The first Ingredients Middle East exhibition, a specialist trade event dedicated to ingredients used in the food, Halal food, beverage and health food industry, kicked off in Dubai on Sunday.

Hussain Nasser Lootah, acting director general for Dubai Municipality, inaugurated the event in the presence of several top officials of the food industry.

The expo, which runs upto June 17, comes at a time when numerous recent reports have been debating the issue of increasing food prises and their effect on the UAE.

Emirates Consumer Protection Society (ECPS) stated that food prices in the UAE rose between 27 and 30 per cent in 2007 and could rise to 40 per cent in 2008.

The Abu Dhabi Council of Economic Development has also released a study to assess the country’s food status in view of the current global food crisis. One solution currently under review is that of realisation of self-sufficiency through local food production.

Exhibitions like Ingredients Middle East are set to play a vital role in addressing these issues by bringing together raw material and ingredients providers with local and international food manufacturers.

“The Middle East’s food manufacturing and processing industry is experiencing consistent growth. At a time when cost-efficient ingredients sourcing is at an all time high, Ingredients Middle East is an essential event for food manufacturers and processors to meet with leading suppliers. We are confident that this show will be a great success,” said Helal Almarri, DWTC director general.

Companies from the UAE as well as China, Germany, India, Lebanon and Malaysia are among the 18 countries represented at the event.
 
The show is providing an important platform for manufacturers planning to expand in the region, such as leading global dairy ingredients supplier, Agus. The company develops, produces and sells innovative dairy-based raw materials for all sectors within the food industry including confectionery, ice cream, bakery and dairy.

Grzegorz Maczynski, director of expansion, Agus, said: “We see this as an excellent opportunity to meet Middle East-based food manufacturers and food processing companies and we look forward to extending our reach into key vertical markets.”

Indian-based Aarkay Foods is a leading producer and developer of natural food ingredient and supplements. This year the company is preparing to successfully launch vacuum-dried fruit and vegetable products in the Middle East region.

“We look forward to building a strong presence at this year’s show by offering ingredients such as fruits and vegetables in the form of pieces, flakes and powders,' said Abishek Kapoor, corporate relations director, Aarkay Food Products.

'Our products are completely natural, which is seen as a growing trend around the world. Ingredients Middle East gives us the perfect opportunity to reach a wide range of potential customers,' he added.
 
Supported by Gulfood and Dubai Municipality, the event will also be co-located with the Arab Beverages Forum, which comprises a strong ingredients component and focuses on discussions on added values and updates from local players about developing and positioning their products.-TradeArabia News Service