New innovations in drinks sector at Alimentaria fair

On day two of Hostelco and Alimentaria’s food and drink fair, some new innovations were on display. One highlight was an edible straw has been created by the Catalan company Sorbos, which literally means ‘sips’.

“It won’t melt. It takes more than half an hour for it to start losing its shape in natural beverages, and more than an hour in cold drinks. That means you have plenty of time to drink anything you like: a smoothie, a milkshake, a cocktail, a gin and tonic,” said Victor Manuel Sánchez, founder of Sorbos.

An entire section of the congress is dedicated to drinks. Reducing waste is also one of this year’s trends. As are natural products without any additives. One such product was a new type of craft beer made by Épica Ares.

“This product is 100% natural. It has the basic ingredients: water, malted barley, brewer’s yeast, and honey. Nothing more,” said Francesc Giménez, the company’s CEO.

Customers now appreciate more sustainable products, and also new tastes. This is why the main beer producer in Catalonia is introducing Indian Pale Ales to its repertoire. You might know Damm for its red-labeled Estrella beer bottles, but this time they’re opting for a greenish design inspired by Mediterranean landscapes.

A non-alcoholic gin-like drink was also one of the highlights, created by Industrias Espadafor. “People who can’t drink alcohol or who don’t feel like drinking alcohol, because there’s many people who don’t like it or who need to drive,” said Cristina Ramírez, a sales rep for the company. To see all this and more, the fair runs until Thursday in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.