now thing,” she said what food companies need to be focusing on is immunity and the gut microbiome. That’s why companies such as Yakult 

Middle East developed a probiotic shot just for Gulf countries. Called Yakult Gold, each bottle of this premium fermented milk drink contains 30 billion Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota. This is about four times the number of probiotic bacteria found in Yakult Original. The shots also contain added nutrients, including vitamins B 3, 6 and 12 and calcium.

Future insights
Australia-based food futurist Tony Hunter also spoke at the Inspire Conference. He stressed the necessity of leveraging technology to bridge the gap between current agricultural practices and the food requirements of a projected 10 billion people by 2050. 

“Innovation must not only aim to meet current needs but also leapfrog to future solutions,” he said. “This necessitates food product developers to adopt generative AI, or they risk falling irreversibly behind.”

Gaye concluded her presentation by encouraging food companies to use 2024 as a year to “rechart.” “For those that do, they will find 2026 to be the big payoff year,” she said. “There’s no data on the future, but we can look at the changes consumers have made since the pandemic and make projections.” 

“The way of the future is to focus on “reduce, reuse, recycle and regenerate.” 

By Donna Berry