More than 60,000 visitors are expected to attend during the 6-day event.
The Frankfurt Hammering Man statue, standing 69-ft. tall, is a familiar sight to return IFFA visitors. The statue was commissioned in 1990 during the addition of the Messeturm (exhibition tower) at the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre, home to the IFFA show for the past 70 years.
IFFA, the triennial international meat show opened in Frankfurt, Germany, on May 4. The tradeshow, held at the Messe Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre, will cover 119,000 sq. m. (1.29 million sq. ft.) of exhibition space in four, two-level halls.
Throughout the seven-day tradeshow, attendees have the opportunity to learn from expert lecturers covering various industry related topics at the IFFA Forum sessions held on the tradeshow floor. The theme of the day on Saturday, May 4 was “Food ingredient trends.” Dr. Sabrina Gensberger-Reigl from Friedrich-Alexander Univ. discussed the worldwide trend of meat substitutes.
The IFFA Kitchen is a production demonstration featuring equipment from various exhibiting companies. Several times each day of the show, company representatives from Seydelmann, Vemag, Fessmann, Multivac and Espera walk visitors through the production of a bratwurst product — from grinding and stuffing to packaging and labeling. Here, a representative from Multivac demonstrates the use of the company’s thermoforming machine featuring its MultiFresh skin packs.
The International Competition for Young Butchers was held May 4 and 5, featuring Europe’s best young artisan butchers competing in various disciplines of the butcher’s trade. Show visitors were invited to view the competition and the product submissions after completion.
Six two-person teams from England, France, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Germany worked under the eye of an international panel of judges as they prepared barbecue specialties and a main meat dish, as well as presenting two ready-to-cook products.
Representatives from the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP), through their partnership with the German Butchers’ Association, were invited to IFFA to showcase cutting techniques and share presentations on US products. Doug Hankes, from Thrushwood Farms Quality Meats, Galesburg, Illinois, alongside Jon Frohling, from Rapid City, South Dakota-based ScottPec Inc., shared insights on the growing US meat snack and jerky category.
Spring offerings are spicing up menus.