Kerry wrapped up its participation at Gulfood Manufacturing 2025 after welcoming visitors to Kerry Unboxed, a live, interactive experience that showed how global food trends, regional tastes, and new technologies are coming together to shape the future of food and drink in the Middle East.

Over three days, Kerry’s booth became a popular spot for visitors, featuring live cooking and barista sessions, expert discussions, and the launch of new flavor innovations inspired by both consumer insights and the next generation’s preferences.

Inspiring the Next Generation with KidZania

One of the highlights this year was Kerry’s partnership with KidZania for the Flavor Detective Co-Creation Workshop, a fun, engaging activity that encouraged children to explore the building blocks of cheese flavor. Their feedback provided broad insights into taste preferences and helped inspire two new innovations: Savory Parmesan and Creamy Gouda cheese powders.

Both ingredients deliver rich, authentic cheese flavor suited to regional and international snacks. At Gulfood Manufacturing, Kerry showcased a range of product concepts using the powders, demonstrating how children’s natural curiosity can spark ideas and influence the future of family-focused foods.

Innovation, Taste, and Sustainability at the Forefront

On Day 1, İnanç Işık, General Manager – Retail, Kerry Middle East, joined industry leaders for the Visionary Leaders in Armchair panel to discuss how collaboration and innovation are changing global food manufacturing.

He explained that for any innovation to succeed, taste, nutrition, and sustainability must work together, noting that taste remains the biggest factor behind consumer choices. He also shared how Kerry’s technologies are helping brands cut cocoa use by up to 20% and sugar by up to 50% while keeping the same taste and quality.

“Our foodservice collaborations let us test and refine ideas quickly, increasing success rates in a region where over 20,000 new products launch each year but only a fraction achieve commercial success,” said Işık. “It’s how we ensure our innovations remain creative, relevant, and commercially viable.”

He added that new health technologies like GLP-1 are changing what people want from their food, creating a stronger demand for high-protein, functional, and affordable products that fit regional preferences.

“We are focused on scalable innovations that combine great taste, smart nutrition, and cost efficiency,” he said.

Smart Health: Science, Nutrition, and Real-World Application

On Day 2, Professor Imed Gallouzi, Chair of the Smart Health Centre at KAUST and Scientific Advisor to KHNI, expanded on how the future of food is largely driven by innovations prioritizing taste, nutrition and sustainability. He emphasized that taste and nutrition are no longer competing priorities, they must co-exist to meet the demands of the consumer of tomorrow.

“Smart health is becoming an essential part of how future consumers will live, eat, heal, and thrive. Diagnostics, nutrition, and personalized health technologies will help us tailor nutrition plans not only to the person’s health needs but also to their taste. Science-driven nutrition is the bridge between these worlds, and this is where Kerry is leading globally,” said Professor Gallouzi.

Kerry’s work, he said, aligns closely with KAUST’s mission to turn scientific breakthroughs into real-world innovation, supporting the Middle East’s growth as a hub for smart-health research and technology.

Kerry’s Continued Commitment to the Region

Kerry Unboxed demonstrated the company’s ongoing commitment to advancing the Middle East’s food and beverage landscape through innovation, collaboration, and insight. By blending global expertise with local creativity, Kerry continues to support brands in delivering products that are delicious, sustainable, and relevant to consumers’ evolving needs.

“Gulfood Manufacturing 2025 has been a powerful reminder that the future of food in our region is being shaped by collaboration, creativity, and a relentless focus on taste. Sustainable solutions must never compromise on flavor or functionality,” said İnanç Işık, General Manager – Retail, Kerry Middle East. “Our ability to rapidly test ideas in foodservice, adapt to new health trends, and deliver affordable, customised nutrition is what sets Kerry apart. We’re proud to help our customers turn global trends into local success stories, and to inspire the next generation of food innovators.”