Mushroom meal pastes and vegan K-food: six trends from Sial Paris 2024

Since its establishment in 1964, Sial Paris has become one of the must-attend events for the food and drink industry. This week’s event was no different. 

Sial Paris 2024 was home to a meaningful “boost in innovation”, says Emeline Fordos, director of client innovation at ProtéinesXTC, which partners with Sial on its Innovation showcase – a dedicated area that aims to spotlight 500 pioneering examples of NPD.

The uptick in activity follows a “decrease of around 13% in 2021”, says Fordos. Here, at least, innovation is alive and kicking, despite the challenges of global volatility and the cost of living crisis.

As the show wraps up today, here are the six standout trends picked out by The Grocer.

1. Innovative chickpea formats

Chickpeas are already a staple in plant-based cooking due to their high protein content. At Sial Paris 2024, suppliers showcased some more unusual ways of incorporating their nutritional benefits.

Take Lebanon brand Grapeful. Last year it debuted a snacking product: The Original Hummus Bar. Providing 7g-12g protein per 55g serving, it is available in Tahini Orange Blossom, Dukkah Beetroot, Turmeric Anise Seed, and Cardamom Pistachio flavours.

Then there’s Fabalous, which showcased its range of chickpea-containing organic Hazelnut & Cocoa spreads. While the vegan lines are not strictly new – the brand was launched in the UK by Italian food company Coppola in 2021 – they grabbed attention with a chickpea content of nearly a third. They also claim to contain 57% less sugar and 81% more protein than the leading chocolate spread.

2. Fish alternatives on the rise

Sial’s Innovation exhibit featured a swathe of plant-based fish alternatives, from South Korea’s canned Untuna brand to Spanish manufacturer Sanygran’s salmon flavoured spread.

A standout innovation for The Brand Nursery founder Chris Blythe, however, was French supplier Ocean Kiss’ smoked salmon alternative, made from seaweed.

“I found its taste and texture reasonably convincing,” he says. “The fish alternative sector is some way behind meat and dairy alternatives, and this kind of innovation might help to close that gap.”

3. Bubble tea gets a makeover

Bubble tea shops have become a staple on the high street. Now the brew is making serious inroads into grocery, and it’s inspired some interesting innovation.

Students from the University of Surrey represented the UK in Ecotrophelia – a competition for food innovation in Europe – with BoozyBalls, alcohol-filled boba made from food waste.

In Sial’s wider Innovation space, Turkey’s The Boba Co exhibited a shelf-stable bubble tea cup, and Lithuanian supplier Omg Bubble Tea showed its Sour Bubble Gum drink, containing lychee-flavoured boba in its lid.

4. Make room for mushrooms

Romania’s entry for the Ecotrophelia competition was FungiYo: a trio of vegan, spreadable pastes made from pleurotus mushroom stems and aquafaba that double up as “ready-to-eat meals”.

The two savoury pastes are billed as a starter and a main, while the final sweet paste is designed to be a dessert. Crucially, the range is designed to “not taste like mushroom stems at all”.

Meanwhile, Netherlands-based mushroom processor Scelta exhibited its mushroom-based fat substitute, Fungible, at Sial Innovation. Containing 50% mushroom, the product can be used in plant-based meat alternatives instead of ingredients like sunflower oil to reduce saturated fat content.

5. K-food trend gets fresh twist

K-food is taking Europe by storm. At Sial this year, exhibitors pushed the trend for all things Korean further with plant-based and fusion-inspired innovations.

South Korean manufacturer Pulmuone Foods, for example, exhibited several products from its plant-based brand Plantspired. These included its gluten-free, no-cook Silky Soymilk Noodles, Crispy Tofu Tender Bites, Soft Tofu Tortilla and seaweed rice roll Bulgogi Kimbap.

French supplier Kelly Loves, meanwhile, showed its range of fusion frozen gyoza. It put a twist on the traditional Japanese snack with Korean-inspired fillings such as Bulgogi Beef, Chicken & Kimchi, and Japchae.

6. Low & no with added protein

The growing trends of low & no-alcohol and added protein were combined into one health-led brew by exhibitors at Sial.

One proponent was German brewery group Oettinger Brauerei, which exhibited its non-alcoholic beer brand (<0.5% abv) JoyBräu, in Lemon and Grapefruit variants. Each 500ml can provides 20g protein.

The German brewer also showcased its Protein Soda range under its OE Water brand. Root Beer, Lemon and Peach provide 10g protein per serving.