An exhibitor shows his products to domestic food and beverage buyers at SIAL, one of the world's biggest food and beverage exhibitions in Shanghai in May. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

One of the world's biggest food and beverage exhibitions, SIAL, will be held in Shanghai from May 18 to 20, 2022.

The exhibition will have eight themed halls for leisure food, imported food, convenience food, high-end beverages, meat and frozen food, grain, oils, condiments, dairy and health products. About 4,500 exhibitors from home and abroad are expected to present more than 300,000 products at the exhibition.

The exhibition offers a platform for food and beverage producers to display their new products and exchange notes with one another.

"We believe that the consumer demand in the Chinese market is very strong," says Nicolas Trentesaux, general manager of SIAL Group.

According to the organizer, next year's event will also feature a gourmet food kitchen, new tea drinks, a snacks festival and coffee making competition.

A global food industry summit will be held during the exhibition, where more than 100 top industry players from China, the European Union, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Indonesia and Israel will discuss the latest developments in the food industry.

"We will work alongside and carry out multilevel cooperation with SIAL to continuously improve food-related industry standards, promote the development of China's economy and global food trade, and provide new development opportunities for enterprises," says Fu Longcheng, vice-president of the China General Chamber of Commerce.

A crowd attends a Beijing news conference announcing the SIAL Shanghai 2022. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Yan Libing, director of the member development department of the China Chamber of International Commerce, says, "Based on the consensus goal of promoting the process of economic globalization, the CCOIC has formed a partnership with SIAL organizers."

The CCOIC will make full use of its member resources and overseas channels to provide support for SIAL to expand the international market and for exhibitors to promote overseas business, Yan adds.

SIAL will continue to do everything possible to build a global platform to display new products, promote exchanges, spread culture, and constantly adapt to new changes, says Elaine Chia, Asia-Pacific CEO of the French event organizer Comexposium Group.

"In addition, SIAL will also play an important role in the Chinese market, witness industrial development, lead the consumption of high-quality food and beverage products, promote domestic and foreign cooperation, and accelerate industrial transformation in the Chinese market," Chia says.

The food and beverage exhibition has attracted nearly 40,000 exhibitors from more than 70 countries and regions over the years, and the number of visitors to the event has surpassed 1 million.