MEAT-TECH, scheduled to take place in Milan from 22 to 26 October 2021 (WEST entrance, Hall 15), is at the start. Cold cuts, meats, ready meals, fish products, dairy products and the new trends in plant-based products will be at the centre of a technological ecosystem with the best proposals in terms of processing, packaging and ingredients.

During the first day, the opening event entitled "MEAT-TECH 2021: trends and new scenarios for the meat and ready meals industries", was an opportunity to present data related to the dynamics of production, processing and consumption of fresh food products. The report, produced in collaboration with the MECS Study Centre, focuses its analysis on the 2016-2023 period, with final data up to 2020 and forecasts for the following years.

The research breaks down fresh food into the meat, fish and dairy segments, observing a market that expresses a volume of 937 billion euros, with the meat sector playing a leading role within the fresh food family. This leadership is demonstrated by volumes, 62% of total production and 76% if we look at meat processing, in a market that is worth 700 billion euros worldwide.

Looking at the target countries of the research, in the processed meat food market Germany, Spain and France lead with, respectively, 38, 27 and 25 billion euros of value created by the processing industry; Italy is fourth at 21.7 billion. It should also be noted that fresh processed food accounts for more than 50% of the total processed production, which in the last five years has seen a growth trend of 2.2% per year, bringing the market to a total value of 170 billion, even in the difficult 2020, which experienced a minimum decline of 1%.

Technology, too, shows significant values, if we think of the 49.9 billion euros of food processing machinery and the 15.3 billion of food packaging machinery; turnovers generated in markets where, moreover, the exhibitors present at the fair are protagonists.

If we then look at the relationship between meat and poultry processing machinery and the overall market, we see that the sector contributes 22.4% to the total turnover, which is expected to grow at an average annual rate (CAGR) of 6.1%, for a total volume of 63.2 billion.

Markets in strong synergy, as shown by the data, which reinforce the value of the strategic choice of a MEAT TECH held in conjunction with two classics dedicated to gastronomic excellence, retail and hospitality: TUTTOFOOD and HOST Milano. The event is therefore an opportunity to have a complete overview of complementary sectors and a cross-sectional view of the needs of visitors and exhibitors in terms of products, technology and solutions.

The event, proposed in collaboration with: MECS, Groupe Rahal, ASSICA, ASSOFOODTEC and UCIMA, featured Rossano Bozzi, CEO Ipack Ima who did the honours, Ilaria Vesentini, CEO Manufacturing Economic Studies - MECS - protagonist of the sector analysis and some important voices testifying to the markets of the Mediterranean basin. These included a leading company from the Moroccan market represented by Karim Essoulami Abdelkarim, President of Groupe Rahal, and a number of key players from the Italian market as institutional stakeholders with Andrea Salati Chiodini, President of ASSOFOODTEC representing the Italian Association of Machinery Manufacturers, Equipment for Food Production, Processing and Preservation, Ruggero Lenti, President of ASSICA, the Italian Meat and Cured Meat Industry Association, and Riccardo Cavanna, Vice President of UCIMA, representing Italian packaging machinery manufacturers.

All MEAT-TECH exhibitors, events and conferences are online at ExpoPlaza, the exhibition catalogue. (https://expoplaza-meattech.fieramilano.it/en?_locale=it )