Cologne, Germany  - The world's top food fair, exhibiting every conceivable form of ready-to-use food and beverage, opened its doors Saturday in the German city of Cologne.

The 6,500 exhibitors from 97 nations at the five-day Anuga event included a sizeable number of Asian food exporters, including 40 from Japan, the organizing company, Koelnmesse, and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) said.

Japan's Agriculture Ministry has organized a special Japanese pavilion to show off sake, soy sauces, soba noodles and wasabi paste. The fair offers plenty of samples for visitors to try out the tastes.

The special focus country at Anuga this time round in Turkey. Anuga is held every two years and is a major opportunity for food exporters to link up with European importers and big retail chains. (dpa)