ShanghaiJune 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The joint press conference for the 29th FHC Shanghai Global Food Trade Show and the “Jinjiang Cup” Professional Skills Competition was grandly held on the afternoon of June 16, 2026, at the Kunlun Huating Hotel in Shanghai.
Mr. Alexander Blamberg, Agricultural Consul of the Agricultural Trade Office of the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai; Ms. Kang Lina, Secretary-General of the International Baking Union and the All-China Bakery & Confectionery Association; Ms. Li Hong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Jinjiang International Hotels Co., Ltd.; Ms. Fan Haiyan, Executive Deputy General Manager of Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo International Exhibition Co., Ltd. and CEO of the FHL Business Unit; Mr. Zhu Yifan, Chairman of the FHC China International Culinary Arts Competition Organizing Committee and committee members; representatives of FHC exhibitors and competition sponsors; and over 80 representatives from Jinjiang International attended the event, jointly witnessing the launch of this grand occasion.
Ms. Kang Lina, Secretary-General of the All-China Bakery & Confectionery Association and the International Baking Union, noted that China’s baking industry is currently entering a new phase of high-quality development. With consumers’ increasing demands for health, quality, and culture, the industry needs to lead consumption upgrades through technological innovation and cultural empowerment. She stated that the association has collaborated with UBM Sinoexpo for many years, leveraging high-standard exhibitions and professional competitions to gather brands and talent, promoting products internationally through a “Baking+” approach. The FHC China International Culinary Arts Competition has been fully upgraded, and this year’s competition will assess practitioners’ capabilities, discover high-quality talent, and refine industry standards. Moving forward, the association will deepen cooperation with UBM Sinoexpo to help premium Chinese bakery products and skilled artisans shine on the global stage.
Ms. Li Hong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Jinjiang International Hotels Co., Ltd., stated that Jinjiang International, FHC, and UBM Sinoexpo have once again joined forces to upgrade the “Jinjiang Cup” Professional Skills Competition, dedicated to empowering innovation and talent development in the catering industry. By establishing a higher-standard competition platform, they aim to discover and cultivate high-quality skilled talent in the industry, promote the improvement of professional skill levels and industry standards, enhance the brand’s global influence, promote Chinese culinary culture, and drive high-quality development in the catering industry.
Ms. Fan Haiyan, Executive Deputy General Manager of Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo International Exhibition Co., Ltd. and CEO of the FHL Business Unit, stated in her speech that FHC has been deeply rooted in the food and catering industry for 29 years, evolving into a highly influential full-industry-chain event in the Asia-Pacific region. For this edition of FHC, the European Union has officially become the 2026 Honorary Guest Country of Honor. Under the theme “Taste Europe, Food Fashion Versatility,” it will showcase over 200 high-end specialty products from more than 20 member states. UBM Sinoexpo has once again partnered with Jinjiang International Group to deeply develop the “Jinjiang Cup” Professional Skills Competition, combining exhibitions and competitions to leverage complementary advantages and jointly build a high-standard event integrating talent selection, skill exchange, and industrial integration. The 2026 Luxembourg Cooking World Cup Chinese National Team, jointly formed by FHC and Jinjiang, has also been officially established and will soon compete on the world stage, showcasing the strength and style of Chinese chefs.
Mr. Hong Tianyang, FHC Project Director, and Mr. Zhu Yifan, Chairman of the FHC China International Culinary Arts Competition Organizing Committee, also unveiled many highlights of the 29th FHC Shanghai Global Food Trade Show and the 27th FHC China International Culinary Arts Competition, as well as a series of concurrent exhibition activities designed to expand business channels and brand exposure for exhibitors and sponsors.
With the successful conclusion of this press conference, we are honored to announce that the 27th FHC China International Culinary Arts Competition and the “Jinjiang Cup” Professional Skills Competition are ready to launch. From November 10-12, 2026, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, the powerful combination of exhibition and competition will herald the grand opening of an innovation feast for the food industry.
- 29th FHC Shanghai Global Food Trade Show
The 29th FHC Shanghai Global Food Trade Show will debut on a massive scale of 200,000 square meters, with 15 exhibition sections spanning the entire food and beverage industry chain. It will attract over 3,000 exhibitors from more than 50 countries and regions worldwide, and over 180,000 professional buyers from more than 100 countries and regions.
1. Global Convergence: International Pavilion Gatherings, Rise of Regional Pavilions
The international lineup of FHC 2026 continues to expand. Over 50 international pavilions and 500+ international exhibitors will travel across mountains and seas to gather in Shanghai, bringing specialty cuisines and innovative technologies from various countries, fostering deep exchanges and business cooperation in the food industry across different cultural backgrounds.
Meanwhile, over 20 local governments and industry organizations will make a grand appearance. At the last edition, companies from Zhejiang, Ningbo, Gansu, Anshun, Hainan, Mengshan, Xiapu, Zhangzhou, Yunnan, Haian, Hubei, and other regions showcased themselves as pavilions at FHC, demonstrating the vibrant vitality of China’s regional specialty food and beverage industries and reflecting the accelerating trend of local economies leveraging distinctive industries for growth.
Leveraging its deep accumulation of domestic buyer resources, FHC has built a two-way channel of “introducing international high-quality resources + exporting local specialty industries,” accelerating the formation of a dual-circulation pattern for domestic and international trade at the exhibition.
2. Guest of Honor: EU Returns, Savoring European Elegance
After a highly acclaimed debut as the FHC Honorary Guest of Honor in 2025, the European Union will once again hold this title at FHC 2026. Under the theme “Taste Europe, Food Fashion Versatility,” it will create a dedicated pavilion, showcasing over 220 high-end specialty products from 27 member states.
The pavilion will feature products protected by EU Geographical Indications (GI), which rely on the EU’s quality certification system to guarantee unique products from specific regions and their traditional production methods. It will also present organically certified products, highlighting Europe’s commitment to sustainable development. During the exhibition, the EU pavilion will host immersive product presentations and celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, skillfully blending European ingredients with traditional European dishes and innovative creations, offering professional buyers a one-stop European food and beverage experience from tasting to procurement.
3. Precise Connections: High-Accuracy Business Matching, Year-Round Customer Acquisition
The FHC Business Matching Meeting continues to upgrade, facilitating efficient matching between supply and demand through one-on-one precise connections. With over 60 major influencers and billion-level group buying leaders, private domain live streaming, and top community group buying platforms, 1,200+ business matching sessions will enable in-depth one-on-one exchanges with top buyers. Over 200 procurement channels including supermarkets, retail chains, and distributors will be precisely reached, along with 100+ high-potential, high-quality overseas buyers with ample procurement budgets, comprehensively expanding business channels for exhibitors.
The FHC Professional Buyer Selection Manual (FineBook) features over 500 brands and nearly 2,000 selected products, completing over 10,000 business inquiries and matchmaking quotations annually. This breaks the time and space limitations of the exhibition, allowing exhibitors to continuously acquire customers 365 days a year, achieving a year-round marketing loop of “exhibition ignition + long-term conversion.”
4. Five-Year Milestone: Golden Apple Awards Fifth Anniversary, Industry Benchmark Glory
The FHC Golden Apple Awards celebrate their fifth anniversary. Six award categories will be grandly announced on the first day of the exhibition, with over 70 annual hit products participating in the selection.
Over the past five years, the Golden Apple Awards have continuously discovered and recognized outstanding enterprises and products in the food industry, not only serving as industry recognition for winners but also becoming a benchmark driving industry quality upgrades.
5. Exploring New Frontiers: Health + Cocoa Aesthetics, Igniting New Consumption
SmartEAT Shanghai International Light Health & Functional Food & Beverage Exhibition focuses on categories such as light snacks, light staple foods, functional foods and beverages, plant-based products, medicinal and edible ingredients, superfoods, and organic foods. It will concurrently host the SmartEAT Power Awakening Conference, gaining insights into the “Health+” consumption trend.
Salon du Chocolat Shanghai International Chocolate Exhibition brings together chocolate producers, fine chocolates, cocoa raw materials, chocolate equipment and applications, confectionery and sweets, bakery and desserts, ice cream, and more. Concurrent events include the SDC Chocolate Global Market, Chocolate Fashion Show, SCCF Super Cocoa & Chocolate Forum, and Chocolate Sculpture Exhibition, opening up a “Cocoa Aesthetics” blue ocean for the industry. These two new exhibition zones pave the way for new tracks, new consumption, and new possibilities in the industry.
6. Industry Dialogues: Gathering Wisdom, Discussing New Food & Beverage Landscape
Over 20 professional forums will be held concurrently with the exhibition, covering hot topics such as food e-commerce, new retail, light health functional foods, meat, potatoes, cold chain, catering innovation, chain franchising, and Chinese cuisine going global. Featuring top industry enterprise representatives and senior experts, these forums will provide practitioners with cutting-edge perspectives and actionable strategies, from trend insights to practical methodologies.
Food & Retail Categories:
- 2026 Feigua Food E-commerce Practical Forum
- 2026 Food & Beverage E-commerce New Growth Summit & Channel Buyer Forum
- 2026 Nashi New Retail Forum
- 2026 FHC International Potato Industry Forum
- 2026 SmartEAT Power Awakening Conference & Shanghai International Light Health & Functional Food Forum
- SCCF Super Cocoa & Chocolate Industry Forum
- Fair Field – Mother Earth Talk
Catering & Franchise Categories:
- 24th China Catering Dual Innovation Forum
- 2026 7th Food Delivery Industry Ecosystem Conference
- 2026 FHC International Meat Forum
- Catering Private Domain Operations & Innovation Growth Forum
- 2026 Chain Industry High-Quality Development Conference
- 3rd Chinese Cuisine Globalization Development Forum & RFF Smart Food Robot Innovation Conference
- 2026 Super Franchisee Conference • Shanghai
(*Event information is continuously updated; subject to on-site actuals.)
7. Competition Matrix: Culinary • Beverage • Chocolate, Incubating Talent and Creativity
The FHC competition system builds a flagship competition matrix with three tracks: “Culinary • Beverage • Chocolate.” It is not only a platform for skill competition but also fertile ground for nurturing industry talent and an incubator for creative R&D. Hundreds of domestic and international contestants compete on the same stage, sparking inspiration through competition and breaking boundaries through exchange, continuously supplying high-quality professional skilled talent and innovative product concepts to China’s food and catering industry.
• Culinary Competitions
The 27th FHC China International Culinary Arts Competition, the flagship of the competition system, has been deeply cultivated for 26 years. Based on the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WorldChefs) A-level certification standards, it gathers world-class celebrity chef judges and renowned chef teams from multiple countries and regions. Adhering to the principles of fairness, justice, and openness, it builds an international exchange platform for culinary practitioners to hone their skills and exchange ideas.
The FHC 2025 culinary series competitions attracted over 600 contestants and 160 professional judges, with a cumulative total of over 800 entries, continuously leading the industry in scale and professionalism.
FHC is also an important channel for Chinese culinary talent to reach the world stage. The 2026 Luxembourg Cooking World Cup Chinese National Team, jointly formed by FHC and Jinjiang International Group, has been officially established. All members of this team are outstanding judges and contestants from the FHC China International Culinary Arts Competition and elite chefs from Jinjiang Hotel Group, representing the top level of Western cuisine in China. They will compete in the Luxembourg Cooking World Cup, known as the “Oscars of the culinary world.”
As one of the largest and most prestigious culinary competitions globally, this edition will be held in Luxembourg from November 20 to 26, 2026. We look forward to this team, nurtured by the FHC platform, showcasing the strength and style of Chinese chefs on the world’s premier stage, letting the world taste Chinese flavors, and promoting Chinese culinary culture globally.
Culinary Series Competitions:
- 27th FHC China International Culinary Arts Competition
- 2026 FHC China International Dessert & Bakery Competition
- 2026 FHC Australian Red Meat Butchery Challenge
• Beverage Competitions
The beverage track is equally exciting. From trendy creative mixed drinks to specialty coffee, beverage competitions cover multiple competitive directions including flavor creation, sensory evaluation, and latte art, providing a dedicated stage for beverage industry professionals to showcase skills and exchange innovations.
Beverage Series Competitions:
- 2026 World Trendy Beverage Competition China Regional Selection – Shanghai Division
- 2025 World Coffee Cup Tasters Championship China National Finals
- 2026 World Latte Art Championship China Regional Selection – Shanghai Division
(*Event information is continuously updated; subject to on-site actuals.)
8. Omni-Channel Reach: Broad Online Coverage, Deep Offline Connections
FHC is not only a stage for product display but also a platform for brands to break through the noise and amplify their voice.
The “New Product Launch” column provides exhibitors with an exclusive stage to seize market opportunities, extending brand exposure from the booth to the entire internet. On-site exhibition live streaming delivers the intuitive exhibition experience to online audiences in real-time. A multi-dimensional media communication matrix—including official social media, industry portals, vertical professional media, and short video platforms—forms a comprehensive coverage, spreading breadth online and linking depth offline, helping exhibiting brands achieve billions of exposures and create powerful brand momentum.
9. Embarking on a New Chapter: November, Gather in Shanghai • See the Future
The successful conclusion of this press conference also marks the official countdown to the opening of the 29th FHC Shanghai Global Food Trade Show and the “Jinjiang Cup” Professional Skills Competition.
From international pavilions to local specialties, from the EU Guest of Honor to the Golden Apple Awards’ fifth anniversary, from business matching to competition arenas—every piece of the 2026 FHC puzzle is in place. From November 10-12, 2026, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, where thousands of merchants converge, we await your presence.
