The ninth and biggest installment of Gulfood Manufacturing took place between November 7 and 9 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, with 3,000 exhibitors from 80 countries and over 36,000 visitors attending the show and the co-located events The Speciality Food Festival, ISM Middle East and Private Label Middle East.

Tariq Alhashmi, Director of Technology Adoption and Development at the UAE Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology, delivered the opening address at the FoodTech Summit. He discussed the food industry’s role in achieving global climate and sustainability goals and how sustainable solutions will be a hot topic of discussion in the new era of F&B manufacturing. “Advanced Food Technology is not just about feeding the present; it’s about nourishing the future. FoodTech will play a pivotal role in driving innovation and improving the quality and accessibility of food while also reducing greenhouse emissions, and promoting resource-efficient practices,” he said in his address.

Sustainability was a key focus running throughout the Summit, with sessions exploring how the manufacturing industry is integrating sustainable practices and processes (such as sustainable packaging), reducing food waste, introducing energy-efficient machinery with a smaller carbon footprint, and driving traceable, ethical and transparent food production.

Photo: Gulfood Manufacturing (Four Agency)