HAMBURG, Germany — INTERNORGA 2018 was formally opened at a gala event held at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce on Thursday 8 March. The evening started with a thrilling percussion show, and the presentation of the 8th INTERNORGA Future Award generated lots of exciting moments in the course of the evening.
The high point of the evening was the award presentation to three companies and their products that set new standards for innovation and sustainability.
The winners were selected by a panel of independent judges made up of representatives of business and academia, who had assessed some 200 applications in advance.
The award was presented in three categories:
- Trendsetter Product – Fittings & Equipment
Winner: Rieber GmbH, Digitisation and organisation system °CHECK - Trendsetter Product – Food & Drink
Winner: Colourfood GmbH, natural food colouring agents - Trendsetter Company – HORECA
Winner: Esprit Europe GmbH, company canteen e*lounge
The key characteristics of the award winners were their outstanding spirit of innovation, their responsible handling of resources, and their exemplary sustainability strategy. The prestigious award was launched in 2011 and is now one of the best known prizes in the hospitality market.
INTERNORGA, as the leading trade show for the whole of the industry, presents this award each year on the evening before the start of this 5-day HORECA showcase, honouring companies for their outstanding innovative achievements.
“What the award winners have done will have a major influence on the future of the industry,” says Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH. “These companies are setting new standards and demonstrating commitment and innovative strength.
Their entrepreneurial initiative is the foundation for forward looking applications, new products, or even whole product lines to achieve successful market entry.
The INTERNORGA Future Award recognises this outstanding commitment for the whole of the industry and for a sustainable future.”
Information on the INTERNORGA Future Award winners 2018:
Rieber GmbH: °CHECK (Trendsetter Product – Fittings & Equipment)
Rieber’s digitisation and organisation system °CHECK is a logical step towards the “Internet of Things” with smart, digital infrastructure, setting new standards in hygiene management. The smart logbook gives transparency over the whole of the supply chain for every food item from kitchen to customer, thus facilitating compliance with HACCP regulations in canteens and professional kitchens. Maximum user benefit is always the focus, from design right up to the interfaces. The system is open, enabling use of the smart organisation system by other companies and competitors. Rieber not only demonstrates holistic thinking in unified digital standards, but also enables new industry-wide solutions with the °CHECK system.
Colourfood GmbH – natural food colouring agents (Trendsetter Product – Food & Drink)
Colourfood standardises established ecological methods of food colouring for professional use in the 21st century. That means additive-free food creations can still feature colour variety. The colourants made from foods are not only an alternative to conventional food colourants, but are the trailblazers for a new generation of natural food additives. They are made exclusively from fruit, vegetables and edible plants, using physical techniques. Carrots, blackcurrants, paprika, apples, spirulina algae, grapes, lemons, hibiscus and mango are used as the basis for these colouring agents, which are mostly bake-stable and pH neutral. Colourfood avoids the use of organic solvents and ingredients from animal origins in production. So the colourants are not only vegan, but are also ideal for “clean labelling”, since they are not subject to labelling regulations.
Esprit Europe GmbH – company canteen e*lounge (Trendsetter Company – HORECA)
The sustainability communication of e*lounge is clear and straight-forward. The company canteen of Esprit Europe GmbH not only indicates what food is served and how it gets to the plate, but also features an open kitchen to ensure complete transparency for its customers. It uses meat, vegetables, fruit and herbs sourced direct from nearby producers, with 60% in organic quality. It regularly takes account of animal welfare, fair trading and seasonal food planning. A real favourite with customers is the monthly Veggie Day with non-meat meals that has become established in the lounge-style restaurant. The e*lounge stands for transparency, local and seasonal sourcing, and a fresh and varied range of food of the very highest standard, showing a sense of responsibility for farming and the local region.
