The year 2026 represents a turning point for customer and regulatory requirements in the food industry.
This is no longer about an ever-growing stack of regulations, but about a new operational reality where the ability to demonstrate compliance, manage documentation, and keep information up to date becomes mission-critical.

Companies that treat these challenges as simple regulatory constraints face significant risks: blocked market access, increased costs, and weakened customer trust.
Below are the major disruptions to anticipate — and how to prepare for them effectively.

1. PPWR: Packaging Becomes a Product Compliance Issue

Overview

The European PPWR (Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation) requires a profound transformation in how packaging is designed, documented, and placed on the market.

By 2026, compliance will no longer rely on high-level declarations, but on precise, traceable, and up-to-date data, including:

• Actual packaging composition
• Effective recyclability
• Reduction of packaging volumes and over-packaging

The responsibility of the company placing products on the market is directly engaged.

How to prepare

• Precisely map packaging data at product level
• Identify critical suppliers (films, inks, components)
• Implement version control and tracking of supplier document updates
• Anticipate PPWR impacts as early as the product development phase

In 2026, a PPWR non-compliant product becomes a non-marketable product.

2. EUDR: Raw Material Traceability Becomes a Legal Requirement

Overview

The EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) requires companies to prove that certain raw materials do not contribute to deforestation.

Key changes include:

• Mandatory geolocation of plots
• Detailed supply chain traceability
• Legal responsibility shifted to the European buyer

The challenge is not the regulation itself, but the actual level of supplier readiness.

How to prepare

• Identify affected raw materials and products
• Assess each supplier’s documentation capabilities
• Centralize evidence (declarations, certificates, origin data)
• Implement continuous update processes, rather than one-off collections

In 2026, lack of evidence equals non-compliance.

3. CSRD: The End of Declarative Reporting

Overview

CSRD turns ESG into enforceable, auditable, and potentially challengeable data.

Supplier-related information (social, environmental, compliance) is no longer secondary:

• It feeds regulatory reporting
• It engages executive responsibility
• It must remain consistent over time

Approximate PDFs and static documents are no longer sufficient.

How to prepare

• Structure ESG data across suppliers and products
• Eliminate documentary redundancies and inconsistencies
• Implement data consistency and completeness controls
• Involve Quality, Procurement, and Finance teams early

Quality functions become producers of strategic data.

4. Tariffs & Geopolitics: Origin Becomes a Financial Lever

Overview

Geopolitical instability, trade tensions, and protectionist measures are making tariffs and trade restrictions increasingly volatile.

Direct consequences:

• Actual origin of raw materials directly impacts costs
• Incomplete or outdated information can erode margins
• Sourcing decisions must be fast and well-documented

How to prepare

• Secure supplier origin information
• Regularly update technical documentation
• Be able to quickly compare alternative sourcing scenarios
• Avoid decisions based on “assumed” or unverified data

In 2026, not mastering origin means not mastering costs.

5. Claims, Allergens, Contaminants: Zero Tolerance

Overview

Authorities and retailers are tightening controls on:

• Allergens
• Labelling
• Cross-contamination
• Consistency of documentation

The risk is no longer the initial error, but delayed detection following a supplier update.

How to prepare

• Implement systematic document version comparison
• Automatically identify critical changes
• Define clear validation workflows
• Reduce dependency on manual checks

In 2026, outdated information becomes a major risk.

6. B2B Customer Requirements: The Invisible Risk

Overview

Beyond regulation, customers increasingly impose their own requirements:

• Specific formats
• Internal standards
• Strict deadlines

These requirements are often more demanding than regulations — and rarely negotiable.

How to prepare

• Centralize customer requirements by product
• Be able to respond quickly with up-to-date documentation
• Compare requirements across customers
• Avoid ad-hoc, case-by-case management

In 2026, speed of response becomes a competitive advantage.

Conclusion

In 2026, compliance in the food industry is no longer about knowing regulations.
It is about data, processes, and governance.

The companies that will perform best are not those that know every rule by heart, but those that have built an infrastructure capable of absorbing continuous change.

‍