#CulinaryCourant #ItalyPeachy TUTTOFOOD 2026 OFFICIALLY OPENS Italian Brand Owners: Reach Out Directly Please!
Four days during which institutions, industry, distribution and food service from around the world discuss the future of food & beverage.
TUTTOFOOD Milano 2026, the Southern Europe’s leading food business platform, has officially opened.
At 11:00 a.m. today Milan time, with a greeting from Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, and in the presence of Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forests, the official inauguration in the TUTTOFOOD Hall in Corso Italia at Rho Fiera Milano clearly confirmed the institutional recognition of an event that brings Italy, in a strategic sector such as agri-food, to compete with trade fairs that have historically been world leaders in the sector. Whom You Know is honored to cover this remotely from the USA and we welcome all brand owners to only ever contact Peachy directly as the Italians have a proven track record of excellence. (PeachyDeegan at gmail)
In his video message, Minister Urso recalled that “in a challenging context such as the current one, agri-food remains a cornerstone of our production system, one of the five excellences, the ‘five As’ of Made in Italy, recognised worldwide for quality, identity and capacity for innovation. The figures speak clearly: exports of more than 70 billion, European leadership in agricultural added value, a world record in PDO and PGI production — with around 900 certified products that together generate more than 20 billion in value and over 12 billion in exports. The recognition of Italian cuisine as an intangible heritage of humanity.” The Minister then underlined how, in “such a dynamic sector, the trade fair system remains a strategic lever for development and internationalisation, especially for smaller companies opening up to new markets.” This is the direction taken by “the historic agreement between AEFI and IT-EX, which enhances trade fairs as instruments of industrial policy,” and he added that “the Government stands alongside companies to support innovation, security of supply and to expand their presence on foreign markets.” In particular, he concluded, “with the Transition 5.0 Plan we are accompanying the dual Digital and Green transition.”
“TUTTOFOOD is an international showcase that tells the story of Italy’s ability to establish itself in the world as the homeland of beauty, goodness and quality,” said Minister Lollobrigida. “Through the meeting between producers, processors, distributors and international buyers, TUTTOFOOD enhances the entire Italian agri-food supply chain, contributing to export growth, the promotion of Made in Italy and the creation of new economic opportunities. It is more strategic than ever to act as a system, creating synergies between Italian trade fairs and strengthening our nation’s competitiveness on global markets. In a complex international context, TUTTOFOOD thus confirms itself as a fundamental point of reference for promoting innovation, quality and the strategic vision of the Italian agri-industry.”
The presence at the inauguration of the Presidents of Fiere di Parma and Fiera Milano, Franco Mosconi and Carlo Bonomi, seals an important key to this result: the ability of two Italian trade fair organisations, expressions of the best of the territories they represent, to form an alliance, bringing into a system the forty years of expertise acquired by Parma with CIBUS, the benchmark exhibition for Made in Italy agri-food, and Milan’s international appeal, relational strength and logistical capacity, as a strategic hub for business, innovation, culture and an incubator of the future.
“For Fiere di Parma,” said President Mosconi, “it is both an honour and a responsibility to work — as we have been doing for several years — on building a truly international platform for food and beverage companies. Significantly, the Parma-Milan-Cologne axis embraces the two most important manufacturing systems in the European Union and — of this we are deeply convinced — represents an example of supra-regional collaboration between public and private actors.”
“In the new global economic balance, marked by geopolitical instability and growing market fragmentation, it is essential to build international platforms able to accompany companies through processes of growth and internationalisation,” said Carlo Bonomi, President of Fiera Milano. “In this scenario, TUTTOFOOD 2026 confirms itself as a global point of reference for agri-food and Made in Italy, fostering innovation, relationships and new development opportunities on international markets.”
Alliances that bring together resources and energies, joining the partnership of more than a decade between Parma and Koelnmesse, organiser of Anuga in Cologne, a true giant among the world’s agri-food exhibitions.
An integral part of this system is ICE – Italian Trade Agency, which, through its important Buyer’s Program, ensures that TUTTOFOOD attracts the top international food buyers operating both in retail and in food service, to whom TUTTOFOOD is dedicating extensive space this year with food service and mixology.
Also present at the inauguration was the President, Matteo Zoppas, who declared: “2025 confirmed the structural strength of Italian agri-food, with exports growing by 5% compared to the previous year and reaching a record value of 72.5 billion, despite an international context marked by geopolitical tensions and uncertainty. The recognition of Italian Cuisine as UNESCO intangible heritage — also the result of the Government’s commitment and in particular that of the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida — strengthens the positioning and perceived value of our agri-food sector, acting as soft power for the entire Made in Italy system.” He then continued: “There are certainly critical issues to be addressed: the crisis in the Middle East has a direct impact on energy and raw material costs, and US tariffs are producing tangible effects, with exports to the United States down 21.9% in the first two months of 2026. The Government, especially through the Diplomacy for Growth promoted by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who coordinates the action of Sistema Italia, is working to open new trade channels towards emerging areas, enabling Italian companies to conquer new markets. ICE’s role is strategic: in 2025 we supported over 2,200 Italian companies in the agri-food sector alone and involved more than 2,000 foreign operators in missions to Italy. At TUTTOFOOD we have brought over 200 operators from 36 countries, including Saudi Arabia, South America, Canada, China, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore. In 2026 we have planned 258 initiatives dedicated to Food & Wine, including e-commerce actions, agreements with large-scale international retail, and participation in trade fairs in Italy and abroad. In a rapidly changing world, ICE continues to be a point of reference for the internationalisation of Italian companies, helping to consolidate the growth of a sector that represents 15% of national GDP.”
The international dimension acquired by TUTTOFOOD in just two editions managed by Fiere di Parma is confirmed by the active participation of representative bodies from the most important European food & beverage systems, such as FoodDrink Europe, EDA — European Dairy Association, AREPO — Association of European Regions for Products of Origin, AIM — Association des Industries de Marque, and COPA-COGECA.
Speaking at the inauguration, Dirk Jacobs, President of FoodDrink Europe*, stated: “In a context characterised by geopolitical uncertainty, trade disruptions and growing market fragmentation, international platforms such as TUTTOFOOD take on more fundamental importance than ever for the agri-food sector. They provide an indispensable space to strengthen commercial relationships, promote dialogue and keep agri-food trade flows open across national borders. In today’s complex global context, collaboration and international exchanges remain essential to build a resilient, competitive and sustainable food system.”
Outlining the future, Antonio Cellie, CEO of Fiere di Parma, said: “We have inaugurated a record-breaking TUTTOFOOD in Milan thanks to a trade fair model born and grown in Parma with Cibus. Over the years we have developed specific expertise in profiling and managing top buyers across the different channels, to whom, since 2025, we are able to offer every year a trade fair event that becomes unmissable in terms of the quality and quantity of the products on display. TUTTOFOOD will return in 2028, and from 2027, in all odd-numbered years, Cibus. The goal is to build a permanent dialogue and platform to discuss and shape, among all stakeholders, a future for Food that is sustainable, healthy and accessible. All this through trade fair events that are clear and immersive for professional visitors from all over the world, giving priority to quality products and those linked to territories, not only Italian ones. Just as at Cibus the protagonists are iconic Brands and PDOs, standard-bearers of Made in Italy, at TUTTOFOOD we will find both the international protagonists of the food industry and European and non-European GIs. Walking through the halls of TUTTOFOOD, one clearly perceives the intention of exhibitors, regardless of their origin or size, to communicate that Food is not merely a commodity with economic value, but a cultural project capable of guaranteeing justice, sustainability and shared longevity.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was also significant, with the participation of 60 representatives of Italian Regions and TPOs present at the fair, lined up on the ceremony stage.
At the end, Minister Lollobrigida and the other dignitaries visited the fair, following a route that carefully covered all 10 exhibition halls.
Among the highlights of the first day, on the afternoon of 11 May, the first International Forum of Italian Cuisine will take place at 4:00 p.m. at the Stella Polare Congress Centre Auditorium. Organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry — with Minister Lollobrigida present, who will close the forum — it will address the theme of Italian cuisine, now UNESCO intangible heritage, as an instrument of cultural diplomacy and a powerful soft power tool for our country to promote economic development.
During the Forum, Antonio Cellie, CEO of Fiere di Parma, will officially present to exhibitors and visitors the Food Manifesto, the Charter of Values for the future of Food
which is inspired precisely by the set of values that permeate our Made in Italy agri-food sector and that are expressed in our cuisine, now celebrated universally.
At 3:30 p.m. at the Fruit & Veg Arena in Hall 4, the “Fresh & Produce Retail Europe workshop” will host the official presentation of “AOP Unione Quarta Gamma” and of the data from the research conducted by the observatory of the same name, developed by TUTTOFOOD with Agroter and Toluna, across 9 European countries — Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Hungary — involving 7,000 respondents, customers of 250 European retail chains, for the awarding of the first Fresh & Produce Retail Award to the best European retailers in fresh produce management.
Also at 3:30 p.m., in Hall 3 at the Federalimentare area, the meeting “The New Food Order: geopolitical shock and European Agrifood Resilience” will take place, with contributions from Minister Lollobrigida, Maurizio Martina, Vice President of FAO, Massimiliano Giansanti, President of COPA, Dirk Jacobs, President of Food&Drink Europe, and Paolo Mascarino, President of Federalimentare. Raffaele Fitto is also expected.
Also noteworthy, at 2:00 p.m. at the AREPO Vision Arena, Hall 3, is the meeting “DOP Economy: the European value of Geographical Indications between competitiveness and territories,” which will offer an updated reading of the “PDO Economy” as a lever for sustainable growth, in light of recent regulatory developments and the European Action Plan on GIs. European GIs are in fact making their debut at TUTTOFOOD, with a premiere for territorial products at international level: an absolute novelty in the context of global agri-food trade fairs.
For the full programme, please visit: https://www.tuttofood.it/en/conferences-2026/
THE NUMBERS OF TUTTOFOOD 2026
· Exhibitors: +20%, equal to 5,000 brands, around 30% of which are foreign.
· Buyers: +33%, equal to 4,000 top buyers. They come from Europe 42%, Latin America 9%, Far East and ASEAN 15%, Middle East 6%, North America 21%, and Rest of the World 7%.
· Net exhibition area: +15%, equal to 85,000 square metres.
· 10 halls. In an ideal visit to TUTTOFOOD 2026, visitors will be able to move from Dairy Products in Hall 1, through Meat, Proteins & Cured Meat in Hall 3 and part of Hall 4, to Grocery in Halls 7, 5 and 10, and then to Hall 6, which hosts the Italian Specialty Selection and the Mixology Experience, an area featuring major producers of waters, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, proposing new methods of offering and presentation inspired by the concept of beverage pairing. Continuing with Deli, Frozen & Seafood in Halls 2 and 4, where Tutto Fruit & Veg is also located, the fresh produce area that tells the evolutionary trajectories of fresh and processed fruit and vegetable products, ending with Bakery & Snacks in Hall 8 and Confectionery & Coffee in Hall 12.
· Pre-accredited visitors: 100,000 from Italy and abroad.
· Media: over 1,200 accredited journalists, 10% of whom are foreign.
· Official conferences: 250, in addition to those organised by exhibitors.
· 6 Awards Ceremony: including, for the first time in Italy, the prestigious international recognition dedicated to outstanding products, Great Taste in Italy, and the awarding of the first Fresh & Produce Retail Award to the best European retailers in fresh produce management.
*main organisation and non-profit association based in Brussels representing the food and drink industry in Europe. Founded in 1982, it represents 26 national federations, 25 sector associations and numerous leading companies, acting as the spokesperson for the EU’s largest manufacturing sector.
