COLOGNE - creative werks - along with 35,000 other attendees - walk the massive convention center for the 45th Annual International Sweets and Biscuit Fair (ISM) in Cologne this week. ISM is the largest sweet and snacks fair in the world, attracting over 1,500 suppliers from 65 countries. Unlike other sweet and snack trade shows, ISM hosts confection manufacturers along with distributors, buyers, and machine manufacturers, providing a broad scope of the global supply chain.
Steve Schroeder, right, discussing the complexity of beer-filled chocolate with a Belgian chocolatier.
Several innovations are showcased this year including a growing presence of chocolate covered fruit, beer filled chocolate, and a concentration on products free of major allergens like wheat and milk. In Switzerland, a “blonde” chocolate emerged made out of buckwheat and golden millet resulting in a lactose-free, carmalized chocolate. Sugar alternatives, such as Stevia, are also prevalent in sugar and chocolate confections to provide more options for the health conscious consumer.
In addition to innovation from confectioners manufacturers, machine manufacturers continue to introduce more automation and robotics to the industry. While some boutique confectioners continue to provide handmade, artisan confections, new advances in engineering and robotics produce high quality products and yield cost-savings for large-scale manufacturers.
From Left: Steve Schroeder, Colleen Coyle and Jürgen Peters enjoying a post-show kölcsh.