Food from Finland is inviting Finnish companies with plant-based products, natural snacks, non-alcoholic beverages and free from foods to join a fact finding and PR visit to New York and Philadelphia in the end of September. Purpose of this visit is to gain a better understanding of the market and competition. On this trip you will get to visit local stores, meet buyers and other valuable contacts.
Sixty-two percent of U.S. households are buying plant-based products
With the U.S. retail sales reaching $7.4 billion in 2021 and 69 % of consumers are already purchasing plant-based foods. Plant-based food retail sales grew three times faster than total food retail sales, with most plant-based categories outpacing their conventional counterparts.
Product innovation is critical to continue to earn a larger share of the market and the interest of the consumers. Getting more consumers to eat plant-based foods more often requires improved taste and texture to compete with animal products, more product diversity, and greater affordability and accessibility.
According to recent surveys, 54 percent of Americans between ages 24 and 39 now consider themselves flexitarians. (Source: Plant-based Food Association)
Wellness-focused, 'sober-curious' consumers are driving interest in alcoholic-free drinks
According to the data analytics firm NielsenIQ, sales of non-alcoholic beverages rose 33.2 % in the past year, with $331 million in total sales. Non-alcoholic beer and cider sales grew by 31.7 %, but more notably sales of non-alcoholic spirits grew 113.4 % during the same period.
Free from market
The United States is experiencing a high demand for free from food and beverage products such as gluten-free beverages.
Regulatory framework and initiatives by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to promote gluten-free diets is anticipated to boost market growth.
Free-from-food market is segmented by type into gluten free, dairy free, allergen free and other types. By end product the market is segmented into bakery and confectionery, dairy free foods, snacks, beverages, and other end products.
Natural Products Expo East – Biofach America
Natural Products Expo East 2022 will gather exhibitors and participants to Philadelphia from 28 September to 1 October, the best trade show for Organic and Natural foods. Natural Products Expo East 2022 will be the perfect spot to get one-on-one time with retailers, distributors and foodservice professionals. During your visit you can also follow live demonstrations and listen to informative speaking sessions.
Read more about Natural Products Expo East
Agenda
| Sunday 25.9. | Meet & Greet Dinner |
| Monday 26.9. | Meet-the-Buyer Event and Store Checks |
| Tuesday 27.9. | PR Event & Networking Dinner |
| Wednesday 28.9. | Expo East, Philadelphia (Store Checks TBC) |
| Thursday 29.9. | Expo East, Philadelphia |
We will also have a chef preparing dishes using products from the participating companies.
Meet-the-Buyer Event
We will be inviting local buyers, distributors, and importers to this event.
This opportunity is for companies whose products are either already on the market, have an FDA approval or the approval process is underway.
If your product is not yet FDA compliant and you'd like to begin the process, please contact Elina Fahlgren, Business Finland USA, elina.fahlgren (at) businessfinland.fi at your earliest convenience.
PR Day
During the PR Day, we will focus on sharing the story of Finnish food innovations, sustainable and transparent food industry, and of course the focus is on the companies and their products.
Register now and help us to build the content for the day!
Price of the visit
EUR 1000 + 24% VAT per company (max. 2 participants/company)
Price includes:
Meet & Greet dinner
Meet-the-Buyer meetings
Store Check visits
PR event
Networking dinner
Not including
Flights & accommondation
Transportation to/from Philadelphia
Product sample logistics costs
Expo East ticket Expo East ticket fee
Business Finland will invoice the participation fee in August. Business Finland also reserves the right to cancel the visit if less than 8 companies are to join.
Welcome!
