SIAL Paris 2026 closed its doors on October 21 after five days at Paris Nord Villepinte. By the organizers own numbers, this edition brought together roughly 8,000 exhibitors across 12 halls, around 300,000 professional visitors from 190 countries, and more than 650 startups showcasing everything from functional beverages to lab-grown proteins. LAKEXIXI was in Hall 5A at Stand V197D, displaying the full latiao and konjac range alongside the new konjac spaghetti line.What stood out after five days of conversations was not a single surprise trend but a convergence of three questions that came up repeatedly, from buyers in France, the Benelux, Poland, the UK, and as far as Brazil and Japan.
Is this actually vegan?
We expected food safety questions. We did not expect how early the vegan question came up. At a booth surrounded by confectionery and savory snacks, buyers would pick up a pack, turn it over, and ask about the V-Label before they asked about price. SIAL own trend coverage this year noted that plant-based innovation is no longer confined to a clearly marked meat-free aisle. It has moved through snacks, beverages, and grocery, and buyers are looking for certified plant-based products that do not read like diet food.
Our VP Series carries V-Label certification on every pack, and the konjac range is inherently plant-based. That credibility opened conversations that would have otherwise ended at the sample tray. Several buyers mentioned they had been burned before by suppliers who claimed vegan status without third-party certification, so seeing the V-Label logo on pack was the difference between a five-minute chat and a follow-up meeting.
What is the shelf life, and can you do my language?
European retailers care about logistics. The 360-day shelf life on the VP Series landed well. It covers a long sea freight from Shanghai to Rotterdam or Le Havre plus weeks of distribution. Buyers also asked about local-language labeling. We can apply adhesive stickers in English, French, German, Dutch, Polish, or Russian, which lowers the barrier for first orders.
Two buyers specifically asked about nutritional panel formatting to EU Regulation 1169/2011 standards. We confirmed that our existing nutrition labels already meet these requirements, and we can adapt the front-of-pack labeling for any EU market without a full packaging redesign.
Can you do private label, and what is the MOQ?
This was the most common commercial question. We walked buyers through the two custom-packaging options: roughly 700 cartons without a deposit, or 200 cartons with a packaging material deposit that is fully refundable. The 200-carton option generated the most interest from smaller distributors who want to test a private label without committing to a full container.
We also walked through lead times: 35 days for existing designs with our artwork team, and 45 days for fully custom packaging from scratch. Most buyers asked for sample shipments before placing a trial order, which we can arrange within a week.
The Social Media Signal
Several buyers mentioned discovering latiao on TikTok before finding us at the show. The category has reached a tipping point in Europe. Polish supermarket chain Biedronka now stocks latiao, and mukbang videos with spicy strips routinely pull tens of thousands of likes. Buyers are no longer asking what is this. They are asking how do I stock it before my competitors do.
What this means for distribution is that the educational phase of selling latiao in Europe is largely over. Buyers have already seen the demand. They are now comparing suppliers on certification, MOQ flexibility, and private label support.
Next up: FoodExpo Qazaqstan in Almaty, November 11-13, Hall 8 Stand AC12. If we did not meet at SIAL, that is the next opportunity to taste the range in person. For buyers who want to start a conversation before then, our export team responds within 24 hours and can ship sample boxes to anywhere in Europe.
LAKEXIXI booth scenes at SIAL Paris 2026