SIAL Paris is in full swing and celebrating its 60th anniversary. Wallonia, meanwhile, is celebrating 30 years of participation in this world-renowned food show, with 60 companies from 6 different sectors. 4 of them have won awards at SIAL Innovation, which rewards the most innovative products in terms of flavour, health and sustainability.
Garden Honey
The Abbaye de Maredsous distillery offers this organic malt liqueur made from a distillate of malts infused with honey, produced in the Abbaye's beehives, and medicinal plants. The Abbey, which traditionally offered beers and cheeses, has been producing whiskies and gins since 2019. These spirits are made from an infusion of plants, chosen for their taste and therapeutic properties, in a distillate of certified organic cereals.
‘Most of the plants used come from the Abbey's own garden and are never more than 100km away, so we focus on the local aspect,’ explains Oana Van Hove, who will be manning the drinks stand at SIAL. ‘ Garden Honey, which won the innovation prize here at SIAL, is inspired by grandma's toddy, an excellent remedy for decongesting and fighting colds. Very sweet, it can also be used in an Iris coffee’.
The distillery already exports to France, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Russia, and from 2025 will also be exporting to the United States.
Passion fruit and organic hops kefir
This low-sugar elixir of life is brewed by traditional methods in Belgium. KULT Kéfir was born at the end of 2020 in the kitchen of Mathilde Riga, an engineer with a passion for bioscience. ‘I started experimenting with fermented products. One day, my mum gave me some precious kefir grains, and I quickly knew that something great was happening. What started out as a simple homemade concoction soon turned out to be a drink full of virtues’.
Fruit kefir is not a simple lemonade, but a traditional drink made by fermenting fresh fruit and natural plants to produce a fizzy brew containing organic acids.
A healthy alternative to industrial sodas, Mathilde wanted to make it accessible to as many people as possible. Kult Kefir exports to ten countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland and even Morocco.
The passion fruit and organic hops kefir won the Sial Innovation prize. An exotic escape for your senses.
Delicious with asparagus
Rachel Renson and her brothers Raphaël and Laurent are the3rd generation of the Conserverie et Moutarderie Belge. ‘It all began in 1953 in our grandparents Maria and Franz Schumacher's garage in Raeren, just over the border from Germany near Aachen’, explains Rachel. Germany remains the main export market for this family business, followed by France.
‘My grandparents started out making mustard, and over time the products diversified to include a whole range of typically Belgian sauces such as tartar and andalouse. Over the last 2 years, we've broadened our range to include spreads and vinaigrettes’.
The cannery now offers 7 brands, the latest of which, Maria & Franz, features a deposit system to further reduce consumers' ecological footprint.
The SIAL award-winning product is La Délicieuse's organic vegan asparagus spread. With no flavourings or additives, it can be eaten morning, noon and night, from breakfast on bread to dinner with pasta or as an aperitif with friends.
Drink a Flower
Fruzzion, a company that makes 100% natural drinks from dried flowers and organic juices Froui , launched the Drink A Flower brand 3 years ago. ‘These are refreshing, slightly fizzy drinks made from flowers infused cold so that they retain their virtues. The flowers are infused for 24 hours. Entirely organic, our drinks have very little sugar and are rich in antioxidants’, explains Maximilien Huwart from their stand at SIAL. ‘We wanted to develop a premium, healthy and responsible drink for everyone’.
The brand's 4 products (hibiscus and passion fruit, peach and lemon, lime and ginger, elderflower) won awards at SIAL Taste, an extension of SIAL Innovation and a springboard for discovering the tastiest culinary nuggets of the year.
The company is already exporting the brand to the Netherlands, France, Greece, Cyprus, Morocco and even Taiwan.
