# 2025 Cologne International Food Exhibition: Nantong Guanqun Aquatic Products Company Makes a Striking Appearance

From October 4 to 8, 2025, the Anuga International Food Fair kicked off spectacularly at the Cologne Exhibition Center in Germany. As a global benchmark for the food and beverage industry, this year’s event was themed "Sustainable Growth," drawing more than 8,300 exhibitors from 110 countries. With an exhibition space spanning an impressive 290,000 square meters—marking the largest venue yet—the fair set a new record. Among the international highlights, Nantong Guanqun Aquatic Food Co., Ltd., an aquatic food enterprise from Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China, captured significant attention with its innovative products and commitment to sustainable development.

### Focusing on Cologne: The Global Food Industry's "Innovation Playground"

This year's Anuga trade fair is unprecedented in scale, with overseas exhibitors accounting for more than 90% of the participants. The event covers the entire food industry chain, including meat, dairy products, baking, beverages, organic foods, and alternative proteins. Notably, the newly established "Alternative Protein Zone" showcases cutting-edge innovations in plant-based, fermented-food, and next-generation protein solutions, while sections like the "Halal Food Forum" and "Organic Supermarket" highlight emerging consumer trends and industry standards. According to the trend report released at the show, the global food industry is currently trending in six key directions: the growing independence of plant-based foods, the widespread adoption of personalized nutrition, the rise of clean-label products coupled with transparent traceability, a strong emphasis on both flavor innovation and health benefits, sustainability becoming the new industry norm, and private-label brands driving differentiation in the marketplace.

In this global "innovation testing ground" for the food industry, Chinese food companies made a collective appearance with 128 exhibitors and an exhibition area of 1,200 square meters, showcasing a diverse range of products including canned goods, grain and oil products, frozen foods, and baked snacks. Among them, Nantong Guanqun Aquatic Food Co., Ltd., as a leading enterprise in the aquatic processing sector from the Yangtze River Delta region, drew significant attention from international buyers thanks to its comprehensive, end-to-end industrial chain strategy and sustainable green production practices.

### Nantong Guanqun: From Local Enterprise to the International Stage

Nantong Guanqun Aquatic Food Co., Ltd. was established in 2000 with a registered capital of 11.6 million yuan. Headquartered in Rudong County, Jiangsu Province, the company is a full-chain enterprise integrating laver cultivation, processing, and sales. Currently, the company operates an offshore aquaculture base spanning 6,000 mu and is equipped with a secondary processing facility covering 15,000 square meters. It boasts four advanced production lines for roasted seaweed sheets, along with other cutting-edge equipment such as triangular rice ball machines. The company annually sells approximately 200 million laver sheets, offering a diverse product portfolio that includes dried laver, roasted laver, seasoned laver, and ready-to-eat laver products.

### Product Innovation: The Collision of Traditional Craftsmanship and Modern Needs

“We not only aim to bring Chinese seaweed products to the global market, but also ensure that traditional craftsmanship aligns with modern consumer demands,” said Huang Haixiang, the company’s general manager. He added that Nantong Guanqun’s products are already exported to regions such as Europe, South America, and North America. At this exhibition, the company hopes to leverage the Anuga platform to strengthen collaboration with retailers and foodservice chains worldwide, while also introducing cutting-edge international technologies to elevate its automated production capabilities.

### Industry Insights: The "Going Global" Path for Chinese Food Enterprises

Bastian Mengers, Director of Nutrition and Food Technology at Koelnmesse Group, commented: "The participation of Chinese companies has shown the global food industry the potential for blending traditional craftsmanship with modern sustainability principles." Data reveals that from January to August 2025, China's agricultural product exports grew by 1% year-on-year, with the share of deeply processed products continuing to rise. Practices demonstrated by companies like Nantong Guanqun indicate that China's food sector is shifting its overseas expansion—from relying on price-based competition toward a focus on quality and brand-building.