Enthusiasts Go Nuts for Nuts at SIAL Paris 2024

SIAL Paris is a biennial international food trade show and exhibition that brings together food industry professionals. The United States Department of Agriculture-endorsed SIAL Paris show and exhibition occurred Oct. 19-23, 2024. SIAL Paris is the largest food innovation exhibition and is one of the biggest food trade shows in the world. The trade show serves as a hub for food innovation, where producers, distributors, restaurateurs, and importers-exporters can explore the latest trends, products, and innovations in the food sector; sample the latest products; engage in discussions; and make new connections. The trade show included 7,500 exhibitors from 130 countries, representing key business sectors including dairy products, meat, seafood, frozen products, ready-made meals, grocery products, food processing, beverages, organic products, nuts, pulses, grains, and fruits and vegetables. 

The Office of Agricultural Affairs of the American Embassy in Paris hosted the official USA Pavilion at SIAL Paris 2024. The pavilion featured a wide range of food and beverage items, representative of the quality and innovative products available from the United States. This year, the USA Pavilion expanded into the new Hall 8, which focused specifically on nuts, fruits, vegetables, pulses and grains. This enticed buyers who were specifically looking for nut products to Hall 8 to find the high-quality USA nuts. U.S. companies found that the quality of buyers in the hall was greater than the previous year. 

USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley opened the USA Pavilion, walked the pavilion and visited with exhibitors. U.S. Ambassador to France Denise Campbell Bauer also visited SIAL Paris 2024. Participants from the nut industry had wonderful things to say about this year’s trade show.

 Derco Associates, Inc. is a family business headquartered in Fresno, California, that supplies tree nuts worldwide and maintains offices in China, India, and the United Arab Emirates. According to Ago Dermenjian, Derco’s President, “SIAL is a terrific place to meet clients from around the world. The fact that the dried fruit and tree nuts were organized in the same hall was tremendously helpful and ensured that the vast majority of the visitors to the booths in the hall were serious buyers.” Derco participated in SIAL Paris to meet with existing clients and form connections with wholesalers and distributors. 

Meridian Growers has been in business since 1998 and is a grower, processor, shipper, and marketer of California and Arizona almonds, pistachios, and pecans. The company participated in this year’s trade show to meet with existing clients and to connect with potential wholesalers and distributors. Tyler Zion, Director of Sales, stated that Meridian Growers “found numerous potential customers to start business with, met a lot of existing customers in a convenient spot, conducted some sales that resulted in starting and continuing new business.”

Carriere Family Farms, from Glenn, California, participated in the SIAL trade show. Joshua Enos, Director of Sales and Business Development, stated, “We truly value this show and what this program provides us. From meeting new customers to connecting with current ones, this is an amazing platform to springboard international business activities.” 

Hubbard Peanut Company from Virginia had a booth in the USA Pavilion. The company has been roasting and sourcing high-quality peanuts, growing and packaging them in gift-quality tins since 1954, and participated in the trade show to seek food brokers, private label opportunities, retailers, wholesalers, and distributors.

In addition to all the wonderful booths in the pavilion, several cooking demonstrations highlighted ingredients from the United States. The Hazelnut Marketing Board held a half-day chef demonstration showcasing U.S. hazelnuts in recipes. The Western U.S. Agricultural Trade Association had a full day of cooking demonstrations that allowed visitors to explore the flavors of the American West, where renowned Chef Gregory Smith showcased some of the finest dried fruits, nuts and high-quality purees from one of the nation’s most productive regions. The Southern U.S. Trade Association used nuts in their cooking demonstration that took visitors on a delicious journey of Southern flavors. These demonstrations showcased a variety of foods curated from ingredients from across the United States.

Administrator Whitley joined in the fun at one of the demonstrations with Executive Chef Jean-Luc Royere. The demonstration utilized Texas-style Torcatha barbeque sauce and Texas bourbon to create some delicious brisket. Chef Royere also created pecan macarons with Texas bourbon ganache.

SIAL serves as an international platform to explore the latest food innovations and provides a unique space for producers, distributors, restaurateurs, and importers-exporters to engage in discussions and form business connections. The USA Pavilion featured 166 U.S. exporters, including five State Department of Agriculture employees, 10 cooperators, and four representatives from state regional trade groups, who reported more than $25.2 million in on-site sales and more than $153.25 million in projected 12-month sales from 127 companies. Exhibitors reported making 2,258 serious contacts and introducing 762 new products. The event helped the United States strengthen and expand global partnerships and amplified the quality and diversity of U.S. agricultural products.