Sustainability to take centre stage at IFE seminar

Taking place on 20-22 March at ExCeL London and supported by Official Show Sponsor MHP Food, IFE is a comprehensive showcase of food & drink suppliers, delivering high quality and effective business connections for the retail, wholesale and hospitality sectors.

In addition to thousands of innovative UK food & drink products, this year’s event will also feature suppliers representing over 90 countries from around the world, including the United States, Australia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Romania and Japan.

New for 2023 is the Sustainability Stage, sponsored by Elopak, which will see a wide range of speakers take a deep dive into a plethora of issues under the banner of ESG, reflecting the diverse range of talking points within this important topic.

A full day of content will be curated by key event partner the Food & Drink Federation, who have gathered together an unrivalled selection of speakers to delve into topics such as building resiliency into our food systems, achieving net zero, meeting evolving customer expectations, the transition to a circular economy for plastics and packaging and what ‘green skills’ are needed by the eco-conscious workforce of tomorrow.

Alongside curating a members’ pavilion within IFE’s Chilled & Frozen section, event partners the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) will be taking to the stage to discuss sustainability innovators within the frozen food sector, and how frozen food can pave the way to a more sustainable supply chain.

BFFF chief executive Rupert Ashby commented: “We are very much looking forward to discussing what sustainability means for the frozen food industry. Sustainability is at the top of the agenda for nearly all of our members at present with important target dates now appearing over the horizon.”

Another session will take a close look at how upskilling employees in sustainability best practices can lead to a lower carbon future for the industry.

Venture capital firm Mission Ventures is teaming up with Urban Health for an in-depth discussion around the role the food & drink industry is playing in improving the health of the nation, from ingredients and ethical supply chains to issues such as branding and advertising and legislation such as HFSS.

The Trends & Innovation Platform, sitting within IFE’s sister event IFE Manufacturing, is set to feature a wide array of presentation and discussions for anyone eager to further their food & drink industry knowledge and gain key insights to drive profits and business growth.

Across the three days of the event visitors will have the opportunity to see FMCG Gurus unveil the results of their Price Sensitivity Survey, examining the changing shopping habits of consumers, Kantar discuss the rise of discount retailers and what this means for the future of grocery, thefoodpeople’s Charles Banks talk through some of the most exciting food technologies in 2023, and much more.

A session on the Trends & Innovation Platform is an examination of how the food sector should be managing the question of allergens. Hosted by Bertrand Emond of Campden BRI and featuring Pret A Manger Senior Technical & Safety Manager Anita Kinsey, this session will be an insightful look at how foodservice, food brands and manufacturers can work to protect consumers and establish clear and consistent allergen messaging.

To view the full seminar programme for IFE 2023, and to register for a complimentary trade ticket, click here.