Homegrown brands highlight UAE's food sector innovation at Gulfood 2022

• Hunter Foods Limited launch innovative new Emirati-themed flavours in collaboration with the Khalifa Foundation
• Food Specialities Limited launches first-ever meat alternative ready mix for the region

DUBAI, UAE: The UAE’s growing community of eclectic food producers has been turning global heads at this week’s Gulfood, the world’s largest annual F&B sourcing event, with  a raft of homegrown innovators launching and championing a variety of new-to-market products at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

As the Government of the UAE pursues a multi-pronged food strategy to reduce the country’s reliance on imports, a plethora of homegrown startups and established food sector heavyweights have leveraged Gulfood to readdress the import-export imbalance.

One of the market entrants, Abu Dhabi-based Below Farm, is seeking to increase reliable and cost-effective accessibility to exotic and flavourful mushrooms by growing locally, with the additional benefit of facilitating fresh produce supplies quicker than international competitors.

“We are excited to be launching Below Farm at Gulfood in the UAE,” said Bronte Weir, Co-Founder, Below Farm. “Our goal is to supply affordable, hard-to-come-by products of good quality from the region for the region. We will be supplying a sustainably-grown range of mushrooms, including king oyster, shitake, and lion mane, which are a great alternative to seafood. The response from retailers has been incredible and we are looking forward to seeing our produce on the UAE supermarket shelves in the very near future.”

Elsewhere, AWS Distribution has launched a dedicated range of private-labelled brands to help meet gaps in consumer demands, especially around affordable products, that have been escalated by supply chain issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Post-pandemic, we saw a great opportunity to enter the market with new products to address the gaps arising from consumer demands shifting to more affordable products. In the region’s private label industry, where the focus remains on offering the best quality and price to reach the most customers, there is strong and healthy competition from brands. Some of our new launches include a line of products tailor-made for the Filipino expat market, new lines of washing and baby detergents, as well as coffee brands which will be available on UAE shelves from next month,” said Usama El Gohary, General Manager, AWS Distribution.

Hunter Foods Limited, a MENA region leader in innovative, alternative snacks and foods, has leveraged Gulfood 2022 to launch four new flavors of hand-cooked potato chips. One new flavour is Bzar, an Emirati spice mix created by  UAE entrepreneur Shaima Al Zaabi, who took part in a F&B Innovation Lab initiative held in cooperation with the Khalifa Foundation.

“The collaboration with Shaima and the Khalifa Foundation has been a fantastic journey for us. One of our aims is to work closely with, and launch products for, the local community. This new flavour range perfectly aligns with our objective,” said Ananya Narayan, Managing Director at Hunter Foods Limited.

Finally, Food Specialities Limited (FSL), a leading solutions provider to the MEA’s food and beverage industry, has launched the region’s first meat-replacement ready-mix. The award-winning innovator has created plant-based (vegan) chicken and beef replacements, PLANTA, created in just five minutes using pea protein, plant fibre and seasoning mixes. The resulting blend can be used to make an array of dishes such as cutlets, burgers, nuggets, kebabs.

FSL head of marketing and innovation, Dhruv Dhawan, said: “Our market research revealed the majority of plant-based products are imported, and with this comes higher price points for products. Our plant-based mix is a regional first, and is the result of major investments in our innovation lab to research the best blend of ingredients and create a more cost-effective, locally-produced healthy meat replacement.”

Gulfood 2022 is being held under stringent safety and hygiene protocols. DWTC has proved its capability to curate the safest face-to-face business environment and deliver world-class events with the highest safety protocols.

More information on the event safety guidelines can be found here: https://www.gulfood.com/useful-info/safety-guidelines 

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About Gulfood: www.gulfood.com 

Gulfood has established a position as the world’s largest annual F&B sourcing event. Split into eight specific food industry sectors, the trade-only show is professionally managed and hosted by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). 

About Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC):  www.dwtc.com 

DWTC brings more than 40 years’ experience delivering world-class events in the Middle East and provides local, regional, and international exhibitors with unmatched expertise and in-depth market knowledge. Our team organizes more than 20 of the largest and most successful international and regional shows in Middle East, providing an ideal platform for business development in the region. Our commitment to on-going innovation within the exhibition industry has supported the rapid growth and development of a wide range of business-to-business and business-to-consumer shows and delivered consistent satisfaction to exhibitors and visitors. DWTC works with the leading trade bodies and industry associations to ensure that all exhibitions deliver full value and are built upon the real needs of their specific sector.

For more information, please contact:      
Naina Chaudhary
Action Global Communications
naina.c@actionprgroup.com 

Sura Manhal Al Yaziji
PR and Media Relations Manager, Dubai World Trade Centre
sura.alyaziji@dwtc.com   

© Press Release 2022