Gulfood 2023: Dubai plays host to F&B industry’s latest advancements on sustainability, innovation and Web 3.0

13 Feb 2023 --- Key suppliers and brands from across the F&B space will convene in Dubai, UAE, next week for the 28th edition of the Gulfood food exhibition, with FoodIngredientsFirst in attendance (February 20 to 24). The event is a crossroad for flavors and trends, spotlighting new recipes by Singaporean chefs as well as in-depth presentations on the future of food sustainability and the F&B metaverse.

Key global brands exhibiting at the event include: Unilever, GMG, Americana, Agthia, Fonterra, McCain, Monin, USAPEEC, Hunter Foods, ASMAK, Minerva Foods, US Dairy Export Council, Frinsa Group, Emirates Snacks Foods and Al Rabie.

The show will also play host to newcomers including Brazilian food processing giant BRF Global and Agricultural and India’s Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.

Gulfood will host a  “Food Metaverse” seminar on the blockchain, which will give attendees the chance to discover the opportunities that the food ecosystem is presented with through Web 3.0.

“With the ongoing food crisis, combined with climate shocks, and rising costs of food, 2023 will be an important year for turning the corner and getting back on track while elevating healthy and diversified diets that are sustainable for people and the planet,” comments Trixie LohMirmand, executive vice president, Dubai World Trade Centre.

In the first half of 2022, the UAE recorded an import rate of over 41,000 metric tons of food per day. The figure is forecasted to grow due to a number of factors, including the growth of the population, the strong demand for imported products by foreigners living in the country and the significant expansion of the tourism sector with a high number of new hotels and resorts opened in recent years.

The multiculturalism of the country – about 88% of the total population is a foreigner – results in different food habits which translate into a variety of cuisines and a diversified demand for fresh products.

Dubai on the world’s culinary map 
Gulfood 2023 will launch the “Dubai World Cuisine’ Movement,” which aims to provide a platform for homegrown chefs to collaboratively shape the cultural identity of Dubai and establish it on the world’s culinary map.

At an event called “Top Table” the world’s top curators of dining experiences will showcase their signature dishes.

Six Singapore chefs have been selected, representing the nation’s vibrant and diverse culinary scene from Michelin-starred restaurants to UNESCO-recognized street food. The chefs will present their recipes at six restaurants in Dubai, with masterclasses and fringe dinners outside of the event, across the city. 

The lineup of Michelin star chefs participating in the program include: Melbourne-born Michael Wilson of Marguerite in Singapore; winner of the Michelin Guide Young Chef of the Year, Louis Han of Nae:um; and Daniele Sperindio of Art in Singapore, hailing from Liguria, Italy. 

At an event called “Top Table” the world’s top curators of dining experiences will showcase their signature dishes.Enter the foodverse
Gulfood will host a “Food Metaverse” seminar on the blockchain, which will give attendees the chance to discover the opportunities that the food ecosystem is presented with through Web 3.0.

Also shining light on the latest industry tech advancements, Gulfood Innovation Awards will be bestowed to “revolutionary pioneers,” honoring excellence in new product development and championing ground-breaking new products, launched within the past calendar year. Thousands of entries have already been submitted in ten categories including: best beverage product, best organic product, best frozen product, best packaging design and best plant-based product.

Another event, Gulfood YouthX Challenge, will announce young talent as its grand finale winners, rewarded for their contribution to the region’s influence on the global gastronomic scene with a “career changing” internship at an international 3-starred Michelin star restaurant.

Meanwhile, a program called “YouthX Academy Acceleration” has been created to provide a pathway for culinary students to fast-track their career in the world of professional gastronomy. Alongside this, the YouthX Academy Challenge will see teams of talented young chefs from top international culinary schools compete with each other for the chance to secure a full-time position at one of the most coveted restaurants in the region.

Feeding a greener gulf
Gulfood Green is a new global sustainability initiative being introduced at the show this year, which aims to boost more resilient and sustainable food production and consumption. As part of the initiative, Gulfood is also launching its own Gulfood Global Forest, an international tree-planting campaign.

The Gulfood Green Awards will also take place this year, with submissions open to the industry, in five categories.The F&B industry is known to be a major carbon emitter and the Gulfood Forest will enable stakeholders of the event from exhibitors and visitors, to speakers, chefs and the wider public to get involved and plant trees to help restore global forests.

Gulfood Green has already started planting in four countries: UAE, Uganda, Ecuador and Indonesia, with fruit bearing trees planted in a number of the locations to enable families and local communities to become self-sufficient.

The theme of sustainability will be carried through multiple verticals of the event, with topics being discussed at the conference including “Working toward zero food waste” and “Making the dairy industry less carbon intensive,” as well as “Building and securing viable, sustainable food business.”

Speakers include Kylie Woodham, general manager of Magners Farm, and Kamesh Ellajosyula, president and chief innovation and quality officer of olam food ingredients.

Gulfood will also spotlight global chefs spearheading biodiversity in the restaurant industry, with masterclasses and workshops by top chefs creating change through sustainability and zero waste initiatives. They include Rasmus Munk of Alchemist in Copenhagen and Peeter Pihel, sustainable restaurant advocate and head chef of Fotografiska.

The Gulfood Green Awards will also take place this year, with submissions open to the industry, in five categories: Green Foodservice Industry Award, Waste Management Award; Green Food Innovation Award; Sustainability Professional of the Year and Sustainability Company of the Year. The Gulfood Green Awards Celebrate excellence in sustainability and encourage green best practice across the F&B industry.

By Benjamin Ferrer