The Alimentaria Hub

This insightful presentation, offers an exclusive glimpse into the future of the industry. Dive deep into the latest market and consumer trends as we highlight the breakthrough directions and innovations set to transform the food and beverage world in 2026 and beyond. This presentation will empower you with the forward-thinking insights you need to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving landscape.

The tortilla and the smash burger are global icons in the world of gastronomy. In Spain, these niches are clearly led by two key players who have reached the top through high-quality products, a premium brand experience, and innovative strategies in which social media has played a decisive role.

How is the trend of satiating products linked to GLP-1 redefining food innovation? In this presentation, we will explore the challenges and strategic opportunities it presents for the agri-food industry.

The food industry is undergoing an unprecedented transformation driven by Deep Tech technologies such as AI, robotics, photonics and biotechnology. These solutions are reshaping processes, optimising resources and addressing social and environmental challenges that were considered insurmountable. We will explore real case studies from leading companies applying these technologies, redefining production models and sector competitiveness.

At ALIBER 2026, the latest trends in new business models (technology platforms, innovation hubs, clusters, etc.), entrepreneurship (startups), new technologies and new trends in healthy food, consumer perception, circular economy and digitalization at the IAB will be presented.

The QR code is presented as the future and present of the barcode to improve efficiency in-store and open a digital channel to communicate directly with the consumer. With this technology, food safety can be enhanced, food waste can be reduced, and at the same time, it can redirect users to an extended product label containing a lot of additional information about the product

Built on a strong productive base and a diverse innovative industry, Argentina is consolidating its position as a strategic partner for the global supply of food and beverages.

In this session, we will share practical insights on how to protect brands and turn them into a strategic asset for any company. We will explain how to simplify the procedures and make them more accessible for SMEs and entrepreneurs, helping them strengthen their identity and compete more effectively in the market.

Pasta is one of the most consumed dishes in the world and, paradoxically, one of the worst executed outside traditional restaurants. In this talk, Relleno explains how it addresses this challenge through its own system combining technology, design, and operations, integrating innovation and logistics to ensure consistency at scale, from raw materials to the last mile, in any city and channel. Pasta as an operating system.

Innoval 2026 Awards Ceremony, an event recognizing the food industry's investment in R&D.

The 17 best innovations were highlighted, distributed as follows:
Retail Channel Award
Horeca Channel Award
Impulse Channel Award
Award for the best innovation in each of the four trends (pleasure, convenience, health, and sustainability)
Distributor Award
Award by category

Factory of Mexican products ready to eat, stored at room temperature in Barcelona, ​​Spain.

In this presentation, I introduce the first innovation developed since our arrival at the company: a new range of high-protein sandwiches, designed to respond to the growing demand for functional and ready-to-eat products. The range includes four different flavours, each providing 22 g of protein per 150 g serving, combining nutritional value, taste, and convenience.

At Empresas Polar, with 85 years of brewing experience, we combine curiosity and passion for the consumer to serve the informed and discerning European audience. By analyzing trends and market context, we developed an innovative proposition, delivering a premium, indulgent, and balanced experience designed to pair perfectly with Spanish and European consumption preferences

Protein has evolved from being mainly associated with sports nutrition to becoming an everyday consumption habit. This presentation analyses the evolution of protein desserts and explores the potential of egg white protein as a key ingredient for developing new functional products with high nutritional value, a clean profile, and ready-to-consume formats.

Vitaldin, a brand of Boston Nutraceutical Science (BNS), which manufactures functional food and sports nutrition products, is presenting two 100% vegan and sugar-free functional gummies at The Alimentaria Hub – INNOVAL: one with melatonin, vitamin B6 and relaxing plant extracts to improve sleep; and the other with biotin and zinc for hair and nail care, as well as its new Salted Caramel flavoured protein wafer.

The protein food market is evolving towards formats that are increasingly practical and adapted to everyday consumption. This presentation explores the potential of egg white protein as the basis for a new generation of protein desserts. Through the MyProvo project, the result of the collaboration between Agotzaina and Postres Reina, an innovative proposal is presented that combines nutritional quality, functionality and enjoyment.

This presentation explores innovation as a catalyst for transformation in companies and brands. Beyond new products or technology, it is presented as a mindset that drives strategy, processes, design, and customer experience. Through practical examples, it demonstrates how to turn ideas into value and how small changes can lead to major transformations

YOSOY, leader in the barista segment in Spain, has built its position by anticipating consumer trends and turning them into real innovation. In this presentation, we will share our strategy for driving growth in the barista segment by combining health, flavour and indulgence, and introduce the three 2026 innovations that reinforce our leadership in retail and horeca.

ACCIÓ DAY | CREATING VALUE FROM FOOD INNOVATION TO INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

Conversation on the impact of fake news and AI on food and their effects on reputation, competitiveness and consumer trust. Based on the report “Health, Food and Fake News”, the causes of misinformation, its consequences for the sector and the strategies to anticipate and respond to these crises will be addressed. The discussion will also examine how generative AI is impacting consumers’ ability to influence and recommend products.

During this presentation, Innova explores how gut health is evolving beyond probiotics into a broader innovation platform in food and beverages. It highlights key consumer drivers, emerging ingredients, and product opportunities shaping the growing “gut health hub.”

The rules of the game have changed. AI is no longer just a tool for chatting or creating text; it can now pursue business goals and make autonomous decisions. We have moved from giving simple instructions to ChatGPT to enabling AI to work independently to deliver results. Today, there is a strong competitive advantage in redesigning processes and a real cost in continuing to rely on legacy tools in this new era

Preventive health and longevity are the new status symbols — not luxury, not wealth.
The real question is whether the food industry is ready to lead this shift or will remain trapped in legacy models. What opportunities exist to move fast and own a place in consumers’ emerging lifestyles? And, more importantly, what will be the kryptonite — the strategic blind spots that could make today’s winners irrelevant tomorrow?

How can challenges be turned into opportunities to create innovative foods? This panel discussion will bring together leading companies to share real-life experiences in new product development, addressing technological, organisational and regulatory barriers. Collaboration, creativity and agility will be highlighted as key drivers to accelerate innovation in the food of the future.

Discover consumer habits around how food is handled, stored, and prepared at home. In this session, we’ll share insights from the 2nd edition of the AECOC Shopperview Food Safety Barometer, highlighting the important role consumers play in ensuring food safety.

Discover the strategic trends that will define the evolution of food retail in 2026, and get inspired by a journey through the sector's most innovative and representative initiatives globally.

Mental and cognitive health is one of the major challenges of the 21st century, worsened by ageing and current lifestyles. This talk examines the role of nutrition in Brain Health and how to turn scientific evidence into measurable criteria for developing functional foods and ingredients. Eurecat will present tools and projects integrating in vitro models and human studies to assess efficacy and reduce risks in innovation.

More than 720 million people in the Mercosur area are awaiting the European Court of Justice. The EU and India have signed a promising agreement at a time when international trade is moving away from the umbrella of the WTO. Bilateral agreements between large countries are taking precedence over the multilateral framework that has been in place until now, while the planet is experiencing the highest number of open armed conflicts since WW II.

Triptolemos Foundation is a global pioneer in sustainable food systems: ALIMENTARIA's 50th anniversary invites reflection. Leaders committed to Sustainable Food Systems will share their experiences, demonstrating how business leadership, innovation, science, and cooperation enable progress toward more competitive, sustainable, and healthy food models, generating positive social impact and economic value

Leading companies in the agri-food sector that are part of Forética's Sustainable Food Systems initiative will share the measures they are implementing to generate a positive social impact on communities, consumers and their workers. They will show what it means to lead by example, highlighting the results and positive impacts that are already being achieved for people's well-being.

LUXE Collection – Gourmet Honey is Alemany’s gourmet line, featuring pure honey blended with premium ingredients. Small formats designed to deliver an intense and sophisticated experience in every spoonful.

Latest innovations and trends in the avocado market, and the role that Trops is developing as one of the leading players in the European market.

We will explain the collaboration between Chocolates Torras and Realfooding through the launch of a new generation of chocolates made with real ingredients, with no added sugars or sweeteners, responding to current consumer trends. We will highlight how the creative process, an innovative formula, and a shared vision come together to shape the chocolate of tomorrow.

Alemany 1879 and GrillCo join forces to create Honey with Vitamin B12: a natural boost for your well-being. Designed for diets low in B12, it contributes to normal energy metabolism and helps reduce fatigue.

From Esti Foods, we are committed to food innovation, addressing the evolution of healthy snacking through current consumer trends. Our overnight oats combine convenience, nutrition and taste, offering variety, vegan-friendly options and new High Protein references, designed to meet what consumers are looking for today: wellbeing, convenience and enjoyment.

For years, promotions have been used as short-term tactical levers. Today, however, they have become one of the main touchpoints between brands and consumers. In this session, we will explore how brands are transforming their promotional strategies toward more relationship-driven models, combining high-impact campaigns and loyalty programs to generate engagement, consumer insights, and sustainable long-term growth.

Discover how a connected, AI-powered operation can enhance visibility, control costs, and improve margins

Discover Broccoli 4.0 with Tugas, pioneers in IFS-certified sprouts. We will present the development of this technological milestone that stabilizes sulforaphane in a ZERO-waste dehydrated format. An expert will analyze the nutrients and the benefits of a concentration 50 times higher than mature broccoli. An essential session on innovation applied to health and the future of functional nutrition.

A meeting designed for food-sector companies and organizations to explore how certification drives effective waste reduction, in a key regulatory moment marked by the full entry into force of Law 1/2025. The session will offer practical insights on how to anticipate requirements, ensure compliance, and create value through certified food‑waste management models.

This presentation covers seven essential keys for conducting solid consumer research in the food sector: defining clear objectives, selecting the right sample, creating realistic testing contexts, choosing the proper methodology, ensuring data quality, analyzing rigorously, and turning insights into actionable decisions that drive innovation and reduce risk.

In this talk, we will analyze the development of functional foods, their impact on the industry, and the challenges of turning science into competitive value propositions.

We will explore how the new generation of analogues overcomes the limitations of plant-based products. We will present innovations based on lemna, single-cell proteins and in vitro cultivated meat—technologies that unlock new possibilities in taste, texture and sustainability, offering more efficient and attractive alternatives for the food industry.

Is food processing a problem… or part of the solution?
From the discovery of fire to today’s food innovation, processing has been essential to food safety, availability and quality. This talk offers a critical, evidence-based perspective on processed and ultra-processed foods, debunking common myths and exploring how food processing can be an ally in developing healthier, more sustainable and appealing food products.

“To share the shopper’s perspective on innovation in the FMCG sector and, together with industry companies, reflect on the challenges and best practices needed to drive growth based on relevant innovation.”

This insightful presentation, offers an exclusive glimpse into the future of the industry. Dive deep into the latest market and consumer trends as we highlight the breakthrough directions and innovations set to transform the food and beverage world in 2026 and beyond. This presentation will empower you with the forward-thinking insights you need to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving landscape.

The spread of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss has gained momentum worldwide, including in Spain, which continues to surprise. At Lantern, we believe that the growth in the number of users and their changing habits opens up opportunities for many food brands.

Laia Vergés, Head of R&D at Zyrcular Foods, and Mónica Orasan, from Business Development, will present the company’s latest innovations under the Amara Green brand: Amara Pro Bites, plant-based balls with prebiotics and vitamin B12, and the Amara Green Burger, a vegetable burger with mycoprotein—two sustainable, convenient proposals aligned with today’s flexitarian consumer.

Fishology Foods creates the first sea charcuterie, reinventing traditional cured products made 100% from fish. Led by Michelin-starred chef Riccardo Radice, it has developed over 30 products such as Sea Chorizo and Sea Sobrasada. It reduces fish waste from 54% to 3%, promotes circular economy and opens new markets with a healthy, sustainable and innovative concept.

Focusing on agri-food chain regulations, it will particularly focus on the future revision of the UTP Directive.

Roundtable on the new Law on the Prevention of Food Loss and Waste, including the presentation of FIAB’s guidance documents. The event will feature an institutional opening by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, a presentation by Instituto Cerdá, and a dialogue panel with experts from FIAB, Instituto Cerdá, Nestlé and the Barcelona Food Bank

In a market where consumers alternate between extreme austerity and selective gratification, understanding this new hybrid behavior is key. Discover how pricing architecture, mini formats, and "little luxuries" are redefining profitability and how to anticipate these changes to lead successfully in 2026.

‘De Cerca’ celebrates its second edition on March 25 at 10:15 AM at the Auditorium – The Alimentaria Hub (Pavilion 5), during Alimentaria Barcelona. With free entry upon prior registration, the event will give a platform to women executives in the meat industry to share their experiences and discuss key sector challenges such as innovation, sustainability, and generational transition, in a space for professional exchange and reflection.

In this session, we will analyse the alternatives available to respond to current threats: from increasing biosecurity measures and maintaining sanitary regionalisation to limit the impact of crises, to reducing production in order to balance the market. Registration link: https://transferencia.irta.cat/en/activitats/irta-meat-conference-at-alimentaria-2026/ 

Innovation is essential in the food sector, yet achieving real, measurable impact remains a challenge. In this session, I will present The Strategic Innovation Wheel, a framework we use at Idilia that connects strategy, creativity and execution through six cyclical dimensions powered by talent, leadership and culture. I will share key learnings from practice and some recent examples that illustrate its impact, such as Nocilla Bars or ColaCao Crispy Rocks!

Carreras, a comprehensive logistics operator committed to the environment, operates on the basis of sustainable action plans. Our main pillars are:
People, efficient driving training and sustainability in our processes.
Collaboration.
Smart resources: logistics centres, vehicles.
Continuous improvement and optimisation. Smart energy management.
The use of new fuels: H2, HVO

Very few brands can say they created a category. In this talk, Leticia Fenoglio, CEO of Franuí, will share the Franuí story firsthand and explain why creating a category is one of the greatest privileges a brand can achieve.

In this session we will present Real Bites, an innovation in the snack segment designed to meet evolving consumer trends. We will explore how the combination of ingredients, format and value proposition opens new opportunities to evolve the category and connect with increasingly demanding consumers.

Opening presentation session focused on analyzing the current and future positioning of the packaging sector. Based on the main findings and conclusions of the Packaging Cluster’s 2026 Report, it will provide a structured overview of the key trends, strategic challenges, and opportunities that will shape the sector’s evolution.

Roundtable discussion focused on the main vectors of change in the packaging sector, drawing on the experience of startups that have strongly emerged in recent years. Through their business models, technologies, and value propositions, the session will explore which paradigms are shifting and what signals point to the future direction of the industry.

Roundtable with representatives from different links in the agri-food value chain to discuss the strategies being deployed in the field of packaging. In light of regulatory requirements and the evolving demands of consumers, the session will examine how companies are adapting their models, making strategic decisions, and coordinating across the value chain to deliver viable and competitive solutions.

As the food, foodservice and hospitality industries move toward more experiential and global models, Guadalajara stands out as a strong example of integration between product, destination and major events. With public-private collaboration, leading exhibition infrastructure at Expo Guadalajara and a strong gastronomic identity linked to tequila, this ecosystem converges at Mexico Hospitality Expo.

“TURF is the tool that helps companies launch the right range, not just the right product. It maximizes portfolio reach, reduces risk, and ensures every innovation brings in new consumers.”

Cleaning and sanitation in the food industry are key to ensuring safety. In this dynamic discussion, we explore their strategic value alongside standardization, innovation, robotics, AI, and digitalization as levers to optimize controls and reduce risks. All within a culture of continuous improvement that drives safe, efficient, and sustainable production.

We will address how to anticipate the main food safety challenges through data-driven approaches, digitalisation and a preventive mindset. We will explore AI as a tool and present SEALI-Hub, an AINIA initiative designed to help food companies detect, assess and prevent risks, strengthening market confidence.

We will present the Barometer prepared by AECOC and Phenix on food use in households and review the obligations and challenges posed by the Law on the Prevention and Reduction of Food Waste, which will enter into force in April.

A roundtable discussion will be held with experts from academia, industry, and the public sector to address the challenges facing the food industry related to Listeria M. or Salmonel·la and how this addapts to the changing consumer trends.

The discussion, featuring current experts in food safety, will help us understand the changes in management, detection, and how to respond to these issues

To analyze how the food sector —one of the major job creators in Spain— can successfully address major structural challenges: absenteeism, generational change, talent shortage, senior talent and immigration, turning them into levers of competitiveness and business sustainability