The 2024 edition of Gulfood, billed as the “largest annual food and beverage sourcing event in the world,” kicked off for a five-day run at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the United Arab Emirates on February 19. Over 5,500 exhibitors from 127 countries are showcasing approximately 100,000 new offerings, ranging from ice cream and baked goods to value-added meat, chicken, fish, vegetables and ready meals, across more than 1,000,000,000 square meters of space.
Plant-based offerings are in high profile as winners in the Best Frozen/Chilled Product competition. Visitors are invited to check out Thryve Plant Based Meat produced by International Foodstuffs Co. (pictured above). Crafted with popular Middle East cuisine flavors including baharat and tumeric spices, the faux meat line has been well received by customers in Saudi Arabia and other GCC markets.
Also in the spotlight are plant-based chicken analogue fillets (pictured below) from Ville bon sur Yvette, France-based Umiami. The company’s proprietary “umization” technology is promoted as enhancing the value of plant-based fillets.
“Our process is the first in the world to create large-scale plant-based fillets that mimic the taste and texture of animal meat,” boasts the Umiami website. “Flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans will find these melt-in-the-mouth soft fillets as satisfying as real chicken. They can be prepared and eaten within minutes, offering a delicious and protein-rich food option.”
On the faux seafood front, frozen Katamura-Suki Uni from Uni Ranch in Hirono, Iwate prefecture, Japan, is making a splash at the Gulfood venue. Sea urchins are omnivorous, so the taste and quality of naturally grown sea urchins are inevitably consistent. On the other hand, ranch-raised sea urchins feed on natural kelp and wakame seaweed, which ensure high quality, uniformity, and stable supply.
Naturally sweet and free of artificial flavors, Kitamura-Saki Uni is processed in our an FSSC 22000-certified factory. It is typically served in dishes such as raw sea urchin bowls, sushi, and sashimi.
