The food industry is navigating a period of significant change. From increasingly complex supply chains and changing regulatory requirements to rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, new challenges and opportunities are reshaping how food companies operate, innovate, and build consumer trust.
These food industry trends were at the center of conversations during Trustwell reCONNECT 2026, held October 7–8 in Grapevine, Texas.
Under the theme Unlocking Value Through Connection: From Data to Decisions, industry leaders explored how connected information, stronger collaboration, and emerging technologies can help organizations make more informed decisions.
Representatives from organizations including Whole Foods Market, Tyson Foods, Performance Food Group, Conagra Brands, Reser's Fine Foods, and Texas Christian University shared their perspectives on the challenges facing the industry and the strategies helping them adapt.
Throughout the event, five interconnected themes emerged, offering valuable insights into the food industry trends shaping 2026 and beyond.
Food supply chain resilience took center stage as industry experts explored how organizations are adapting to increasingly complex operational challenges. The conversation highlighted an evolution in how companies approach disruption. Maintaining alternative suppliers remains important, but effective resilience increasingly requires organizations to establish qualified solutions and clear processes before those alternatives are needed.
During the opening keynote session, Building Resilient, Responsive Supply Chains in the Ever-Changing Food Industry, Brando Tijerina of Taco John's described how his organization thinks about maintaining product consistency, food safety, and operational continuity when disruptions occur.
The goal, he says, is to create an experience where guests can continue enjoying the products they expect, even when significant adjustments and even disruptions are happening behind the scenes. To achieve it, companies need to take a proactive supply chain risk management approach.
That perspective captures an important aspect of resilience. The most successful response to a disruption may be one that customers never notice.The discussion also explored the role of supplier relationships in helping organizations adapt.
Dr. Morgan Swink of Texas Christian University expanded on the importance of supplier relationships, explaining that different types of partnerships serve different purposes in managing cost and risk.
For critical suppliers, effective supplier management strategies that facilitate deeper collaboration and shared investments can help organizations build more resilient operations. As Swink observed, trust develops through mutual dependence and shared risk, reinforcing the importance of investing in the relationships that matter most.
The importance of connected food supply chain information emerged repeatedly throughout reCONNECT 2026, particularly in discussions about the challenges created by spreadsheets, disconnected systems, and manual workflows.
During a session featuring Conagra Brands and Reser's Fine Foods, panelists described how seemingly manageable processes can become increasingly complicated as organizations grow. Information may be collected consistently within individual facilities or departments, but bringing that information together across an enterprise introduces challenges with version control, standardization, and accessibility.
Laura McCready of Reser's Fine Foods captured the frustration with a memorable observation.
"As soon as you put that second person in a spreadsheet, it's broken."
Her comment reflected a broader challenge facing food companies. When multiple people maintain their own versions of critical information, teams can spend valuable time reconciling records, following up on updates, and determining which information is accurate.
Sarah Throckmorton of Conagra Brands described similar challenges with decentralized quality processes. Without a connected view of information across facilities, identifying patterns and anticipating potential risks becomes more difficult.
The value of connected data also came into focus during a fireside chat with Tyson Foods, where procurement and food safety leaders discussed how they work with many of the same suppliers while applying different perspectives to their decisions.
Procurement considers factors such as cost, reliability, and continuity, while food safety and quality teams focus on compliance, product specifications, and risk. When these perspectives are connected, the information collected by one team can help another make better-informed decisions.
The conversations demonstrated how shared information can support collaboration across departments, helping organizations make more consistent decisions while reducing duplicated effort.
Food traceability was another major focus at reCONNECT 2026, with discussions exploring how organizations can strengthen their ability to respond to product events while navigating evolving regulatory requirements.
During a session on the traceability maturity curve, Dr. Keith Jackson of Performance Food Group shared how years of managing recalls and other product events had shaped his organization's approach to collecting and exchanging critical information.
Jackson explained that Performance Food Group had already established processes for identifying the information needed to manage product events effectively. When the FDA introduced its traceability requirements, he recognized that many of the key data elements aligned with information his team was already requesting from suppliers.
His experience illustrates how established operational practices can support regulatory readiness.
Organizations that understand what information they need, where to find it, and how to exchange it with supply chain partners have a stronger foundation for responding to changing requirements.
The discussion also highlighted the importance of testing traceability processes, maintaining reliable product information, and strengthening communication throughout the supply chain. These capabilities help organizations identify gaps, coordinate responses, and make informed decisions when product events occur.
As food companies continue preparing for FSMA 204, the conversation reinforced a valuable takeaway: the strongest traceability programs are built around the information organizations need to operate effectively, with regulatory requirements helping establish consistent expectations across the industry.
Food regulation continues to evolve alongside scientific developments, shifting consumer expectations, and changes in public policy. For manufacturers and other food businesses, keeping pace requires both awareness of emerging requirements and the ability to translate those developments into practical action.
During the session Food Regulation in Motion: When Science, Consumers & Policy Collide, Trustwell regulatory expert and team lead Megan Murphy discussed the many forces influencing regulatory priorities, from scientific research and consumer advocacy to federal and state initiatives.
One challenge receiving particular attention was the complexity created when regulatory requirements develop at different speeds across jurisdictions.
For food companies operating across multiple markets, these variations can create significant demands on product information management, labeling, and internal coordination.
The conversation also explored the uncertainty that can continue after regulatory requirements are published. Guidance, implementation timelines, and interpretations may evolve, requiring organizations to revisit assumptions and adjust their plans.
This makes regulatory readiness an ongoing organizational responsibility. Maintaining accurate ingredient, formulation, and labeling information, monitoring developments, and keeping cross-functional teams informed all contribute to a company's ability to respond effectively. As food regulation becomes even more complex, collaboration between regulatory, product development, quality, and supply chain teams will remain central to managing change.
Artificial intelligence was woven throughout conversations at reCONNECT, reflecting growing interest in how emerging technologies can help food companies manage information and make more informed decisions.
During Trustwell's product vision presentation, Chief Product Officer Todd Dolinsky explored how AI is changing expectations around the speed and efficiency of technology.
As AI makes it easier to generate and analyze information, the expertise required to evaluate that information becomes increasingly valuable.
"If speed is commoditized, I believe that domain expertise is the premium," Dolinsky explained.
His perspective highlighted the importance of combining technological capabilities with an understanding of regulatory requirements, food safety standards, operational realities, and the practical experience that industry professionals bring to their work.
The discussion also reinforced the role of data integrity to AI technology in the food industry. Reliable insights depend on trustworthy information, particularly when organizations are using technology to identify patterns, assess risk, or support decisions across complex supply chains.
This approach is reflected in Trustwell's continued focus on connecting regulatory intelligence, product information, quality processes, and supply chain data. It also informs the development of AI-assisted capabilities designed to help organizations evaluate information more efficiently while keeping human expertise central to decision-making.
As AI adoption continues to expand, the opportunity for food companies lies in bringing together high-quality information, practical experience, and technology that supports the way their teams work.
Across two days of discussion, reCONNECT 2026 offered a window into the challenges and opportunities shaping the food industry's future. Whether the conversation focused on supply chain resilience, regulatory change, traceability, quality management, or AI, the underlying message remained consistent. Reliable information and stronger collaboration help food companies make better decisions, respond to challenges, and build confidence throughout the supply chain.
During her closing keynote, Trustwell CEO Katy Jones brought these themes together by emphasizing the importance of earning and maintaining consumer trust. Every decision made throughout the food supply chain, from how ingredients are sourced and products are formulated to how safety and quality are managed, ultimately influences the confidence consumers place in the food they purchase.
It's a reminder that the work happening behind the scenes has a very real impact beyond the industry itself.
When organizations connect their information, strengthen their processes, and collaborate more effectively, they help create a food system consumers can depend on.
That perspective brought the event's theme full circle. The value of connection extends far beyond sharing information. It reaches the people at the end of the supply chain, whose trust is earned through the collective efforts of everyone involved.
We are grateful to the customers, industry leaders, partners, and Trustwell team members who contributed their experiences and perspectives throughout reCONNECT 2026. The conversations sparked there will continue to inspire new approaches to food safety, innovation, and collaboration.
One of the recurring themes at reCONNECT 2026 was the importance of turning connected information into proactive decisions. Join Trustwell for our upcoming webinar, See Risk Sooner: A More Proactive Approach to Food Supply Chain Risk Management, to explore how food companies can put that principle into practice.
Through a live demonstration of FoodLogiQ Risk Management, discover how connected supplier, product, and risk information can help teams identify changing exposure, assess risk more consistently, and prioritize action across food safety, quality, and supply chain operations. Register for the Webinar