Is Fi Europe open to the general public?

No. Fi Europe is a paid-registration B2B trade event. All visitors must be professionals from the food, beverage, ingredient, or nutrition industry. Minimum age is 16. Tickets range from 125 EUR (standard) to 250 EUR (premium) excluding VAT.

What is the difference between Fi Europe and Hi Europe?

Fi Europe covers the full spectrum of food and beverage ingredients. Hi Europe focuses specifically on health-benefit ingredients such as probiotics, vitamins, and botanical actives. Both run simultaneously on the same exhibition floor under one ticket.

Does Fi Europe have a dedicated tea or botanical section?

There is no standalone tea hall. Botanical and herbal ingredient suppliers exhibit within the main Food and Health Ingredients zone alongside other natural-origin raw materials. Martin Bauer Group and Plantextrakt are the most visible herbal and tea extract exhibitors.

How often does Fi Europe alternate between Paris and Frankfurt?

Fi Europe alternates annually between Paris Expo Porte de Versailles and Messe Frankfurt. The 2025 edition was in Paris; the 2026 edition returns to Frankfurt. The alternating cycle has been maintained for over a decade.

When does Fi Europe 2026 take place and what is the venue?

Fi Europe 2026 runs 17-19 November 2026 at Messe Frankfurt, Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1, 60327 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Opening hours are 10:00-18:00 on days 1-2 and 10:00-16:00 on day 3, with Priority and Premium pass holders admitted from 09:00.

Is Fi Europe relevant for a tea bag co-packer?

Indirectly, yes. Fi Europe is an upstream sourcing event: the brands and R&D teams that discover new botanical ingredients here become the customers who issue co-packing and full-production RFQs 12-18 months later. Attending as a visitor builds early-stage relationships with future buyers before they have a brief to send.

Balkan TeaSince 1990

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Trade show - Frankfurt, Germany

Food Ingredients Europe (Fi Europe)

The ingredients industrys annual European meeting. Next edition: November 17-19, 2026 at Messe Frankfurt.

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Next edition

November 17-19, 2026

Messe Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany

Official site

Tracking for intelligence

We monitor this show for buyer trends and product intelligence without exhibiting this year.

About the show

What it is, who attends

Fi Europe is the leading food and beverage ingredients trade show on the continent. Held annually, alternating between Frankfurt and Paris. Botanicals, extracts, and functional ingredients exhibit here.

Why it matters

Where we source upstream. Native Balkan herbs that ship to DE/AT/CH via the herb business sometimes connect through Fi Europe contacts. Strategic for the sourcing side of Full Production.

27,000+

Visitors

1,500+

Exhibitors

135

Countries

Calendar

Upcoming editions

November 17-19, 2026
Messe Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
Upcoming

Since 1986

How it grew

40 years of editions, reshaped by changing buyer behaviour and category growth.

1986
First edition launched in Utrecht, Netherlands, as a regional gathering for food ingredient suppliers.
2003
Informa Markets acquires the show and consolidates it with Health Ingredients Europe (Hi Europe) under one roof.
2013
Natural Ingredients Europe (Ni) co-locates for the first time, adding a dedicated zone for botanical and plant-based raw materials.
2019
Paris edition draws over 26,000 attendees from 135+ countries - largest edition to that date.
2023
Frankfurt edition: 1,400+ exhibitors from 73 countries, a 22% increase on the prior Frankfurt cycle.
2025
30th anniversary edition in Paris: 24,351 attendees from 134 countries, 1,550+ exhibitors, 177 Innovation Award submissions (22% increase on 2024).

Floor plan

Halls and zones to know

Where tea, private label, and beverage buyers concentrate on the show floor.

Food and Health Ingredients

Core ingredient categories - flavours, sweeteners, plant-based proteins, emulsifiers, vitamins, botanicals, herbal and fruit extracts, probiotics. 25 country pavilions.

Why it mattersThe main floor where botanical raw-material suppliers including Martin Bauer Group and Plantextrakt exhibit their herbal and tea extracts. R&D and blend-formulation buyers from tea, infusion, and beverage brands walk this section looking for new ingredient combinations - conversations that become co-packing or full-production RFQs 12-18 months later.

Tech - Services and Equipment

Food processing, contract manufacturing, food safety, automation, packaging, and agtech solutions.

Why it mattersContract manufacturers and co-packers exhibit here. Relevant for networking with peer contract manufacturers and spotting buyers who are actively sourcing production partners rather than raw materials.

Ready to Market

Fully developed, market-ready innovations including finished tea, infusion, and functional beverage prototypes.

Why it mattersNew for 2026. Buyers who want a finished product - label, blend, packaging - in one place. Full-production clients often discover a gap between "I want a tea brand" and "I need a co-packer" here.

Pet Food and Nutrition Hub

Premix, formulation, processing, and co-packing services for pet food manufacturers.

Why it mattersPeripheral relevance - useful for understanding how contract manufacturing is positioned in adjacent food categories.

Startup Pavilion

Early-stage ingredient and food technology companies, Innovation Award finalists.

Why it mattersWhere the next generation of botanical ingredients and sustainable packaging solutions surfaces first. Worth a walkthrough for long-term trend scouting on filter paper, envelope materials, and Balkan herb derivatives.

This edition

What to look out for

Fi Innovation Awards - eight categories

Free to enter for exhibitors. Independent jury chaired by Prof. Colin Dennis. Categories for 2026 include Health, Sustainability, Plant-based, Food Manufacturing, Future Foodtech, Dairy Alternative, Pet Food, and Diversity/Equity/Inclusion. The 2025 edition received 177 submissions, a 22% increase on 2024, showing rising industry engagement.

Hi Europe co-location

Health Ingredients Europe runs alongside Fi Europe under the same roof and ticket. The combined event covers the full chain from raw botanical to finished functional ingredient, which is where tea and herbal infusion RFQs originate.

Future of Nutrition Summit

Lunch-and-learn format conference covering emerging ingredient trends, regulatory shifts, and formulation challenges. Sessions on botanicals and plant-based ingredients directly signal which raw material categories brands will start requesting from contract manufacturers 12-24 months later.

30th anniversary milestones (2025 Paris edition)

The 2025 edition marked 40 years since the 1986 Utrecht launch. A Community Hub facilitated peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. A Tasting Bar allowed sensory sampling of ingredients in finished-product form, connecting abstract ingredients to real consumer applications.

Startup Pavilion and Innovation Hub

A dedicated zone for early-stage companies and Innovation Award finalists offers concentrated exposure to where ingredient and packaging innovation is heading. Sustainable envelope materials and compostable tea-bag solutions regularly debut here.

Who you will see

Exhibitors and buyers at recent editions

Notable exhibitors

Brands typically exhibiting in the tea, private-label, or adjacent halls.

Martin Bauer Group / Plantextrakt (Germany) - global leader in herbal, fruit, and tea extracts; botanical raw materials for the infusion and beverage sectors
Givaudan (Switzerland) - naturals portfolio including yerba mate, ginseng, acerola, and ginger; showcased at Fi Europe 2025
Cargill (USA) - functional ingredients, texturisers, sweeteners; 2024 Future Foodtech and Pet Food Innovation Award winner
ADM / Archer Daniels Midland (USA) - health ingredients, postbiotics, botanical extracts; Health Innovation Award winner 2024 and 2025
Finzelberg (Germany, part of Martin Bauer Group) - pharmaceutical-grade botanical extracts, plant-based actives including Greek mountain tea (Sideritis) extract
Brenntag (Germany) - ingredient distribution; active at Fi Europe for connecting ingredient suppliers with smaller beverage and food manufacturers
ABF Ingredients / AB Mauri (UK) - yeasts, enzymes, fortification ingredients
Azelis (Belgium) - specialty ingredients distribution across 60+ countries
Symrise (Germany) - flavours, botanicals, and taste modulation ingredients
Naturex / Givaudan Naturals (France) - plant extracts and functional botanicals

Notable buyers

Retail chains, hospitality groups, and importers known to send delegations.

R&D directors and product development managers at European beverage and tea brands scouting new botanical ingredients for blend reformulation
Procurement teams at functional food and nutraceutical manufacturers sourcing herbal extracts and plant-based actives
Blend formulators and innovation managers at private-label food manufacturers looking for ingredient differentiation
Category development managers from major EU food retailers evaluating supplier ingredient sourcing and sustainability credentials
Import and distribution companies building ingredient portfolios for the Eastern European and Balkan markets
Contract manufacturers attending the Tech zone looking for new client accounts and capacity partnerships
Startup founders developing functional tea, botanical infusion, and RTD products who need production partners

Plan your visit

Tickets, travel, accommodation, exhibiting

Ticket access

B2B trade only. Paid registration required. Standard pass: 125 EUR (entry from 10:00). Priority pass: 175 EUR (entry from 09:00). Premium pass: 250 EUR (09:00 entry, VIP lounge, and complimentary access to Celebration and Awards Party). All prices exclude VAT. Free for exhibitors. Minimum age 16.

Opening hours

November 17: 10:00-18:00 (Priority/Premium from 09:00). November 18: 10:00-18:00 (Priority/Premium from 09:00). November 19: 10:00-16:00 (Priority/Premium from 09:00).

Getting there

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) - S8 or S9 S-Bahn direct to Frankfurt Messe/Westbahnhof, approximately 11 minutes
Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (main station) - U4 U-Bahn to Festhalle/Messe, approximately 3 stops
Eurostar and ICE connections to Frankfurt Hbf from Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Cologne

Accommodation

Book through the official bnetwork partner portal linked from the Fi Europe website. Frankfurt hotels within 1-2 km of Messe Frankfurt sell out 4-6 months before the show. Overflow options in Mainz (20 minutes by S-Bahn) and Darmstadt (30 minutes by regional train) offer lower rates.

Exhibitor cost

Stand space pricing is not publicly listed; contact Informa Markets directly. Based on comparable Informa events, expect 350-500 EUR per m2 for raw space and 500-700 EUR per m2 for shell scheme, excluding graphics, furniture, and logistics. Country pavilions organised through national trade agencies can reduce individual costs.

Programme

Awards and co-located events

Awards + competitions

Fi Europe Innovation Awards - eight categories (Health, Sustainability, Plant-based, Food Manufacturing, Future Foodtech, Dairy Alternative, Pet Food, DEI); free entry for exhibitors; independent international jury; 177 submissions in 2025
Startup Challenge - competition for early-stage ingredient and food technology companies; finalists exhibit in the Startup Pavilion during the show

Co-located events

Hi Europe (Health Ingredients Europe) - functional and science-backed health ingredients, same ticket and same floor as Fi Europe
Ni Europe (Natural Ingredients Europe) - plant-based and natural raw materials zone, integrated within the Fi/Hi floor
Fi Europe Conference - included in all visitor passes, covers formulation, regulation, and ingredient innovation
Fi Europe Celebration and Awards Party - evening ceremony recognising Innovation Award winners; included in Premium pass

Our take

Why we think buyers should weigh this show this way

Fi Europe is not where tea co-packing deals close - it is where the ingredient decisions that create those deals begin. R&D managers and blend formulators attending Fi Europe are 12-18 months upstream from issuing a production RFQ. They choose botanical varieties, confirm flavour directions, and set sustainability specs at shows like this. By the time they contact a co-packer, the product concept is fixed.

For Balkan Tea, the value of Fi Europe is intelligence, not conversion. Walking the show every other year (Frankfurt cycle) keeps us current on which botanical ingredients brands are moving toward - chamomile, mountain tea, linden, rosehip - which directly informs our sourcing from Luan Fazliu's network and our blend library for full-production clients.

The contract manufacturing zone within Tech-Services-Equipment is a secondary target: contract manufacturer peers exhibiting there signal what capabilities the market expects and at what price points. At Tier 3, we track rather than exhibit. A Frankfurt visit as a registered trade visitor costs 125-175 EUR and 2 travel days from Pristina - a justified investment once every two years.

5/ 10

High-value intelligence event for upstream trend tracking. Low direct conversion potential for a finished-bag co-packer. Worth visiting biennial Frankfurt editions; not a priority for exhibiting at our current stage.

Best for

R&D managers and product developers at tea and functional beverage brands scouting botanical ingredients
Blend formulators building new infusion recipes who need raw material supplier contacts
Contract manufacturers wanting upstream market intelligence on ingredient trends
Buyers sourcing botanical extracts for nutraceutical or wellness tea applications

Skip if you are

Retailers or HORECA buyers looking for finished private-label tea products (go to Anuga or PLMA instead)
B2C marketers or consumer brand teams without procurement or R&D mandates
Tea co-packers expecting direct sales leads (the audience buys ingredients, not finished bags)

FAQ

Common questions

Quick answers buyers ask before committing the travel budget.

No. Fi Europe is a paid-registration B2B trade event. All visitors must be professionals from the food, beverage, ingredient, or nutrition industry. Minimum age is 16. Tickets range from 125 EUR (standard) to 250 EUR (premium) excluding VAT.

Meet us

Going to Fi Europe? Lock a meeting before you fly.

Send a brief by phone, WhatsApp, or form and we will set time aside on the floor or in a private meeting space. Co-packing, full production, sample-pack handover - whatever scope fits.

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SIAL Paris

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Talk to us

Talk to us about your tea project

Phone, WhatsApp, or send a message. We answer Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00 CET in English, Albanian, Macedonian, and German.

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