How about sugar-free buckwheat tea confections? Delicate, with a creamy filling. Or rich, slightly tart hot chocolate? Perhaps something with cherry and a brownie bite? At the EFKO stand, one tasting follows another—it's absolutely packed. The international food and beverage exhibition ProdExpo 2026 took place in Moscow. The company's ingredients received top honors in the "Best Product" and "Innovative Product" award programs.

 

How do you achieve a bold flavor? How do you make a product healthier? How do you maintain an affordable price? Through the collaborative efforts of food ingredient manufacturers and technologists, the assortment in stores is constantly expanding. And even the most discerning gourmands continue to discover new delicacies time and time again.

 

This year, we introduced a line of warming beverages — milk and dark hot chocolate. Both are incredibly delicious. And for those who feel hot even in winter — an iced version with mango and passion fruit. These are experimental recipes developed by the company's technologists. Chocolate and coatings for the B2B segment represent a new direction for EFKO, one that is already receiving positive feedback from partners.

 

Innovation is at the core of the company's development, which is why we bring new products to the ProdExpo competition every year — and they consistently receive high praise from experts. Among this year's winners is "Equilad 0601-35," a cocoa butter improver based on shea butter. It helps chocolate hold its shape and resist melting in the hand — an essential quality for export to warm-climate countries.

 

Another award went to sugar-free chocolates with buckwheat tea and the sweet protein brazzein. During the tasting, even a trained audience couldn't tell the difference from regular chocolates. If you weren't told there's no sugar, the chocolate tastes just like a classic — rich, balanced, and full-flavored. Just as intended!

 

An innovative solution among emulsifiers — "Ecomuls DMG 3". It delivers where texture matters: spreads, margarines, frozen desserts. And yes, that soft bread crust even the next day — that's its doing too.

 

For dairy-containing products — "Ecolact 2303-33", a milk fat replacer. It is made with non-modified vegetable oils, making it an ideal solution for clean label formulations.

 

EFKO's technologists are always one step ahead of the market. What will appear on store shelves tomorrow must be understood today. Proof of this lies in our winners of the "Best Product" nomination.

 

The confectionery fat "Econat 4504-32" has only just launched, yet it has already set a new quality standard in the premium segment of fats for soft fillings and pastes.

 

"Pleasure and delight" — that's how partners describe their experience tasting chocolates with cream fillings made using this fat. It's all thanks to the shea butter in its composition, which beautifully enhances the milky and nutty flavors.

 

The margarine "Ecouniversal 3203-32" delivers consistent results across a wide range of baked goods. In the past, you needed a separate product for each type of dough — for shortcrust type, for yeast one. But now, one margarine makes bakery products tender, cookies crispy and crumbly, and muffins light and airy. That's what "universal" really means!

 

"Participating in the exhibition is a cherished tradition for us. It's a wonderful opportunity to meet with partners, discuss plans, and also see how the market is evolving — which ideas are gaining momentum and what trends will shape the near future. We are inspired by the opportunity to create exciting new solutions that will surprise both manufacturers and consumers alike."

Surkova Alyona   Director of Confectionery Department, Oil & Fat Division, EFKO Group

«Participating in the exhibition is a cherished tradition for us. It's a wonderful opportunity to meet with partners, discuss plans, and also see how the market is evolving — which ideas are gaining momentum and what trends will shape the near future. We are inspired by the opportunity to create exciting new solutions that will surprise both manufacturers and consumers alike».