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Rice & GrainTech, participation by MNCs - highlights at FoodTech Kerala
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Libin Chacko Kurian, Mumbai
April 29 , 2015
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Organisation of first-ever edition of Rice & GrainTech exposition as
a co-located event, participation by major multinational companies for
the first time, and estimation of a footfall of 5,500, are going to be
the highlights at this year’s FoodTech Kerala, the state’s leading food
processing & packaging exposition, which will be held from May
14-16, 2015, at CIAL Exhibition Centre, Nedumbassery, Kochi.
The
three-day exposition, this year being the fifth edition, will provide a
platform for suppliers of processing, packaging & rice milling
equipments as well as food and beverages. The event has major
multinational companies taking part for the first time in Kerala. These
include Custom Culinary, Buhler India and VSM, Russia.
The event
is being endorsed & supported by various trade associations as well
as department of industries, Government of Kerala. It is being
organised by Kochi-based India Exhibition & Conference Services Pvt.
Ltd (IECS), a multinational organisation that focusses on upgrading
trade fair business in south Asia. IECS has been promoting Indian
pavilions at international trade shows including those that are held at
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Africa, and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent
States).
Joseph Kuriacose, director, Cruz Expos (a part of IECS,
organiser of the event), shares details, “The main difference in this
year's edition is that we have a very strong participation by ‘outside
Kerala’ participants. Also we have major multinational companies taking
part for the first time in Kerala including Custom Culinary, Buhler
India and VSM, Russia. This year we are expecting around 5,500 trade
visitors compared to 4,500 visitors registered for our 2013 edition.
FoodTech Kerala is the platform for food processors from Kerala to
source food processing equipments as well as packaging machineries. It
will also help buyers to evaluate the latest technologies in their
sector. We have around 90 exhibitors who have confirmed their
participation till date and expect to reach 100 exhibitors. FoodTech
Kerala opens the doors for a food processing company to address key food
processors from the spices sector, cashew, coconut & rice and grain
sector of Kerala.”
He adds, “Kerala being an agro-commodity
supplier, we have India’s four major commodity boards located in Kerala
including Spices Board, MPEDA, Cashew Board, and Coconut Development.
The different segments of food industry taking part include food
processing equipments, packaging machinery, metal detectors,
dehumidifiers, food ingredients. FoodTech Kerala is supported and
endorsed by department of industries, Government of Kerala; KINFRA
(Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation); and CDB
(Coconut Development Board). Both KINFRA and department of industries
are also conducting technical sessions along with the show.”
Kuriacose
states, “MoFPI, Government of India, has already sanctioned a Mega Food
Park that will come up near Kanjikode, Palakkad. This will benefit
farmers, food processors, retailers and exporters in north and central
Kerala regions. The ministry has already sanctioned around Rs 50 crore
and balance amount from the projected cost of Rs 120 crore will be
invested by KINFRA. The Mega Food Park would cater to food processing
units dealing with coconut products, fruit products, spice products,
value-added products from rice and so on. HotelTech 2015 will have the
Kerala Culinary Challenge concurrent with it. Also we are arranging the
first ever edition of Rice & GrainTech exposition as a co-located
event.”
Rice & GrainTech 2015
It will showcase the
technology developments in these sectors and bring together suppliers,
entrepreneurs and support services on a single platform. The latest
technology and equipment for processing of wide range of rice products
will also be on display.
The exhibition is being supported b
Kerala Agricultural University, KINFRA and Kalady Rice Millers
Consortium. Rice & GrainTech 2015 will be a great help for healthy
and sustainable development of whole chains of rice industry, promoting
rice brands, improving mechanisation level, expanding sales channels and
exchanging technology. During the exhibition, companies will showcase
the new technology and products of rice cultivation, harvesting,
processing and selling. Rice mill owners, distributors, research
scientists, technologists, consultants and equipments developers will be
attending the event.
HotelTech Kerala 2015
For
the show, the 4th Edition of HotelTech Kerala 2015 will be a concurrent
event, along with the competition event Kerala Culinary Challenge (KCC).
Kerala Culinary Challenge is being organised for the fourth time in
Kerala and chefs from hotels/resorts across Kerala are being invited to
take part in the event and vie for top honours. HotelTech 2015 will be
presenting the processing technology and developments in hotel industry
and put a stage for hotel industry to meet suppliers and distributors of
food and beverage.
Competitions at KCC 2015 will be broadly in
Display and Live Cooking. Individual artistic display will be held in
Dress-the-Cake, Wedding Cake, Bread & Pastry Showpiece, Fruit &
Vegetable Carving and so on. There will be competitions in three-course
set dinner menu, desserts, authentic Kerala cuisine and so on. Besides
these display competitions, there will be live cooking competitions
during the 3-day event.
Seminar and sessions
The event
will have a one-day Seminar on Food Safety & HACCP Certification,
along with Technical Sessions from Bry-Air Asia and Product Launch by
VSM, Russia. Processing & Packaging Technology providers will have a
direct face to face interaction with their actual customers and can
fine their technologies to assist the customers’ needs. Currently the
exports of processed food products from Kerala have decreased to Europe
and the US, but to the Middle-East there has been an increase. Local
managers are likely to benefit from this event, as key decision-makers
from major sourcing buyers are being invited to this event.
Jiji
Manikkath, managing director, Zeba Labs, stated, “We are exhibiting in
FoodTech Kerala for the first time. We consider it as a crucial event
for us, because food processing industries not only from the south, but
also also from various parts of the country will be exhibiting. We
provide a crucial need and solutions to food processing i.e., food
safety. Zeba Labs provides solutions to building laboratory and provides
all kinds of solutions to this industry. Food processing industries
find difficulties in setting up a lab with the processing unit, we can
provide solutions to such challenges. FoodTech Kerala 2015 could change
the food processing scenario of Kerala for a better future.”
The food market of Kerala
Kerala
is also witnessing a new trend in mall shopping that is changing
consumer preferences. Today, Kochi hosts south India’s largest mall -
Lulu Mall and currently the city has about seven malls. According to
estimates, the total mall based shopping area in Kochi city alone is
expected to be 1.5 million sq feet.
Kerala is a big consumer
spender state, an average Keralite is a high spender on food and
processed food products, 90% of the 33.5 million population. The state
is home to five of India’s export promotion/commodity boards - Spices
Board; Coconut Development Board; Cashew Export Promotion Council;
Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA); and Coir Board.
Kerala
produces the lion's share of various food products like coconut,
cashew, seafood, and tea. It is home to 75% of EU-certified seafood
exporters. The state is producing more than 80% of the spices in the
country. India’s first food park was established at Kozhikode district
and new food parks were launched at Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta
districts. National Centre for HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control
Point) Certification has been established in Kerala for audit and
certification of HACCP. With the launch of many IT parks in Kochi,
including Smart City, and Info Park, food retailing has also grown
proportionately.
A K Vijaykumar, assistant director, Federation
of Indian Export Associations (FIEO), Kerala Chapter, states, “We will
be exhibiting in FoodTech Kerala 2015 to promote export of processed
food for global markets. The stall of FIEO will conduct discussions and
consultation for companies in the food processing sector. FIEO will
provide information and share new developments in global market and
potential in foreign counties. FIEO is also providing knowledge on
various incentives and help provided by government to exporters. Special
dialogue on spices export and possibilities in the international arena
will be discussed in the stall of FIEO. FoodTech Kerala 2015 will be a
meeting point for food processing industries and market experts to share
and disseminate knowledge to help each other.”
Technology developments
The
event will showcase the technology developments in these sectors and
will bring together technology and suppliers, entrepreneurs and support
services on a single platform. The latest technology and equipment for
the processing of a wide range of food products will be on display.
The
presence of food processors & suppliers, retailers, wholesalers and
agents, supermarkets & retail chain stores, export houses,
international buyers and importers, and plantation owners will give a
new dimension to the entire sector bringing the global spice chest and
national food factory on a single platform.
The exposition will
open up a two way channel for the exhibitors and trade buyers and the
organisers aims to establish FoodTech Kerala as the leading platform for
trade in the related sectors and to be an annual event for food
processing and packaging sectors in the state.
Exhibitors and
visitors from various segments will be present at the event. Sectors
such as processed food products; food processing equipment; logistics
of fresh produce; perishable cargo handling; cold storage & cold
room equipments; sorting & grading products/technology; ripening
technique & preservation; quality control & certifications;
packaging & labelling; research institutes & financial
institutions; government agencies / food parks.
Kerala Culinary Challenge 2015
The
prime objective of Culinary Challenge is to establish a professional
platform where culinary professionals across Kerala can display their
individual and combined skills, creative talent, learn, share
experiences, partner and network in a purely businesslike and
competitive environment.
The KCC competition will be for the
following categories: Dress The Cake, Wedding Cake, Fruit &
Vegetable Carving, Hot Cooking–Fish, Hot Cooking–Chicken, Hot
Cooking–Chicken (Students), Rice Dish (Vegetarian), Kerala Cuisine-Red
Meat, Mocktail Competition, Bread & Pastry Display, Dessert, Street
Food Dish, Seafood Dish, and Three Course Menu.
It is aimed to
give youngsters an opportunity to come up with new and innovative ideas.
This platform is to create awareness about the profession of chefs and
felicitate the achievers in this profession. Well known chefs from the
hospitality fraternity will showcase their flair at the competition,
while catering students/apprentices will brainstorm for their eclectic
passion for food along with the competing chefs. The general public will
witness live demonstrations by culinary enthusiasts and renowned chefs.
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