The   health food industry has received a major boost with an increased presence of organic, Kosher, Halal and gluten-free products at international food fairs. One of  the  10  halls under  the Anuga umbrella in Germany is  for  organic foods; more and more gourmet products at  the  Fancy Foods Shows in   the   US   include   seals of   sustainability,  and   at Expoalimentaria in Peru, the heart  of  the  exhibition  is Peru  Natura  with  exhibits presenting organic and  fair traded native super foods.

Ranking among the top 10 finalists for the upcoming 2013 SIAL Canada Innovation Grand Prize that shines a spotlight on the latest food and consumption trends are Kiwa, a mix of Andean potatoes from Ecuador, Gluten-Free Organic Italian Sausages by Les Viandes DuBreton, Gluten- Free Pastries by Dufflet; Mexico’s Switter organic agave powder enriched with inulin and South Korea’s SeaSnax Oodles (gluten-free seaweed noodles).

“The health food categories are definitely growing at Sial Canada;  this  year   at   least 20%  of  the  exhibitor will be  showing certified organic products,17%  gluten-free, 15% Kosher, 10% Halal and 9%   FairTrade”,  said  show manager Thierry  Quagliata. “We also notice increased presence from Latin America and the Middle East”, he said.

“We   are   marketing   our Peruvian   Harvest” line into retail and food service encouraging schools, restaurants and manufacturers to explore and create new fusions, dishes and products,” said Jorge Urena, ceo at UHTCO Corp. a Canadian firm of Peruvian origin that has established a good reputation over the past 10 years as reliable supplier of top quality natural supplements, raw ingredients and super foods. The company usually exhibits at the main international fairs for organic products in North America and Europe.  It is the first time it will show at a conventional food fair, as part of the Peruvian pavilion. Getting people cooking at home and bringing Peruvian products and cuisine to the catering market using its exclusive range of Peruvian Harvest® food   ingredients, snacks and beverages is UHTCO’s mission. Mr. Urena hopes to introduce people to cook dishes such as chicken with goldenberries sauce, yacon syrup and quinoa. The Peruvian Harvest line includes All Natural Yacon Root Nectar, Raw Organic Chocolate with Yacon Syrup and Raw Criollo Cacao Beans. Yacon , the ‘pear of the earth’ is proving to be a popular, natural, very low glycaemic index sweetener used by chefs in desserts, baking and salads. The Peruvian Harvest® natural   yacon root   nectar is designed as a revitalizing and prebiotic drink. This February at BioFach in Germany, Uhtco presented 25 high quality products in the Peruvian Harvest® range, and coming up are dried snacks such as natural and oven dried potato, trail mixes and snack bars. The company will also introduce dried onions and olives from Peru.  To create a major point of difference between Peruvian Harvest® and other brands, Uhtco has invested in R&D.  “For our cacao powder we developed a process to add to and improve the nutritional content,” Mr. Urena said. “Our Raw Criollo Cacao Powder (200g packs) is a source of phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. It can be used in food preparation, drinks, confectionery and desserts.”

SIAL Canada will be held in Toronto April 30 to May 2 at the Direct Energy Centre. Spanning a space of more than 175,000 square feet, over 730 exhibitors will meet 14,000 professional attendees from over 60 countries.