Sour is the New Sweet: How Innovation Drives Success at Primus Wafer Paper

Rethinking Edible Paper: Dutch company Primus Wafer Paper struck a chord at ISM 2025 with “Yummy Super Sour” – earning the prestigious New Product Showcase Award. In this interview, Managing Director Wouter Smits shares insights into the success story, reflects on ISM’s international significance, and offers practical advice for exhibitors aiming to stand out at the fair.

Mr Smits, tell us a bit about your company and the award-winning product – what makes it so special?

Primus Wafer Paper was founded in 1916 near Amsterdam and has since grown into the global market leader in edible paper. Our products are 100% bio-based, produced in a circular process, and therefore fully sustainable. We export to over 40 countries and generate more than 80% of our revenue from international markets.

Our latest product, Yummy Super Sour, is the newest addition to our candy paper range. It’s a thin, starch-based wafer paper with a natural sweet-and-sour coating. Made from potato starch, it is vegan, gluten-free and allergen-free. It melts in your mouth, leaving behind an intense sour flavour – without the sticky residue often associated with sour mats or gummy sweets. This unique combination of innovation, natural ingredients and melt-in-the-mouth texture played a key role in its success at ISM.

How long have you been exhibiting at ISM, and what makes the fair so special for you?

We’ve been exhibiting at ISM for five years now. As a globally focused company, ISM is a key platform for us – it's where decision-makers from the international confectionery industry come together. We value the fair highly because it gives us the opportunity to build new partnerships, maintain existing customer relationships, and present our latest product innovations to a broad and qualified trade audience.

How did you learn about the award, and what was that moment like for you? What changed as a result?

We had participated in the New Product Showcase in previous years – but with Yummy Super Sour, everything just clicked. The moment we heard we had won was incredible for our entire team.

The impact was immediate: our stand became a real magnet for visitors, and we were able to make highly relevant business connections – both for our own brand and for private label opportunities. Demand grew so rapidly after the show that we had to expand our production capacity at short notice to keep up.

What advice would you give to other exhibitors who want to succeed at ISM?

Good preparation is everything. You need to know your audience, dare to be different – and make sure you stay visible. Most visitors will only follow up with three contacts after the fair – your challenge is to be one of them.

Attracting attention is not enough – you need to connect with the right people. And never judge by appearances: the visitor in jeans with a Gmail address may turn out to be far more relevant than the one in a suit with a corporate business card.

One final tip: stay until the very end. Important conversations still happen on the last day. It’s not over until the curtain truly falls.