Wolfgang Kranz, executive vice president of the German event organising company Koelnmesse GmbH, said Thailand would be the highlight of October's exhibition under the slogan "Thailand - Kitchen of the World". About 150 companies will have displays.

"Thailand was appointed as the first partner country because of the potential for growth in its food industry and the authentic flavours of Thai food that are famous around the world. Thailand has also taken part in Anuga for many years," Kranz said.

This year's Anuga exhibition will concentrate on healthy and organic foods, in line with recent trends towards health consciousness. In addition, it will display the latest food processing technologies and products from 10 food industry categories, including fine food, drinks, chilled food, meat, frozen food, dairy products, bread and bakery products, hot beverages, organic food, and new catering and retail technologies.

Accor group

Trendy hotel opens in Bangkok

The 30th hotel in Thailand for the Accor Group, Le Fenix, has opened on Bangkok's Sukhumvit Road, placing it at the heart of the city's party district, surrounded by trendy restaurants and designer nightclubs.

The 147-room Le Fenix Sumhumvit is offering a special introductory room rate of Bt1,900 from now until September 30.

The new hotel's interior design features a chic modern finish that is expected to appeal to young leisure travellers and business professionals who enjoy a night out on the town. L'Escale is the hotel's flagship gourmet dining venue.

All rooms are equipped with broadband Wi-Fi Internet access, LCD-screen television with satellite feed, a safety deposit box and a mini-bar.

Laundry detergent

Unilever spends Bt150m on R&D

Following the recent introduction of its new Breeze Power Turbo laundry detergent, Unilever Thai Trading has announced the allocation of more than Bt150 million for research and development to formulate its replacement.

The vice president of Unilever Thailand's home care and personal care business unit, Wannipa Bhakdibutra, said that as the leader of Thailand's detergent market, Breeze has the reputation of introducing consumers to exciting innovations.

Unilever Thailand sees good potential in the regular detergent market, which is currently valued at Bt5.78 billion.

"Our market research confirms that consumers want a detergent that can get rid of stains without much scrubbing. Breeze Power Turbo has increased levels of enzymes giving it a ten-fold improvement in stain removal," Wannipa said.