The first Food Matters Live for Continental Europe event will take place September 23–24, 2025 at the Rotterdam Ahoy Convention Centre, supporting innovation in food ingredients, functional nutrition, sustainability and cross-industry collaboration.
The premiere event will have over 750 attendees, 100 expert speakers, and 100 focused sessions, featuring a series of unique, immersive programs designed to bring ingredient innovation to life, including:
- The Tastes of Better: a focus on ingredient innovation showcases, featuring presentations and tastings by technical and culinary teams. As part of this program, the event partners use full innovation kitchens to bring ingredient innovation to life for a pre-registered VIP audience.
- Insights and Trends: with over 50 international speakers, this series covers key topics such as sustainable innovation, the future of NPD, ultra-processed foods, sustainable sourcing, protein diversification, and filling the fiber gap.
- Future of Positive Nutrition: 50 voices from the global food and nutrition community come together to share science, research and ingredient innovation, focusing on healthy aging, women’s health, active nutrition and more.
The NPD Discovery Zone is a central feature of Food Matters Live in Rotterdam, the organizers highlight. It will offer practical insights into the latest ingredients, technologies, and innovation strategies shaping the future of food. Trends coming from GLP-1, clean label reformulation and carbon-neutral ingredients will be addressed, as well as emerging NPD services.
The event’s partners include AAK, Agrana Fruit, IFF, Ingredion, and Tate & Lyle. Alongside them, a wider group of expert contributors, including Rousselot, Ulrick & Short, ENOUGH, BESMOKE, ARBOREA, and Brightlands Nova Bite, will lead targeted sessions based on their industry expertise.
The event comprises four main stages, exclusive tastings, and a bespoke 1-2-1 ingredient discovery business meeting program. Food Matters Live will run alongside Gastvrij Rotterdam, the second-largest hospitality trade show in the Netherlands.
Photo: Food Matters live social media
