A 2024 global consumer study showed 68 percent of people worldwide want to eat more plant-based foods, while a 2026 report said 55 percent of the global population think plant-based products should stand on their own, rather than imitate meat or dairy.
These data are among the insights that helped guide organizers of Thaifex-Anuga Asia 2026, one of the region’s biggest annual food and beverage trade show that runs on May 26-30, 2026 at Impact Muang Thong Thani in Thailand.
Thaifex originally stands for Thai Food Exhibition, while Anuga is a portmanteau of Allgemeine Nahrungs- und Genussmittel-Ausstellung (General Food and Beverage Exhibition), reportedly the world’s largest and most prominent F&B trade fair held biennially in Cologne, Germany.
Thaifex-Anuga Asia 2026 gathers international buyers, manufacturers, and industry experts for business networking and product sourcing in an expanded 12-hall, 140,000-square meter platform at the Impact complex, featuring 3,590 exhibitors from 56 countries, with nine trade shows, 11 trend topics, and special programs spanning the entire food and beverage (F&B) industry value chain.
Last year’s edition had Filipino food exporters earning $46.52 million from products including processed fruits, sauces, condiments, ready-to-heat meals, noodles, snacks, beverages, dairy, pastries, and cacao-based items.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) led the 22-member Philippine delegation, including representatives of food brands Mama Sita’s, Mega Prime Foods, Fly Ace Corp., and Xiangtai Fruits and Vegetable Corp., with assistance from the Department of Agriculture, Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Bangkok, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport), and Philfoodex Inc.
Thaifex-Anuga Asia 2026 is presented by Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion, the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and Koelnmesse Pte Ltd.
To get more details on the event, The Manila Times engaged Thaifex co-organizer, Koelnmesse Asia Pacific Managing Director and Regional President Mathias Kuepper, in an email interview.
How big is the global market for plant-based food brands?
Plant-based food continues to be one of the strongest areas of innovation across the food and beverage industry, but the category is evolving beyond imitation products.
According to Thaifex-Anuga Asia’s knowledge partner, Innova Market Insights’ 2026 trends research, 55 percent of consumers globally say plant-based products should stand on their own rather than imitate meat or dairy. A 2025 report from EAT-Lancet also supports the growing interest in this category – over 70 percent of global consumers are interested in adopting a planetary health diet, which means moving toward more plant-based food consumption.
This has opened up opportunities to showcase emerging brands and innovations in this category at our show.
Some plant-based products are said to have high sodium content, highly processed, and low in fiber compared to whole plant foods. Does the industry offer better choices to consumers at this time?
In Asia, nutrition is the key priority for consumers when making diet-related decisions, regardless of the diet. For the plant-based category in particular, it is increasingly moving toward products designed around nutrition, satiety, and everyday practicality rather than novelty alone.
We see this reflected in products built around more recognizable ingredients and everyday consumption that champion nutrition. Examples include Moringa Noodles Salad, which incorporates moringa directly into the noodle formulation.
One of the participants at our Taste Innovation awards has developed a plant-based soy milk product that uses technology to create a smooth, full-bodied plant-based soy milk that retains the rich flavor of the beans and their natural nutrients, as well as konjac noodle snacks containing only 35 kcal per serving and positioned around low-fat consumption.
They can also be more expensive. How can more people afford them?
The 2024 EAT-GlobeScan Grains of Truth report (a global consumer study) showed 68 percent of people worldwide are interested in eating more plant-based foods. However, only 20 percent regularly do so. As accurately identified, price was the top obstacle in transitioning toward plant-based foods. But what we have also noted is that, aside from price, consumers are valuing flavor and nutrition.
The EAT report similarly reflected that flavor and health were other leading factors influencing food choices next to price.
Thaifex-Anuga Asia 2026 has been designed around these evolving consumer expectations. Across the exhibition, buyers will see a broad range of plant-forward and alternative protein products focused on taste, nutrition, convenience, and everyday consumption.
This also extends to the Alternative Protein Taste & Flavor Challenge on May 27, where visitors become judges in a live tasting session, evaluating exhibiting products based on flavor and consumer appeal. The challenge reflects how the category is increasingly being shaped not only by innovation, but by whether products can genuinely satisfy mainstream eating habits and expectations.
At the Future Food Experience+ stage, there will also be expert panel sessions and talks touching on the latest trends around the future of food including next-gen proteins and plant-based diets.
“Clean label” simplifies the list of ingredients found in food products, but does not necessarily mean the products are nutritious. Does its purpose mean consumers are fully aware of what they’re eating?
Clean label is increasingly about transparency and recognizable ingredients rather than health claims alone. This is where clear, front-of-package labelling can be a tiny but effective step in guiding consumers toward credible and nutrition-rich choices. This means more emphasis on foods and drinks with clear nutritional labelling.
This is also one of the top five categories across this year’s exhibitors, suggesting that brands recognize its importance and are speaking to it.
According to Innova Market Insights, consumers define clean label primarily through natural ingredients, no additives or preservatives, and no artificial colors or flavors.
This is reflected in products emphasizing simpler formulations and ingredient transparency. One example is MUST Chicken Breast Protein Shake, which positions itself around whole-food protein from organic chicken breast instead of protein powders.
Does the popularity of halal-certified products mean the Muslim-compliant food market is expanding even to non-Muslims?
Yes. Halal-certified products today increasingly appeal beyond religious compliance alone. At the event, halal innovation extends across categories including snacks, sauces and seasonings, dairy, beverages, and ready meals. Examples include preservative-free Ready-to-Drink Thai Tea developed with shelf-stable technology, Thai basil chicken pocket and sausage formats inspired by familiar street-food flavors, portable high-protein Chicken Bites Cups, and low-calorie konjac noodle snacks designed around modern snacking habits.
This reflects how halal products are evolving alongside broader consumer trends in convenience, portability, wellness, and ready-to-eat consumption. Halal certification is also increasingly associated with quality assurance, safety, traceability, and trusted sourcing, making these products more relevant to a wider consumer base, including non-Muslim consumers.
What is “New-to-Market Street” and what does “Taste the Future” mean?
The New-to-Market Street is an exciting addition to Hall 4, which is where buyers can begin with a clear view of what is new, how it is positioned, and how it performs. This is where past-12-month launches are housed in one space.
The aim is to give buyers and visitors a look at what is driving the latest demands and industry expectations.
Also in Hall 4, Taste the Future turns innovation into a tasting experience, where innovative ingredients from the show are prepared into culinary dishes, allowing buyers to assess how they translate into actual consumption.
The objective is to help buyers evaluate not only novelty, but also taste, usability, and menu potential within real consumption occasions.
What do emerging brands offer that make them viable choices?
Emerging brands are often able to respond faster to changing consumer needs and market gaps. They are also aware of current consumer perceptions and are able to tailor new innovations around these more easily as a nascent brand.
Many startups are developing products with clear functional and commercial purpose. Examples include Souport, a texture-modified nutrition platform for elderly consumers; PAAM Pure, a clean-label plant-based protein powder rich in amino acids and vitamin B12; Arto Healthy Ice Cream, which uses enzyme technology to reduce sugar and create prebiotic benefits; and Frying in Water, a patented cooking technology that cooks and sterilizes food using pure water instead of oil.
These products reflect how innovation today is increasingly focused on nutrition, usability, sustainability, and solving real consumption needs rather than novelty alone.
What are the criteria that make for award-winning products?
The program is open to all exhibitors, providing buyers with a curated view of where product innovation and category momentum are strongest across the exhibition. Winners are selected based on their impressive creativity in key trending F&B segments across plant-based, functional and free-from, alternative proteins, sustainability, and more.
This year, the showcase features 50 finalists, with 10 products recognized as winners.
