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IFFA 2025: Where innovation, networking and inspiration are shaping the future

IFFA 2025 focusses on the future topics of the meat and protein industry and gathers the entire sector in Frankfurt am Main. As the leading international trade fair, it covers the complete production process and showcases innovations from all its stages. The exhibition halls are already well booked and all market leaders have confirmed their participation. The top themes for 2025 are increasing performance, value from data, sustainability in action and new product worlds.

Posted on Dec 16 ,00:35

From 3 to 8 May 2025, IFFA, leading international trade fair, Technology for Meat and Alternative Proteins, will be the focal point of the global meat and protein industry. Under the motto 'Rethinking Meat and Proteins', the sector will showcase its innovations. A unique focus on the entire process from the raw material to the finished product - that is IFFA's unique selling point. All process steps are covered here: from the production, processing and packaging of meat and alternative proteins to innovative ingredients and product trends at the point of sale.

Leading companies from Germany and abroad have already registered. Messe Frankfurt is expecting around 1,000 exhibitors to present their machines and solutions on an area of around 116,000 gross square metres. IFFA occupies halls 8, 9, 11 and 12 and thus offers a clearly organised circuit with short distances. Thanks to a new hall layout, it is expanding its product range and linking the process stages even more closely together. The new IFFA Worlds bundle the products of the different sections; they offer visitors clear and compact orientation. They are called:

• World of Processing
• World of Packaging
• World of Ingredients
• World of New Proteins
• World of Skills and Sales

Kerstin Horaczek, Vice President Technology Shows at Messe Frankfurt: ‘Trade fairs are the mirror of the industry and this will be clearly evident at IFFA 2025. The response from exhibitors is great and we can look forward to numerous innovations relating to optimised performance, data usage, sustainability, product development and much more. IFFA also offers participants a unique platform for personal dialogue, networking and professional development. It is the must-attend event in 2025.’

Industry at record level worldwide - but there are still challenges

In 2023, German manufacturers of food processing machinery achieved export growth of 8.6 per cent and reached a record value of 9.85 billion euros. The entire global trade in machinery, thus the sum of exports from a total of around 50 industrialised countries, is also growing dynamically. In 2023, it rose to over 52 billion euros – an increase of around seven per cent. The VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association is also forecasting growth for 2024, stating that global demand for safe, high-performance machinery remains unbroken. These are the best prerequisites for a successful IFFA 2025, but there are also challenges facing the industry: The volatile global economic situation, cost increases for energy, wages and raw materials as well as the shortage of skilled labour are not without impact on the business of internationally operating companies. Richard Clemens, Managing Director of VDMA, the conceptual sponsor of IFFA, explains: ‘IFFA is the world's most important trade fair for manufacturers of process and packaging technology for meat and alternative proteins. It is clearly geared towards the needs of the constantly changing and growing market and offers experts from all over the world the complete range of innovative technologies for the realisation of a multitude of product ideas. IFFA offers clear orientation, addresses all industry-specific topics and thus shapes the future for companies.’

The top themes for 2025: This is important

IFFA is the place to look at current issues, discuss solutions and provide impetus for the coming years. The product range and the supporting programme at IFFA 2025 will focus on the topics of 'Reaching next level performance', 'Creating value from data', 'Putting sustainability into action' and 'Creating product variety'. In detail, this means:

• Improve work processes, increase efficiency, automate production: How can machines and systems in the meat and protein processing industry achieve next level performance? Innovative technologies such as AI, robotics and sensor technology open up new possibilities for the food industry and promise productivity gains.
• How can data be used to optimise processes and production planning? Today, a large amount of data is collected at all stages of the process chain. This variety of data and the new possibilities for utilising it help to optimally coordinate machines in the production process. In addition, optimised use of data offers greater transparency and safety – on the one hand through seamless documentation and on the other through complete traceability of the process chain. Entirely new possibilities arise when consumer and retail data is fed back into production planning.
• How can sustainability be put into action and what specific solutions can be used to achieve greater sustainability in production? Increased energy efficiency, the switch to renewable energies and modern drive technology all contribute to greater sustainability. In packaging technology, plastic-reduced concepts are a long-term trend. In addition to the topic of recyclability, innovations are focusing on renewable raw materials.
• New nutritional trends and a constantly growing product variety are enriching our diet. Whether from meat, plants or mushrooms, whether obtained by fermentation or cultivated from cells, the basic ingredients are becoming increasingly diverse and new products are constantly being created. Mechanical engineering provides the right equipment for this. Modern machines on which a wide variety of products can be manufactured: This is an important prerequisite for manufacturers to be able to operate successfully in this dynamic market. In addition, researchers and start-ups around the world are working on innovative ideas to sustainably supply the growing world population with proteins.     

Events: More information and networking

In addition to the exhibitors' product innovations, IFFA offers a professional supporting programme that explores the top themes in depth. Messe Frankfurt is working closely with its partners to plan the content of the programme: the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, the German Butchers' Association and representatives from the new protein sector. There will be a high-quality lecture programme, complemented by live cooking events, focusing on innovative products and ingredients. The IFFA Factory will address the challenges posed by unskilled labour in the production process and present solutions and examples of best practice. The curated IFFA Discovery Tours will help visitors discover and categorise the many innovations that exhibitors are bringing to the trade fair. The German Butchers' Association will present traditional craftsmanship at its best and honour outstanding achievements in the IFFA quality competitions.

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