GERMANY | ISM Ingredients has further reinforced its position as an international platform for innovative ingredient solutions in the sweets and snacks industry.
Following its successful premiere as an independent trade fair format last year, the event is recording particularly strong market demand during the current early bird period. The amount of exhibition space booked is already up by over 30 percent on last year.
At the same time, the number of registered exhibitors has doubled compared to the premiere. Barry Callebaut, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, is returning to the fairgrounds in Cologne and will be exhibiting at ISM Ingredients for the first time in 2027.
This positive development underscores the increased strategic significance of ingredients for the global sweets and snacks industry. Ingredients, raw materials, and functional solutions are increasingly becoming key drivers of product development, reformulation, sensory differentiation, and more sustainable concepts.
With its clear focus on these topics, ISM Ingredients is positioning itself as a relevant meeting point for companies seeking to identify and develop innovations in the sweets & snacks sector and turn them into marketable products at an early stage.
"We are really excited to have Barry Callebaut present again. This is a strong signal for the industry and demonstrates that ISM Ingredients has already successfully established itself on the market even within such a short space of time," said Guido Hentschke, Director of ISM Ingredients.
Broad international exhibitor base
Alongside Barry Callebaut, the companies that have already registered include numerous international market leaders and innovation partners such as Döhler, Fuji Oil, Brenntag, GNT, ofi (olam food ingredients), Norevo and Paradise Fruits, Mantrose UK Ltd., California Natural Colour, Capol GmbH, Boettger Food Ingredients GmbH, Couplet Sugars SA and Coppenrath Feingebäck GmbH.
Furthermore, the Istanbul Exporters' Association and German Sweets e.V. are also represented as group participants. Further group organisers from China and India have already announced their participation, underscoring the trade fair's international alignment.
With its focus on forward-looking ingredient solutions, ISM Ingredients is increasingly advancing into the central platform for the next generation of sweets & snacks.
The focus lies on current industry topics such as sugar reduction and healthier indulgence, transparent, more sustainable raw materials, as well as solutions for taste, texture, and functionality.
As such, the trade fair is addressing key product development issues and offers manufacturers, brands, trade partners and suppliers a concentrated overview of the new impulses across the ingredients and innovations chain.
Synergies along the value chain
The close interlinking with ISM and ISM Manufacturing creates additional added value. Whilst ISM centres on international brands, product innovations and trade relevance, ISM Ingredients focuses on ingredients, raw materials and formulation expertise.
ISM Manufacturing completes the offering by addressing the themes of production, technology, packaging, automation and industrial implementation. Together, the three formats cover the key development stages of the sweets and snacks industry: from the initial idea and ingredients to production and a marketable product.
"The ISM trade fair trio combines product innovation, expertise in ingredients and industrial implementation in a strong international trade fair network. This makes the value chain of the sweets and snacks industry particularly accessible in Cologne," said Guido Hentschke.
"The visitors receive practical insights into current solutions that are of high relevance for the industry and trade."
ISM Ingredients is scheduled to be co-staged with ISM and ISM Manufacturing in Cologne from the 31st of January to the 3rd of February 2027.
