Three days at the trade fair, countless conversations and one clear takeaway: private label is becoming more sophisticated. At PLMA 2026 in Amsterdam, the focus was no longer just on price, volume and availability. What buyers were looking for were products with a distinct identity.

From 19 to 20 May, Erbacher Food Intelligence exhibited at PLMA. The event is considered the world’s largest trade fair for private label. In 2026, it brought together 3,346 exhibiting companies from 80 countries and more than 18,000 trade visitors from 116 countries.

For Erbacher Food Intelligence, PLMA has been an important industry meeting point for many years. Buyers, product developers, sales teams and marketing decision-makers come together here in direct conversation. This makes the fair a valuable barometer for the topics currently shaping the market.

One of the key messages from the fair was clear: private label is increasingly being developed as a brand proposition in its own right. Price and availability remain important, of course, but they are no longer enough on their own.

Many private label brands are now looking for products that stand out on shelf, appeal to specific target groups and offer a clear added value. The focus is on ranges that do not feel interchangeable and on products that give consumers a clear reason to buy.

This was also reflected in the conversations at the Erbacher Food Intelligence stand. There was particularly strong interest in high-protein products, meat alternatives and clean-label-oriented concepts. At the same time, many visitors were looking for ways to translate individual product ideas into technically sound, market-ready solutions.

One of the strongest themes at PLMA 2026 was protein. According to the trade fair team, high-protein products and protein crispies attracted particular interest.

Eye-catching shapes were also in demand: cinnamon roll formats, hearts, butterflies and other shapes that instantly give a product more character. These may seem like small details at first, but on shelf they can make a significant difference.

Successful private label products are not defined by recipe and nutritional values alone. Shape, colour, size and taste also play a key role. Does the product fit the brand? Does it stand out? Does it work within the existing range? Is there a compelling reason to list it?

This is where the most exciting projects begin: when product idea, application and technical execution come together.

At its stand, Erbacher Food Intelligence presented product samples across several application areas: from meat alternatives and breadings to cereals, muesli, bars, dragées, chocolate and snacks.

The samples showed how versatile extrudates and structured ingredients can be. Depending on the application, they can deliver protein, create texture, enhance visual appeal or support a specific mouthfeel.

Among the product samples presented at the stand were:

- TVP for meat alternatives: wheat protein texturate with 65% protein and pea protein texturate with 70% protein

- Ingredients for coating solutions: corn discs and potato crumbs for structure-giving applications

- Breakfast cereals: soy protein flakes with 49% protein, gluten-free corn-quinoa pillows, organic wheat hearts and wheat cinnamon swirls

- Ingredients for chocolate products and bars: a range of balls based on rice, soy protein, milk protein or sunflower protein, some gluten-free, vegan or with no added sugar

- Snacks: including lentil-sunflower protein flips, corn-quinoa stars and date-oat snack bites

Visitors at the stand were able to see, touch, taste and explore how flexibly shape, colour, size and flavour can be adapted to different requirements. For many conversation partners, this made it easier to turn their own project ideas into something more concrete.

This is especially important for products that require explanation, such as high-protein extrudates, texturised components or snack formats with a distinctive visual appearance.

An abstract possibility quickly becomes a practical question: Could this fit our brand? Our application? Our product range?

A recurring question at the stand was: What is technically feasible? Many visitors came with specific ideas. Others first wanted to understand which options were available at all. Which shapes are possible? Which colours? Which flavours? Which protein levels? Which textures? And where are the technical limits?

This is exactly where consultation matters. Not only at the end of a project, but early in the development process. The earlier product idea, application and technical feasibility are considered together, the more consistent the final concept will be.

From the trade fair team’s perspective, this is a central need in the private label market: companies are looking for partners who understand individual requirements and can translate them into viable products. With Erbacher Food Intelligence, they are in the right place. Then please contact us directly.

PLMA 2026 confirmed several key developments: