There were many other extraordinarily innovative frozen products seen and sampled during the October 5-9 Anuga extravaganza which did not receive Taste 13 recognition. Still, they were winners just the same.
FrozenFoodsBiz.com reporters and editors did their best to check out what was offered at as many booths as possible. This was a daunting task, since on the two floors of Hall 4 alone there were 502 exhibitors showing their stuff within 27,500 square meters of space. Furthermore, elsewhere on the sprawling grounds, which encompassed 10 specialized trade fairs under one roof, there were frozens to be found from the Meat and Bakery Halls to the Fine Food and Foodservice sectors. What follows in this report and others in this section are snapshots from some of the many booths visited, starting with the vibrant “green scene” of vegetable, fruit and herb suppliers.
Westrozebeke, Belgium-based Pinguin debuted a number of new products at Anuga, including bouquet vegetables, fruits, ready-to-serve soups and creamy vegetable puree.
Pinguin’s colorful, all-encompassing cornucopia of frozen vegetables and fruits was an appetizing site to behold at Anuga.Bouquet vegetables, pointed out Lies Jacxsens, marketing assistant, are a colorful mixture of crispy cauliflower, broccoli and baby carrots that may be quickly prepared by stir-frying, microwaving or heating in a standard convection oven.
Pinguin’s portion-control soups, which require no added water, are available in six flavors: pumpkin, tomato and basil, potato and leek, asparagus, broccoli and vegetable mix.
“Visitors to our stand were very enthusiastic when sampling the pumpkin soup. We are confident that this recipe will be especially popular during the cold weather months,” said Ms. Jacxens. “Kitchen convenience is a big plus for foodservice operators and home meal makers, as all of our soups are easily and quickly prepared from five-gram pellets.”
The company’s nutritious, all-natural purees, meanwhile, are offered as ideal for side dishes, ingredients for sauces or soups, and as flavor enhancers for mashed potatoes. They come in seven varieties: courgette, carrot, broccoli, celeriac, pea, pumpkin and cauliflower.
In the fruit department, a new assortment of sour cherries, raspberries, red currants and a forest fruits mix was unveiled.
Pinguin, along with sister company Noliko, are independent divisions of Greenyard Foods. Steven Vanhaverbeke, sales director of Pinguin, told FrozenFoodsBiz.com that the company will “continue to contribute to the group’s growth strategy by focusing on the manufacturing and marketing of frozen vegetables, fruits and ready meals.”
Ardo offered buyers visiting Anuga solutions for their foodservice and retail requirements, as well as a hundreds of blends, mixes and mono vegetable and fruit products for industrial further processors.The stand of another Belgian firm, Ardooie-headquartered Ardo NV – which just happens to be the largest producer and marketer of frozen vegetables in Europe – was busy from the show’s beginning to end. Part of the reason, no doubt, was due to the presentation of tasty menu delights based on inputs from its extensive catalog of vegetables, fruits, rice and pasta.
Here are just a few examples of the kind of healthy eating fare that Ardo’s culinary advisory team in Germany introduced to showcase what is available to foodservice, retail and industrial customers.
- Spring Rolls a la Meyer, featuring bean sprouts, julienne mix, mango fruit puree and avocado halves.
- Boeuf Homer-style, brimming with grilled peppers and courgettes, spinach ‘Foglia’ and vegetable fries.
- Tagliatelle d’Agostino, boasting sliced black and green olives, cherry tomatoes, tagliatelle and an Italian herb mix.
