Munich / Freising – New trends in nutrition and sustainable food production were on display at the first “Food Marketplace” in Munich. The European Union’s nutrition platform, the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT Food), had invited 25 start-ups from all over Europe to the Holiday Inn Conference Center. 

The approximately 160 visitors to the marketplace, including numerous representatives of the food industry, were able to invest in the various ideas of start-up’s with the currency “Bavaria”, deceptively genuine bills devised for that purpose. At the stands many new ideas from the whole process chain of nutrition could be found: including the tasting of a new herbal milk, a software to better provide the right and targeted healthy nutrition per patient in the hospital as well as banana chips for the morning cereals made of by already separated Bananas at the supermarket (which would have otherwise been thrown away.) 

EIT Food, with its German headquarters at the Weihenstephan Science Center in Freising, had prepared the market place for the food production, consumption, food delivery and processing departments and then determined the winner’s idea in the evening based on the largest investment that the respective start-up had received from the visitors of the marketplace in “Bavaria” currency. 

Dr. Georg Schirrmacher, Director of EIT Food in Germany, on the premiere of the “Market-Place” idea: “In terms of healthy nutrition and new techniques we want to offer a platform with a lot of publicity to young junior researchers.” It is the responsibility of EIT Food on behalf of the EU and as a transformer to make the food system fit for the future with the help of innovations. Sustainability, healthy nutrition and new ways of training at universities are crucial factors. “But each and every one of us can help transform the food system worldwide with well-considered decision what to buy and what to eat,” Schirrmacher said. 

In his keynote opening the all-day event, the CEO of EIT Food, Dr. Ing. Andy Zynga, encouraged the start-ups not only to develop products, but also to pursue the business plan and an energetic strategy: “Always look for great and professional people. Do not do it yourself. Above all, look for a proven financial expert for your plans. ” 

During the the talk on stage with the three-star chef Jan Hartwig (chef de cuisine at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich) and with the head of the international network “Chefs”, Lise Timmer, all was about finding new ways to make a substantial meal , healthy and, above all, tasty food. Jan Hartwig: “We all have to put our heads together in order to get a high-quality meal with sustainably produced vegetables and meat on the table.” There are already some burgers which do not need meat and are really good. The “meat of the burger chains does not taste like meat anyway, and animals have been killed in vain,” said the three-star chef. “We still have a lot to learn how to make food in the future,” was his credo. 

In the evening the tension of the start-ups from all over Europe increased. After having added up the amounts of invested money, created especially for the market place, into the different start-ups the winner could be announced: it was “Air up Gmbh” from Munich being unassailable in front. The idea of the young inventors: a bottle from which mineral water has to be sucked by means of a straw, while in the lid of the reusable bottle exchangeable small aroma sponges “pretend” a taste. CEO and founder Jannis Koppitz: “While you suck through the straw and drink at the same time, our palate communicates the mix then as the taste. Thanks to the replaceable aroma sponges, this can be anything from mango to lime to cucumber. “In the future, drinks will not have to contain any additives, harmful additives or even sugar, just a little bit of a completely natural flavor.”

The world novelty has already provided plenty of food for discussion in the food industry, as it could truly revolutionize the beverage market. One’s own perception is, so to speak, successfully, but very healthy, led by the nose. 

In the coming year, there will again be a “Food Marketplace” for start-ups and their new ideas on the subject of food, Dr. Schirrmacher said at the end of the event. Then on an even bigger scale, but with equally exciting topics. “It is our mission to help and bring brilliant food chain ideas from production to consumption into business.” EIT Food has built up a network of 65 partners from industry and research across Europe.

Source : EIT Food CLC Central GmbH