Israeli food companies will take part in the "Fine Foods from Israel" stall at this year's Anuga food and beverage trade fair in Cologne next week.

The Israeli stall at which 16 Israeli food companies will showcase will display a wide range of local foods, including prepared foods, confectionaries, and packaged foods, as well as specialty local foods such as sheep cheeses, microbaby leaves, Middle Eastern sweets, pita, tehina, halva, jams, and honeys.

Anuga, which is taking place in Cologne from October 10 to October 14, is the most important trade show for the trade and food services and catering market. In 2007, the last time the trade fair was taking place, it had163,000 visitors from 174 countries around the world and 6795 companies exhibiting from 95 countries.

Avi Hefetz, CEO of the Israel Export Institute said that the majority of the Israeli companies exhibiting at Anuga were small niche companies, and that the exhibition was their first opportunity to get exposure on an international level and forge potential business deals for their products.

The Israeli companies participating at the trade fair are Strauss Group Ltd., Achdut Ltd. (Achva), Apiary Ein Harod, Beth El Food Ltd., Carmit Candy Industries, Cohen Or Ltd., DC Paper & Plastic Ltd., Effectiveat Ltd., Gan Shmuel Foods Ltd., juice maker Ganir (1992) Ltd., Gat Foods MP Hefer, Herb & Spice Farm, Israel Sheep Breeders Ltd., Mahroum Oriental Sweets Nazareth Medijuice Ltd., Nasri Nehmeh Bakery Ltd., Neptune Food Products Ltd., olive oil producer Olired Ltd., Sanlakol Ltd., Segev Food Export Import Co. Ltd., SumSum - Health from Nature Ltd., Tahini Alarz, Teshura Agriculture Projects Ltd., Trisun (Israel) Ltd., and juice maker Waknine & Berezovsky Co. Ltd.

The Israel Export Institute said that Israel's food exports were hit by a lesser extent by the global crisis in comparison than other industries. Food and beverage exports totaled $802 million in 2008, and $350 million in the first half of 2009, 17% less than the $422 million in the first half of last year. Total exports of Israeli goods dropped by 30% in the first half of this year and by 22%, not including diamonds.