Food Innovation Slam

Welcome to the Food Innovation Slam, an hour packed with groundbreaking keynote presentations that demonstrate how innovation is revolutionizing the food and snack industry! Look forward to exciting topics such as functional snacks redefining energy, edible and sustainable packaging solutions, and creative fillings and toppings that take indulgence to the next level. Get inspired and discover how bold ideas and fresh approaches are shaping the future of the industry!

Moderation: Markus Schmid, Institute Director, Sustainabale Packaging Institute SPI, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University

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Energy Nuts: Rethinking Energy Boosting and Creating a New Category
Sebastian Wirth, Co-Founder, snagger GmbH

Energy drinks deliver quick energy spikes, followed by equally quick crashes. We asked a simple question: What if an energy boost could be smoother, longer-lasting, and integrated into a natural food matrix?This idea led to Energy Nuts – the world’s first peanut snack enriched with caffeine and taurine, designed to create a completely new category of functional snacking. The lecture explains, in an accessible and entertaining way, how nutrition physiology provides the scientific foundation for this innovation. The fat and protein structure of roasted peanuts can influence the absorption of caffeine, contributing to a more gradual uptake compared to traditional liquid energy drinks. Taurine is widely used in energy formulations and forms part of the familiar profile of modern energizing products. We also explore insights from consumer behavior research: gamers, office workers, and students prefer small, clean snacks that fit seamlessly into their routines and don’t interrupt their workflow. As a side example, we highlight the SNAGGER snack dispenser, which demonstrates how real-world behavior can inspire product design. Finally, we discuss the sustainability perspective of energy in solid form: reduced transport weight, efficient shelf-life, and a more resource-friendly alternative to bottled energy drinks. The talk invites the audience to rethink what an “energy boost” can be – combining science, behavior insights, and a bit of humor to show how functional food innovation can open entirely new categories in the snack industry.

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FRENVI Purpose Bakery: Making Innovative Edible Products the New Mainstream
Dr. Markus Götz, Head of Research & Development, FRENVI GmbH

What if the most sustainable packaging solution was dessert?

At FRENVI, we are making innovative edible products the new mainstream by inviting you to rethink waste, packaging, and bakery products from an entirely new angle.

Welcome to our German PURPOSE BAKERY in Walldorf-Wiesloch – not a traditional bakery, but a future-oriented upcycling lab where food innovation, material science and purpose meet. Opening in early 2026 in Germany, we will continue to offer three edible solutions:

·         EATlery© –made from 100% natural ingredients our edible cutlery that stays stable for 30–40 minutes, tastes neutral during the meal and becomes a crunchy cookie afterwards.

·         The Cookie Cup – a leak-proof, edible coffee cup that replaces billions of paper and plastic cups and turns takeaway coffee into a zero-waste experience.

·         CrackerPlus – tasty, high-fiber crackers made with up to 20% upcycled barley fiber (brewers’ spent grain), rescuing valuable nutrients from the food and beverage industry.

With real use cases from festivals, stadiums, cafés, caterers and retail, we show why edible tableware can outperform plastic and even reusables – economically, operationally and environmentally.

Expect concrete B2B insights, surprising numbers, and a lighthearted look on sustainability. 

Because the future of sustainable food packaging might just be delicious.

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Next level filling & topping experiences – taste thought anew
Patrick Gerdes, CEO, KESSKO GmbH & Co. KG 

The bakery and snack market is evolving rapidly. Today, great taste alone is no longer enough – consumers are looking for experiences, surprise and inspiration. This is exactly where Next Level Filling & Topping Experiences come into play.

In this presentation, we explore why it is essential to rethink established product concepts, challenge conventions and boldly combine new flavor profiles, textures and formats.

The focus is on innovative filling and topping ideas that create emotion, enable differentiation and set new benchmarks in the market. We demonstrate how trend-driven flavors, creative applications and modern product approaches can turn familiar products into true highlights – whether through unexpected flavor combinations, exciting sensory effects or contemporary indulgence moments.

This presentation offers inspiration for everyone ready to think outside the box, stand out from the competition and actively shape the future of the market with innovative taste concepts.