France: SIAL Paris 2026 Draws 8,000 Exhibitors, Water-Fried Chips Win Innovation Award
SIAL Paris 2026 opens October 17 with about 8,000 exhibitors, and Swiss brand Nükt's oil-free, water-fried potato chips have already won a SIAL Innovation award.
SIAL Paris 2026, billed as the largest edition of the food trade show yet, opens on October 17 at Paris Nord Villepinte with about 8,000 exhibitors and 400,000 products on display, the organisers say. For the potato industry the draw is the show’s innovation competition — where a curious entry took a category award before doors even opened.
Among the SIAL Innovation 2026 winners announced ahead of the show is Nükt’s salted potato chips, fried in water with no added oil, which won the Ready Meals/Catering award. The jury citation describes them as very crispy. Water-fried potato chips were also among the headline entries of this year’s competition, according to the show’s website.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of SIAL Innovation, run with ProtéinesXTC. According to a September press release cited by BusinessDay, 2,750 products were submitted and 775 selected — a record for the anniversary edition. Other entries include plant-based steak, protein-rich surimi noodles, fermented fruit drinks and packaging that reduces refrigeration needs, alongside products that turn food-processing by-products into higher-value ingredients.
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Potato suppliers are out in force. Egypt’s International Food & Consumable Goods (IFCG) will present frozen sweet potato fries and wedges at Hall 5A, Stand P229, targeting retail and foodservice buyers. Lutosa, the McCain-owned Belgian brand, is previewing its UltraCrunchy Sea Salt & Pepper fries, and Urschel will demo its new Little Gem Aspire dicer on the equipment side.
Visitors can sample more than 100 selected products at SIAL Taste, while SIAL Live hosts talks on food innovation. The Public Choice and Top 3 Countries awards are scheduled for October 20, and a Nigerian retail and food-service delegation is due at the show to court international suppliers, BusinessDay reported.
The show runs until October 21.
Source: SIAL Paris official website · BusinessDay, October 12, 2026 · The Nation, October 15, 2026 · PotatoPro. Read the SIAL Innovation awards here: https://www.sialparis.com/en/highlights/sial-innovation/2026-awards
