Innovazione

📈 Cattel Spa, a major player in food and non-food distribution, thrived in 2024 by capitalizing on market trends. TradeLab analysis showed a stable Italian away-from-home consumption in Q3 2024, with market value at €60.961 billion, slightly up from €60.167 billion in Q3 2023. Best performances were in breakfast and social occasions, with Southern Italy leading. Cattel boasts an 8000-product assortment and excels in ready-to-use products, benefiting from the DYP ultra-freezing technique preserving fish quality. Additionally, Cattel's order collection App optimizes client partnership. Fast food and self-service chains saw an 11% increase in Q3 2024 over 2023.

📦 Tetra Pak, a leader in food processing and packaging solutions, launches Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 300 Edge for on-the-go drinks, milk-based, juice, and functional ready-to-drink products. The single-serve carton features an ergonomic design, convenient handling, and a tethered DreamCap™ 26 Pro cap reducing waste and litter. Over 85% renewable material use cuts carbon footprint by 76%. Compatible with Tetra Pak® A3/CompactFlex, offering five packaging configurations. Packaging design increases pallet efficiency by up to 10%. Environmental concerns are high among 76% of consumers, with 60% choosing eco-friendly packaging.

📖 On December 12 in Rome's Salotto Culturale dell'Eur, the guide "Tempo al Tempo" was launched, targeting Horeca professionals for the challenges of 2025. It emphasizes the importance of time recovery and authenticity in customer experiences, leveraging AI, algorithms, and social media. The guide, free on www.horecasoluzioni.it, reflects on the industry's status and suggests using technology to eliminate repetitive tasks, focusing on value-added activities. Eureka! Soluzioni per l’Ho.re.ca. endorses the guide, providing comprehensive communication solutions for the food & wine and hotel industries.

🍷 Fondazione Edmund Mach researchers discovered the kokumi effect in white wine, which enhances palate pleasure by interacting with a calcium-sensitive protein receptor, increasing perceived taste, fullness, and complexity. This effect, known since the 1980s from Japanese research on umami, involves substances that alone don't contribute to flavor but enhance the intensity of other natural wine compounds. The study analyzed 15 Trento Doc samples from 5 vintages, confirming the presence of these compounds, originating from yeasts. The next step is to explore how production technologies and yeast choices can intensify these sensations.

📌 Glasgow Airport launched an AI-based digital assistant from Hello Lamp Post to enhance travel experience during the festive season. AI technology is now operational airport-wide, providing real-time information and improved navigation 24/7. An initial accessibility trial earlier this year with Connected Places Catapult showed a 50% reduction in customer service staff inquiries. The digital assistant, accessible via QR codes at specific locations, acts as a personal concierge, offering flight updates, navigation assistance, and personalized support. Last year, Glasgow Airport welcomed over 110,000 passengers with reduced mobility, receiving the highest rating from the Civil Aviation Authority's annual accessibility report. Jamie Loudon praised the collaboration as beneficial for implementing cutting-edge technology across the airport. Tiernan Mines celebrated the full launch of their platform following the successful trial.

☕ La San Marco, a 104-year-old Friulian company, partners with the Associazione Maestri dell’Espresso Napoletano for an educational project targeting six Campanian schools to train new generations of baristas. The program offers three sessions per institute, combining theoretical and practical lessons, including latte art and a practical competition with a La San Marco professional machine as the prize. Roberto Nocera, General Manager, emphasizes the project's commitment to preserving Italian coffee excellence and supporting youth professional development. The initiative is backed by the Comune di Napoli and the Regione Campania.

📚 Osservatorio CIRFOOD DISTRICT, supported by prestigious research institutes, released "eBook CIBO2050," exploring future food scenarios influenced by demographics, technology, health, and sustainability towards 2050. The work of 15 experts aims to understand how food, products, and human interaction will evolve, emphasizing "Food as Medicine" and less animal protein consumption. Future eating habits are expected to focus on sustainability and technology, with personalized diets and transparent, traceable food sources for 10 billion people by 2050.

🔒 Smart locks enhance security and operations in hospitality and short-term rentals, offering keyless access, remote management, and integration with reservation systems like Chekin. They provide convenience for guests and operational efficiency for owners by automating check-in processes and improving customer satisfaction. Owners can manage access in real-time, create temporary codes, and automate communication via Chekin, mitigating risks associated with traditional keys. Chekin also offers a 14-day free trial.

🏨 Piazza Hotels, founded in Rimini in 1989, has a portfolio of 10 properties with 1,059 rooms as of 2023. The group manages 12 structures in 2024 and aims for 14 by 2025. In 2023, they achieved an EBITDA increase of 23% to €2.25 million and a 13% growth in EBIT to nearly €1.4 million. The room revenue alone surpassed €13 million, with additional earnings from food & beverage (€3 million), meetings and events (€600,000), and Spa (€350,000). Piazza Hotels is also focusing on strategic investments, including €150,000 in technological transition and committing half of the €4 million for the Galleria Savoia project in Rimini. Future plans include opening two new properties annually, with an upscale hotel in Sicily in 2025 and another in Parma in 2026.

📍 Ami Assistance and Viaggigiovani entered a new agreement effective from January 1, allowing Viaggigiovani's customers to activate a special Amitravel insurance policy. The policy includes medical expenses, assistance, and a trip cancellation guarantee with no deductible in case of hospitalization, including pre-existing illnesses as potential cancellation reasons. Nicola Moltrer, owner of Viaggigiovani.it, highlights the unique travel experience this insurance can offer. DOC 24, a service within the policy, provides 24/7 access to a doctor via phone or videoconference worldwide, with features to record medical history in English and monitor vital signs through a smartphone camera. Giuseppe Maria Cicconi, Commercial Director for the North East area of Ami Assistance, expresses enthusiasm for the partnership that expands their national partner network and promotes their major product, the collective Amitravel policy.