Credit: World Food Istanbul
World Food Istanbul
We were walking the World Food Expo Istanbul to find new and innovative manufacturers and suppliers to onboard our growing network.
Meeting with the partners that are already in our network face to face, as well as connecting with many new Turkish and European manufacturers was great. Especially Ukranian, Czech and Polish teams brought genuinely innovative products that stood out.
What Stood Out
- Big scale, mixed targeting: Great energy and traffic, but the lack of niche clustering made it harder to meet the right new customers for smaller but innovative exhibitors.
- Relationship bias: Fairs are excellent at deepening current customer–supplier ties—but that can crowd out new lead pipeline.
- Innovation gets overshadowed: Big brands dominate floorspace and attention; new products struggle to gain the traction and speed they deserve.
By day’s end, everyone was talking about the ROI on exhibiting.
The takeaway: we need more targeted structures that move deals forward.
How We’re Turning Expo Learnings into Action
We left the show with three needs: better matches, faster loops, and more shots on goal.
Product 1 (live): Speeds up brand ↔ co-man/supplier matching, cutting time-to-market for new or existing SKUs.
Product 2 (in build): Connects manufacturers and suppliers directly to decision makers–brands, brokers, distributors, retail buyers–before even matching, so our network partners can showcase their innovations multiple times a year, get rapid feedback, and convert. If you want to learn more about this, please do not hesitate to contact us.
A Game Changer in the Natural Flavoring Industry
When you think about natural vs artificial flavors, you understand why companies used artificial flavors all this time: stability.
But it seems like there are new innovations coming through the CPG world to fix that.
T. HASEGAWA FLAVORS just launched a natural citrus flavor system that keeps the flavor vibrant on the ambient shelf for a long time.
It works by protecting against oxidation, the thing that dulls natural citrus when oxygen, pH, and temperature interact and shift color, aroma, and taste.
This is hugely important for functional drinks and snacks, too. These products contain many ingredients that can create off-notes. If the flavor diminishes even a little, customers will end up with a bad-tasting product.
I am sure they will eventually expand their offerings to include other flavor families. Other competitors will follow suit, of course.
Podcast of the Week: Hacking Human Nature – Rory Sutherland by Modern Wisdom
Rory Sutherland (Ogilvy vice chair) on how AI collides with old systems and what smart innovation looks like in marketing. From Buc-ee’s to Waymo, airports, delivery apps, and AI wearables, Rory shares sharp, funny takes (as always) and practical advice on winning attention today.
Bonus: discovered Roger Martin through this episode and binged his Medium all week. Highly recommend it.
That’s it for this week.
If you’re building something in CPG and need the right supplier or co-manufacturer to make it happen, Chapter Foods can help. We match brands, brokers, distributors and retailers with partners who are ready to move.
And if you’re a manufacturer looking to unlock new business or source higher-quality ingredients, we’re your direct line to the right buyers and better suppliers.
Can Koyuncu, Co-Founder & CMO