The consumption of pasta and other grain-based products will double in 10 years, in the period 2010-2020, from almost 9 to about 17 million tonnes per year. This was revealed by the Italian Food Union, which recently illustrated the figures for the dish that is the symbol of Italian cuisine. Italy, in the panorama of pasta, remains the reference point for production (3.9 million tonnes) and exports (2.4 million tonnes).

These data show a dynamic market that excels technologically and is represented at IPACK-IMA, the international exhibition dedicated to processing and packaging solutions, scheduled from 3 to 6 May 2022 at Fiera Milano Rho.

All players have confirmed their presence at the show, including Axor, Brambati, Bühler, BVT, Cavanna, Comek, Fava, FRITSCH Bakery Technologies, Gruppo Gea, HDG, Houdijk Holland, Italpast, Niccolai Trafile, Nuova Euromec, Ocrim, Omas Industries, Polin, Livetech, Tecnopool, Vacuum and many other companies specialising in this segment. IPACK-IMA is visited by more than 74,000 professionals and buyers from 146 countries, 17% of whom come from the grain-based products market, who will find cutting-edge solutions at the show, from weighing, packaging and palletizing lines, milling, cleaning and flour handling systems, mixing, kneading, extrusion machines, dies and cutting systems to industrial baking systems for biscuits and bakery products.

In addition to technologies for these sectors, IPACK-IMA adds an increasingly distinctive element for the industry: packaging materials. More than 200 exhibitors will give substance to the IPACK-Mat project, the IPACK-IMA brand dedicated to innovative materials – an element of particular interest to the marketing teams of manufacturing companies looking for new product ideas, where packaging plays an increasingly central role.

Special attention will be devoted to sustainability, materials in contact with food, product safety and product preservation. In addition to IPACK-Mat, a second special area will deal with this topic: Ipack-Ima lab, an exhibition section dedicated to research laboratories, certification institutes, and centres specialising in conformity standards.

The event will also host the awards ceremony of the prestigious WorldStar event, the Global Packaging Awards promoted by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) as well as the Best Packaging Awards organised by the Italian Packaging Institute, to promote the innovation offered by the Italian packaging industry.

IPACK-IMA is therefore the first face-to-face meeting for the main players in the processing and packaging world, with industry-wide previews of future consumer trends.  Technological offerings must respond to new consumer demands: for example, there is a move towards diversification of pasta, produced with raw materials with a high protein content and greater added value, such as legume flours, lentils, chickpeas, beans and peas, or towards whole-wheat, gluten-free and rice pasta, as requested by consumers who are increasingly interested in «alternative» pasta.

Mark your calendar for IPACK-IMA from May 3 to 6, 2022, held at Fiera Milano where strict safety protocols will be ensured by a hub that has hosted 4.5 million visitors, 36,000 companies every year from all over the world, including 80 exhibitions and 160 congresses.

Concurrently with IPACK-IMA with other thematic exhibitions dedicated to instrumental mechanics, as part of «The Innovaton Aliance» project: Intralogistica Italia, focusing on goods handling and warehouse management, Print4All, dedicated to industrial printing, converting and labelling technologies, and the first edition of Greenplast, focusing on the plastics and rubber supply chain with a focus on environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, Reduce-Reuse-Recycle and circular economy.