Dubai, UAE: As Gulfood 2026 concludes, Estonia’s presence has underscored a clear shift in how food quality is being assessed by buyers and partners across the region. While provenance and purity remain widely discussed, attention is increasingly moving beyond origin stories toward how food is actually produced, at scale, with consistency and restraint.

Estonian producers at Gulfood demonstrated an approach grounded in modern production discipline paired with deliberately simple formulations that reflect the demands of a new generation of consumers. Rather than layering claims onto products, the focus was on reducing complexity within the system itself: fewer ingredients, shorter supply chains and tighter control from raw material to finished product.

This approach was particularly visible in categories such as plant-based drinks, frozen berries smoothie mixes and functional ingredients, where production methods directly determine nutritional profile, flavour integrity and reliability of supply. By integrating advanced processing, digital oversight and end-to-end traceability, Estonian companies are able to preserve natural characteristics and Northern flavours without resorting to additives, excess sugars or corrective processing later in the value chain.

H.E. Maria Belovas, Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, said: “Gulfood has been an important platform for Estonia for nearly a decade, helping our producers build lasting partnerships and strong success stories in the region. It reflects the close ties we have developed with the UAE and the shared focus on quality, innovation, and future-ready food systems. Each year, Gulfood also attracts the kind of innovation-led producers Estonia is known for, from plant-based and functional products to new approaches in formulation. As the UAE continues to set the pace for global food trends, we are excited to deepen our collaboration and grow together.”

Across the pavilion, buyers showed strong interest in this production-led definition of quality, particularly as regional markets place greater emphasis on food security, nutritional credibility and dependable sourcing. Estonia’s digital heritage further reinforced this positioning, enabling producers to apply data-driven systems to food manufacturing in ways that support scale without compromising standards.

Katre Kõvask, CEO at YOOK, reflected on their participation at Gulfood, “Gulfood was our starting point as an international brand. Two years ago we came with samples and a clear idea that oat milk would only scale if quality and performance matched dairy. Since then we’ve expanded into ten markets, reflecting how quickly expectations have evolved. We’re seeing a highly informed customer; buyers and consumers are looking beyond labels and asking how products are made, how sugar-levels are managed and how consistently they perform in real use.” 

Global conversations around food are moving away from marketing claims and towards measurable capability. Labels are no longer taken at face value; buyers and increasingly consumers are looking for evidence in how products are produced, formulated and tested. Gulfood has shown that innovation today combines modern food technology with traditional techniques. Estonia’s food sector, built on clean raw materials, rigorous standards and process-led innovation, is well positioned to meet this demand.

Gulfood 2026 — Trade with Estonia

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Mojo PR 
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