According to a statement issued by the organizers, once again Anuga Meat will bring together the international meat industry at Anuga in Cologne from October 7-11, 2023. With currently around 600 exhibitors, the Anuga meat, sausage and poultry trade fair has an excellent alignment. In total, more than 800 producers from the meat and sausage segment are expected at the start of the fair.

Romanian companies announced their presence

To meet consumer demands for a healthier diet, more regionality, sustainability and improved animal welfare, in addition to meat, sausages and poultry this year, Anuga Meat will once again focus on vegan and vegetarian meat alternatives, as well as vegetable substitutes containing protein. The latter will be particularly the focus of the "Meet more meatless" special event.

This year's top exhibitors include, among others, Bell, Beyond Meat, Bigard, BRF, Campofrio, Cris-Tim, CPF, ElPozo, Grupo Vall Companys, Inalca, JBS, Lamex, LDC, Noel, Tönnies, Tyson , VanDrie, Vion, Westfleisch and Wiesenhof. Important European groups from Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain will also take part.

In addition, the South American continent will also be represented by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Important group stands include: Associação Brasileira das Indústrias Exportadoras de Carnes (Abiec), Associação Brasileira de Proteína Animal (ABPA), German Meat, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Instituto Nacional de Carnes (INAC) and Instituto de la Promoción de at Carne Vacuna Argentina (IPCVA).

They represent the entire spectrum of meat production in its various processing stages: from unprocessed meat products, to meat preparations and convenience products, to fine sausage and ham products and regional specialities.

The Carne Anuga sub-segments are divided by halls as follows, to provide a better orientation for commercial buyers: Hall 5.2 sausage products, Hall 6 red meat, Hall 9 poultry and red meat. The high supplier participation at Anuga Meat shows that export activity continues to be of central importance to the international meat industry. Exploiting new market potential is particularly important here.

Trends and themes

According to statistics from knowledge partner, Innova Market Insights, (data from July 2017 to June 2022), the meat industry is experiencing an average annual growth rate of 5.4% worldwide for new product introductions. This indicates a dynamic and changing market characterized by changing consumer preferences.

More applications were registered, with a strong increase in the "Meat" category. Consumers place great value on the regionality and traceability of products and still address the themes of animal welfare and protection. Ethical and ecological requirements achieved a growth rate of 17%, followed by Halal products with 14%. The high protein content and corresponding origin requirements also saw a growth rate of 14%.

In terms of market development, Vietnam proved to be the fastest growing market with a 51% growth rate for new product introductions. Closely followed by South Korea with a growth rate of 38% over the same time period.

While Vietnam and South Korea are experiencing rapid growth, the United Kingdom, China and Germany saw the highest activity for new product introductions between July 2021 and June 2022. These three countries have a market penetration of 19% , 14% and 13%, respectively, indicating a strong presence and high consumer interest in meat products.

The future of meat substitutes

An ongoing trend is increasing demand for plant-based alternatives or meat substitutes, also to address the burgeoning flexitarian market. According to a consumer survey (2021), consumers are more open to new technologies after seeing the evolution of plant-based innovations (41%).

The reasons for adopting a low-meat diet are generally similar to vegetarians' reasons for not eating meat – that is, a mix of health and environmental reasons such as reducing resource consumption.

This trend is leading to the development of the meat aisle into a protein aisle, offering options made from alternative proteins, including soy, wheat, pea and more.