The new format moves on from the 35th edition of the International Exhibition of Organic and Natural Products and puts the spotlight on healthy eating out of home (restaurants, bars, taverns, canteens, catering and food services).
Promoted by BolognaFiere in collaboration with prestigious partners (FederBio, Demeter, V Label Italia, AITA, CIA and ANGEM), the appointment with SANA Food is from 23 to 25 February 2025, at the same time as the Slow Wine Fair, the fair of Good, Clean and Fair wine organised with Slow Food.

Bologna, 19 September – SANA‘s thirty-sixth birthday marks a turning point for the historic exhibition dedicated to the world of organic and natural products, which is changing formula and evolving into SANA Food.
The new concept, which will be held at BolognaFiere from 23 to 25 February 2025, focuses on the needs and latest trends expressed by consumers – who are increasingly attentive to applying the principles of healthy eating to their diets –, is aimed at professionals and operators in the Horeca and specialised retail sectors, and explores solutions and topics with a strong social and environmental impact.
Only about one-third of Italians eat their lunch at home – the percentage rises to 50% for dinner – and out-of-home consumption is growing strongly compared to Italians’ consumption of food&beverage products purchased in the large-scale retail trade, which has been fluctuating around EUR 160 billion for 15 years (source: The European House – Ambrosetti, 2024).
What gave the SANA Food format its boost was exactly this market evolution that, especially for out-of- home consumption – the recently surveyed value of the food&bev market only for bars, restaurants and taverns will be worth over 92 billion euro in 2023 (source: FIPE Confcommercio Report) –, responds to an important increase in demand for healthy and sustainable products, innovative in their composition and presentation and, at the same time, respectful of the different territorial traditions.
The three days of SANA Food will be a real journey into the world of healthy food, from ready meals to gourmet menus, to offer a complete overview of proposals from the main production realities, especially those with a controlled supply chain and medium-small production volumes.
In continuity with SANA, organic and biodynamic food will be at the heart of SANA Food, alongside further product segments that complete the picture of healthy eating.
In Italy, many of the establishments offering organic menus also have an offer of vegetarian dishes. It is therefore only logical that producers and distributors/retailers of vegetarian, vegan, plant-based and functional food products (‘free from’ and ‘rich in’, food for athletes, senior citizens and children, for allergy sufferers, intolerance sufferers, for those who have adopted a particular dietary regime, etc.) will find space at SANA Food.
In addition to the good, clean and fair wines of the Slow Wine Fair, taking place at the same time as SANA Food, visitors to the Horeca world will find sustainable, healthy and above all good food: the many PDO, PGI and TSG products that are commonly found on our tables and that have made the Mediterranean diet famous throughout the world.
«SANA Food takes up the valuable legacy of SANA to offer food service and Horeca companies innovative solutions that are in step with the times – comments Gianpiero Calzolari, President of BolognaFiere –. The event is an agora for the entire business community in the sector, which is called upon to reflect on the importance of responsible resource management and to equip itself with useful tools to tune in to a consumer who is increasingly aware of and oriented towards healthy, sustainable, high-quality products. By supporting this project, BolognaFiere intends to contribute to a future in which attention to the food’s origin and to people’s wellbeing will become central for both producers and consumers, even outside the home. The contemporaneity of SANA Food with Slow Wine Fair» – concludes Calzolari – «is an added value for exhibitors and visitors alike, and consolidates BolognaFiere as a trade fair reference point for quality food&bev and for strategic reflection on sustainability».
As FederBio President Maria Grazia Mammuccini notes, «organic food is registering a significant increase in out-of-home consumption, reflecting consumers’ growing awareness of sustainable and healthy food choices. The latest data show a marked increase in the use of organic food in restaurants, canteens and hospitality facilities. This positive trend is the result of a cultural evolution that sees organic food not only as a choice of quality, but also as a commitment to environmental protection, climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation and the growth of social wellbeing. As FederBio, we are strongly committed to supporting initiatives that promote an increasing diffusion of organic products also in the Horeca and specialised retail channels. This effort comes at a crucial time for organic farming, which aims to become the reference model for the entire Italian agri-food sector. Our country has taken a leading role in the agroecological transition, but it is essential to intensify efforts to seize the objectives of the European Green Deal. Investments in innovation, research, training, and communication are needed – Mammuccini points out clearly –. Work must be done on supply chains and on initiatives to stimulate consumption. Only in this way will it be possible to reach 25% organic UAA by 2027, as envisioned by the PAC National Strategic Plan, and to reaffirm Italy’s leadership role in the organic field. In this context, moments of meeting and confrontation between companies, operators, institutions, technicians and researchers such as Rivoluzione Bio, of which FederBio is the main promoter together with BolognaFiere, AssoBio and Nomisma, thanks to the Being Organic in Eu promotion project, become fundamental».
«The market for free-from food – emphasises Claudia Castello, Exhibition Manager at SANA – is experiencing exponential growth as it responds to increasingly widespread and diversified dietary needs. Numerous studies indicate that a growing percentage of the population is actively seeking products without gluten, lactose or other allergens. From 2019 to 2023, the Italian market grew from EUR 6,841 million to EUR 8,145 million (source: GS1 Italy, 2024), while the global market is expected to grow from USD 91.55 billion to USD 170.55 billion between 2019-2029 (source: Mordor Intelligence). This trend is fuelled by increased consumer awareness of their health and well-being and represents a unique opportunity for economic and social development. To fully realise this potential, we have set up a committee involving industry experts, quality managers, manufacturers, representatives of institutions, and legal figures specialised in food law, to discuss high quality standards, promote innovation and ensure maximum transparency towards consumers. The first meeting of this round table will take place on 15 October, and the first seminar on the free-from world will be held on 6 November».

100 HEALTHY DAYS
One of the main innovations at SANA Food, the “100 Healthy Days survey”, contributes to interpreting, profiling and, when possible, anticipating the needs of consumers interested in this type of proposal. Produced in collaboration with Channel Marketing Company, LightUp Italia! and Toluna Group, this consumer survey aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the purchasing intentions and motivations of the Italian and international population, starting with a survey conducted for 100 days, twice a year, on 4,000 selected consumers.
The subject of the survey, the ideas, suggestions and out-of-home consumption behaviour, concerning the concept of healthy lifestyle, of 3,000 Italians and 1,000 Danes of different ages, so as to compare the choices and preferences of two culturally distant countries.
If the first phase of the survey, carried out at around the end of spring and summer 2024, outlined the portrait of an attentive and informed consumer, the second survey will highlight the consolidation of certain emerging trends and any differences compared to the first 100 days interviews. The final output of the 100 Healthy Days Survey will be presented in its totality at SANA Food and will be preceded by further previews in the upcoming months.

LAB ACADEMY: A LABORATORY OF IDEAS AND INNOVATION
The opportunities for in-depth cultural learning that have always distinguished SANA also characterise the SANA Food programme, which has structured them in the Lab Academy SANA Food.
This laboratory of ideas is organised in collaboration with Professor Sebastiano Porretta, President of AITA – the Italian Association of Food Technology, and leads professionals from the Horeca world to the February appointment, offering them training sessions with industry experts and innovative insights on topical issues.
Each session of the Lab Academy allows you to keep up to date, and interact with the most accredited professionals, on the most significant market data and the evolution of specific segments, consumer perceptions and trends in food production and out-of-home consumption, without forgetting about the sustainability, technology and innovation issues.

RIVOLUZIONE BIO, SANA FOOD NOVITA’ AND MOMENTS OF CONSUMPTIONS
The focus on business networking at SANA remains a cornerstone of the new approach taken with SANA Food and is embodied by an area dedicated to b2b meetings between exhibitors and international buyers.
Also confirmed is one of SANA‘s most eagerly-awaited appointments, the Stati Generali del biologico e del biodinamico (General Assembly of Organic and Biodynamic Products) by Rivoluzione Bio.
Organised with the Nomisma staff, it offers in-depth analysis of the priority themes for companies, institutions, stakeholders and opinion leaders in the organic sector, who are provided with the latest market data collected by the SANA 2025 Observatory.
Rivolizione Bio is promoted by BolognaFiere in collaboration with FederBio as part of the BEING ORGANIC IN EU project, managed by FederBio in partnership with Naturland DE and co-financed by the EU under EU Reg. no. 1144/2014.
Among the many initiatives that have always been part of SANA and that will not be missing at SANA Food is SANA Food Novità: the showcase of original products and extensions of existing lines, with new formulations or revised packaging intended for the world of out-of-home consumption, will be unveiled in an online preview and then presented at the fair in a dedicated showcase.
As in recent editions of SANA, visibility will be given to two specific moments of consumption: breakfast will be addressed through scientific meetings on the importance of healthy eating right from the morning and cooking demos aimed at Horeca professionals who want to offer healthy, balanced and innovative breakfasts. This will be followed by AperiSANA 2025: run in cooperation with Slow Wine Fair, this area of SANA Food will introduce operators to the trends in the sector and offer tastings of the food & beverage products from the exhibitors at the two events that are most suitable for a healthy aperitif, which will be prepared for the occasion by professional bartenders.

Together with V Label Italia, SANA Food proposes a working area dedicated to the vegan and vegetarian universe, with experts engaged in training activities aimed, in particular, at the Horeca. The professional courses on the programme focus on various topics, from cross contamination to ingredients derived from new vegetable proteins, and provide examples of traditional (and non-traditional) recipes in vegan or vegetarian variants, easy to include in the menus of hotels, restaurants and bars. V Label Italia also presents international innovations related to the veg lifestyle.

During the days of the event, the business community can immerse itself in a rich calendar of Cooking Shows and Masterclasses, which promises to satisfy even the most demanding palates. Chefs and masters of the sector will take turns on stage for live performances, telling secrets, techniques, curiosities and innovative recipes related to healthy eating.
The event’s cafés and eateries are also involved in this journey of discovery and committed to respecting all eating styles, including those derived from the most widespread religious precepts. Different breakfast and lunch formulas will be available, prepared with high quality ingredients and following the expected standards. The aim is to ensure an inclusive dining experience that respects different food choices and beliefs, offering everyone the opportunity to enjoy healthy meals in line with their needs.

INTERNATIONALISATION DRIVE
Also in this renewed format, SANA Food aims to strengthen its presence on international markets. With the support of ICE – Italian Trade Agency and BolognaFiere’s network of agents, the participation of an increasing number of high-profile foreign buyers will be encouraged. The aim is to increase the presence of major operators from the main European and non-European markets, such as Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Moldova, Poland, Romania, United Kingdom, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Hungary, Canada and the United States.
Furthermore, as part of its internationalisation strategy, SANA Food brought some of the sector’s Italian excellences to Plant Based World Expo North America (New York, 11 and 12 September), a reference event for retail and catering in the segment.
In collaboration with Universal Marketing and JD Events, SANA Food participated in the US trip with an Italian collective, highlighting innovation and sustainability of Made in Italy proposals.
Given the positive outcome of the New York experience, further forms of synergy are being studied which, in addition to Italy and the United States, also aim to involve Plant Based World Expo London.
Not only that. Thanks to the partnership with V Label, SANA Food will be previewed in Dubai as part of the Private Label Middle East Expo (24-26 September), Free From Food (2-3 October) and Middle East Organic and Natural Product Expo (18-20 November) events.

SLOW WINE FAIR
As already mentioned, SANA Food‘s new exhibition concept will be enhanced by the concomitance with the fourth edition of Slow Wine Fair, the fair of good, clean and fair wine that BolognaFiere is organising, based on an idea conceived together with Slow Food, and with which SANA Food shares the underlying inspiration and the visitor from the Horeca.
From this contemporaneity, exhibitors will gain greater visibility and more opportunities to expand their business, while the distribution professionals to whom SANA Food is addressed – profiled targets representing hotels, restaurants, bars and catering, specialised shops, delicatessens and cash & carry – will be able to make their offer more appropriate to the new public trends.

SANA Food is organised by BolognaFiere in cooperation with FederBio, Demeter, V Label Italia, AITA, CIA and ANGEM, with the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Municipality of Bologna and the Bologna Chamber of Commerce for Industry, Crafts and Agriculture, and with the support of ICE – Italian Trade Agency.

SANA Food Press Office
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Daniela Modonesi
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6659090

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