EFKO's booth was jam-packed throughout the five-day Prodexpo 2022.

One booth - three key business areas.

A vote to determine the next HI! new offering to be available in stores - by the brand division.

Nonstop negotiations with customers in the food ingredients sector.

Tasting of gourmet dishes prepared from plant-based meat alternatives - by the HoReCa division.

Anyone in the EFKO booth could try a set of six appetizers. Potato croquettes with Hi-meat and plant-based cheese sauce. Minced meat with mushrooms in a lean pancake with mushroom sauce. Mini vol-au-vent with classic Hi beef mince spread with pine nuts, microgreens and olives. One of the visitors' favorites was lean dolma with plant-based meat, mushrooms, and plant-based sour cream. The names alone could make your head spin!

“We tried to unleash the full potential of our products,” said Food of the Future brand chef Anton Prokofiev. "We showcased Hi Balls, classic Hi Beef mince and Hi Beef mince topping. Our product is an excellent alternative to meat. It provides not only the full set of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and micronutrients. Our consumer also loses nothing in terms of taste. The opinion of Prodexpo visitors confirms that even dishes that are difficult in terms of culinary combinations with Hi! are delicious, if not tastier than traditional meat dishes.”

Besides EFKO's interactive participation in the exhibition itself, several of our products participated in the Prodexpo 2022 competition. The results did not take long to come out.

Twelve awards: six for food ingredients and six for Hi! products.

Plant-based alternatives

Two Grand Prix for the best innovative products - HiPelly pelmeni and plant-based milk with almonds.

Four gold medals: Hi! yoghurt with grapefruit - in the "Innovation in Technology" category, and Hi! yoghurt with blueberries, plant-based milk with coconut and, of course, HiBurger as the "Best Product 2022".

The premiere of the exhibition was a new line of Hi! products – HiGRILL plant-based sausages and Hi-KEBAB plant-based ćevapčići for frying, which will hit the stores during the barbecue season.

And the next Hi! new offering was determined by a popular vote in the booth. Participants chose from three options: kefir, ice cream or Hi! drinking yoghurt. All 100% plant-based, obviously!

"This year, we planned the unveiling of the Hi! new offering in consultation with our chief experts - clients and ordinary customers," said marketing head, Olga Drozd. "All of the listed products are at the final stage of development. Hi! drinking yoghurt was the clear winner of the vote. And so it shall be! According to the wishes of Prodexpo visitors, the plant-based drinking yoghurt will be the first to hit the stores. Looking ahead, there are five interesting flavours expected in the line.”

Food ingredients

Gold medals - both in the "Best Product 2022" category - for the cocoa butter equivalent "Equilad" and milk fat substitute for soufflé "Ecolact". This is a reliable helper for confectioners when making the legendary "Ptichye Moloko" sweets, nougat, and other confectionery products with a whipped body.

Oilmix frying oil won in the “Innovative Product” category. Oilprime confectionery fat took silver in the same category.

New products of the EFKO oil and fat division also claimed gold medals in this category:

– “Equilad” cocoa butter enhancer is this year's new offering in the line of high-end compositions of exotic oils. This ingredient protects sweets from temperature changes and fat bloom - the premature appearance of a light coating on chocolate, familiar to all housewives and those with a sweet tooth.

– "Econut" confectionery fat for chocolate and nut butter - a new offering unique on the Russian market in the segment of fats for soft fillings and premium pastes. It is based on shea butter and is suitable for use in recipes for chocolate and nut butter, ensures mouldability over a wide temperature range.

Deputy Sales Director of the EFKO HoReCa division Aleksandra Bibikova

“EFKO is betting on the combination of taste and health benefits. If you are a vegetarian, it's great if you can suddenly try, for example, pancakes with minced meat. I haven't eaten meat for twelve years. Initially, I made this decision because I simply didn't have time to choose quality meat products. Moreover, the modern-day person doesn't need as much animal fat. We all sit behind the computer in the office, and even heavy work is now made easy by technology. Hi! brought meat flavour back into my diet. And I love it!”

EFKO Marketing Director Dmitry Filimoshkin

“In five days of the exhibition, hundreds of professional customers from the food industry visited our booth. On the one hand, these were representatives of national and regional retailers. The second group included HoReCa clients. The third group included current or potential partners in the supply of food ingredients. The fourth group included those from abroad, interested in export matters.
We participated in Prodexpo with three divisions for the first time. The EFKO booth was set up to reflect the logic of all of the most relevant areas of our business. Branded products - for retail and HoReCa. Plant-based alternatives. Food ingredients.
As food manufacturers, we know that just talking about food is not enough to understand and create an impression. You need to taste it! Therefore, all visitors could taste our plant-based meat alternatives. Feedback from visitors and the opinion of the expert panel confirm that we are heading in the right direction!”