Explore the 2026 Agenda

• With the growing importance of a nutritious and resilient food system, how are key stakeholders engaging with and embracing innovation to get ahead of changing landscapes?
• What does meaningful innovation look like across the value chain, from production to consumption, and how can it be scaled responsibly?
• How are governments, investors, and corporates aligning around food system transformation, and where are the gaps in collaboration?
• What lessons can be learned from past innovation cycles, and how can we avoid repeating mistakes that lead to inequitable or unsustainable outcomes?

• After the first year of MAHA, what tangible changes have emerged, and how is the industry responding?
• On the journey to a healthier population, which aspects of the food system need reimagining through policy, business strategy, and product innovation?
• How are companies large and small navigating the levels of global, federal and state led legislation on these issues, and where is innovation important to bridge this gap?
• Whether front-of-pack labelling or children’s nutrition, how can the food industry stay ahead of evolving regulations, and what role does innovation play in driving progress?
• In this evolving landscape, how can science and technology support transformation, and how can brands rebuild trust and connection with consumers?

• What measurable efficiencies, cost reductions and operational benefits has AI delivered in real-world food sector applications?
• How can AI and ML be leveraged to create more nimble and adaptive supply chains, helping to future-proof the food sector?
• From siloed data pots to shared intelligence, what does effective data sharing look like, and how can the sector move toward more accessible, interoperable databases?

Solar Foods is transforming the global food system with Solein®, a groundbreaking protein created via hydrogen fermentation. This revolutionary ingredient offers exceptional nutrition and taste, while drastically reducing environmental impact – marking a new, sustainable era in food production.

iFAB and Kraft Heinz aim to catalyze collaborations that leverage precision fermentation to create sustainable, scalable, and clean-label ingredient solutions that strengthen supply resilience and support a healthier, more transparent food system. This session will highlight iFAB capabilities and fermentation-based ingredient technologies that have demonstrated lab-scale feasibility and are ready for pilot-scale production.

• Across commodities - from cocoa to grains and oils - what does it take to move alternative ingredients and underutilized crops from pilots to global scale through effective partnerships between startups, processors, and major brands?
• As climate and price volatility intensify across commodity markets, how can alternatives be positioned as resilience tools within existing portfolios, and how is risk shared across the value chain?
• Where are the critical gaps in processing, standards, and logistics that limit scale today, and how do we ensure farmers and origin communities remain central to future commodity value chains?
• Which regulatory, labeling, or market signal would most accelerate adoption and investment in future commodities by 2030?

This session outlines SternMaid Ingredients’ integrated approach to developing clean label foods that support more sustainable protein choices, illustrating how protein performance is shaped across the entire value chain: from grower-connected sourcing and carefully managed protein isolation through enzymatic functionality in formulation. We highlight how gentle wet milling preserves native protein functionality and creates the conditions for targeted enzyme systems to deliver meat-like texture without methylcellulose or synthetic binders. A live demonstration of a clean label hot dog made with alternative protein demonstrates the resulting improvements in bite, snap, and cohesive strength.

The core message: clean label functionality is achieved when raw materials, processing decisions, and formulation expertise are intentionally aligned across the value chain—an alignment enabled through ingredient expertise and technical partnership.

As nutrition policy increasingly targets UPFs, the key challenge is how food systems can evolve without compromising safety, functionality, or scale. This session builds on the MAHA discussion with a deep dive into food-first systems that replace synthetic additive models. We will explore fermentation, natural food protection, nitrite-elimination, smart sweetening, and fiber-rich solutions across meat, confectionery, beverages, and other food matrices. The session will feature ready-to-use, policy-ready ingredient solutions from Prosur’s Get It Natural™ Toolbox in global commercial use. It will share industry insights showing how protecting food with food delivers healthier products while meeting consumer expectations for transparency.

Forget the usual pitch, this time we’re flipping the format as corporates take the stage to share the challenges they’re tackling and the tech they need to solve them. Whether you're a startup scouting for the right partner or a company seeking fresh innovation, this is your chance to connect where it counts.

Head over to the Live Demo Kitchen and experience the future of complete nutrition with Kanzen Meal!

See the creators in action, learn about the cutting-edge formulations behind each product, and taste the future for yourself!

• How are advances in strain design, bioprocessing, and AI-driven fermentation shaping the next generation of functional and high-potency ingredients?
• From infrastructure and feedstocks to unit economics, what are the biggest barriers to scale? How are companies overcoming these to unlock new opportunities across proteins, fats, and flavors?
• How can focusing on high-potency and high-value ingredients help address cost-efficiency and demand pressures, particularly in scaling functional foods and alternative proteins?
• Where are the untapped opportunities for fermentation in food innovation? Over the next 5–10 years, where should investment and collaboration be focused to accelerate scale, attract talent, and build resilient supply chains?

Soluble dietary fiber is increasingly recognized as a strategic component in product innovation and reformulation, as the global food landscape adapts to complex nutritional regulations and GLP-1–driven consumer expectations. However, conventional dietary fibers often face limitations in physicochemical properties and application performance across product categories. This session introduces KESTOSE, the first-in-market crystalline-format soluble dietary fiber, developed using Samyang’s proprietary technology. We will explore its unique physicochemical properties and application benefits, and demonstrate how it supports modern formulation strategies, including sugar reduction and high-fiber positioning, while enabling substantiated health benefit claims. The session offers practical insights into how high-purity KESTOSE can drive compliant, consumer-relevant product innovation in today’s evolving food environment.

As GLP-1 therapies reshape consumer behavior and health outcomes, a far larger opportunity is emerging at the intersection of food, health, and medicine. The session is hosted by the UC Davis-anchored Food and Health Angels, a new early-stage investment group of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and business leaders who have founded, funded, and built world class companies in the food and health space. Join us to explore the $1 trillion metabolic health growth opportunity and where investors are placing their bets next..

• How can regional partnerships and infrastructure be leveraged to accelerate scalable biomanufacturing? What are the learnings from some of these regional hubs? 
• Whether upstream or downstream, what enabling technologies are optimizing bioprocess by de-risking and bringing costs down?
• What success stories exist where enabling technologies and innovation have improved unit economics? 
• How are current policies, such as MABA and regulatory frameworks, supporting or hindering biomanufacturing growth?

Join one of the roundtable discussions, each hosted by an expert in their chosen topic, designed to spark collaboration and creative problem-solving around the most pressing challenges facing the industry. Network with new contacts, exchange solutions, and leave with fresh ideas to advance your work. View all Networking Roundtables →

Head over to the Live Demo Kitchen and experience the future of cocoa with Kokomodo!

See the creators in action, learn about the cutting-edge formulations behind each product, and taste the future for yourself!

• As GLP-1 pharmaceuticals become more mainstream, what do we now know about their side effects and how they’re reshaping consumer behavior, from appetite suppression to shifts in food preferences?
• In the food sector, where do knowledge gaps still exist regarding GLP-1s? What do recent studies implicate about health impacts, companion foods & ingredients and long-term effects of GLP-1 use?
• What opportunities should food brands and innovators be taking advantage of in the GLP-1 era, from emerging product categories, reformulation strategies, and new ways to connect with consumers?

• As companies work to break through the barriers to scale, how are they leveraging innovation to address the balance cost, efficiency, and sustainability at industrial scale?
• How can end-to-end integration of upstream and downstream technologies, shared infrastructure models, and modular systems accelerate and de-risk commercialization?
• What are the biggest challenges in scaling biomanufacturing for food applications, and how do upstream and downstream processes influence cost, yield, and product consistency?
• Where can are enabling technologies, AI and computational modeling optimize bioprocesses, de-risk production across the life cycle and accelerate scalability? What are the challenges of implementation?

This session offers a practical, demystifying deep dive into how AI can accelerate food and CPG innovation by clarifying what different AI technologies, Analytical AI, Generative AI, and Statistical Modelling are, when to use them, and how they meaningfully speed up R&D. Through an applied use case, attendees will see how these tools can enhance formulation, prediction, and decision making, while also gaining a clear understanding of the technical and data foundations required for successful implementation. By the end of the workshop, participants will be equipped with a grounded, realistic view of how to begin or advance their AI journey and will have the chance to ask targeted questions on everything from getting started to integrating multiple AI approaches within an R&D workflow.

• With the widespread uptake of GLP-1 solutions, how are food and ingredient leaders creating nutrient-dense solutions to support satiety and complete nutrition for consumers with reduced appetites?
• Can food replicate the effects of GLP-1s? What role do natural alternatives play in this space, and how realistic is it to expect food-based solutions to deliver similar outcomes?
• What developments have been made to create effective companion products that support the user journey, and where are the gaps in the market?
• As GLP-1 formats evolve, what impact could a widely available pill have on consumer behavior, and how should the food industry prepare for an even broader uptake?
• How is the GLP-1 trend reshaping consumer expectations around food functionality, convenience, personalization, and how are brands responding?

• In today’s investment climate, how have expectations shifted from vision-driven pitches to revenue, traction, and clear paths to profitability?
• From VC and beyond, how can startups position themselves to attract capital in a more selective funding climate?
• What finance models are emerging as effective for early-stage food-tech companies? Are we seeing a shift toward corporate venture arms, impact funds, or alternative financing?
• What does a successful exit look like in today’s market, and how are M&A trends shaping the landscape?
• What are common traits among startups that have weathered the downturn or secured major rounds?

As the month of March commemorates Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, join Future Food-Tech’s Women’s Networking Breakfast to spotlight the breakthroughs and achievements of women in the food industry.

Enjoy interactive discussions and create dialogue with fellow peers in the industry to share learnings, knowledge and stories as well as highlighting the areas of opportunity and challenges to be addressed in the industry, to empower women across the food system and beyond.

• As supply chains adapt to multifaceted global pressures, how are brands and suppliers balancing economic and functional priorities?
• Which new innovative strategies, investments, and technologies are enabling companies to meet these goals – managing volatility while delivering safe, nutritious, high-quality products?
• What role do multi‑stakeholder partnerships play in addressing both global supply chain challenges and customer needs? How can up- and downstream stakeholders collaborate more effectively?

Consumers want healthier, more convenient and affordable food, but trust remains the real barrier to adoption. They reject anything that feels overly engineered or ultra‑processed, yet embrace functional ingredients when the benefit is simple, believable and relevant. Our data shows consumers don’t mind processing when it serves a clear purpose - improving health, value or accessibility. This session will explore why the future of food tech lies in quietly enhancing the products people already know and trust, and what new need states brands can address.

• In light of recent pressures, how are food and beverage companies reformulating products to enhance nutritional profiles in response to evolving regulations and growing consumer concern over UPF?
• What breakthrough innovations have been made to improve levels of salt and sugar, and what are the most promising natural alternatives to synthetic colors and additives?
• What are the challenges that need to be addressed when reformulating to create healthier choices?
• Beyond reducing salt, sugar, and synthetic additives, how are companies using reformulation to add functional benefits like fiber, protein, or probiotics?
• How are AI, machine learning, and digital tools being used to optimize reformulation for taste, nutrition, and cost-efficiency?

• With the rise of prebiotic beverages & high-protein drinks to functional snacks and impactful ingredients, how are consumer trends around gut health, longevity and mental clarity shaping product innovation?
• Whether sleep, stress, beauty from within or focus, what are the top functional goals consumers want to address through food?
• How are companies solving formulation challenges such as taste, stability and bioavailability as product offerings target functional elements?
• How are AI and other technologies influencing product development and enabling precision nutrition?

As consumer expectations evolve, food choices are increasingly shaped by concerns for both personal health and broader environmental and societal impact. This breakout session explores how data, technology, and effective storytelling can help communicate the role of animal protein within modern, values-driven diets.

This session will examine how greater transparency in food production enabled by digital tools and traceability technologies can demystify the food system and bring consumers closer to the realities of farming and food production. Through real-world examples, the session will highlight how food companies are using technology to tell credible, positive stories about sourcing, impact, and the broader implications of consumer food choices.

Future Food-Tech and Food Navigator have partnered to launch the Global Food Tech Awards, a year-round initiative that celebrates the trailblazing innovators shaping the future of food. After judges have been working through their entries for the Americas heat, find out who’s been voted the winner and hear them pitch on stage!

• How do CVC investment strategies differ from traditional VC, and why does it matter for innovators?
• Beyond capital, what strategic resources, networks, and insights can CVCs offer to start-ups to further accelerate innovation?
• What emerging technologies are CVCs prioritizing to address corporate challenges and drive transformation?

Head over to the Live Demo Kitchen and experience the future of veggie-forward ingredient innovation with SternMade Ingredients!

See the creators in action, learn about the cutting-edge formulations behind each product, and taste the future for yourself!

Dive into the opportunities and challenges GLP‑1 presents for the food system. A dynamic, hands-on workshop designed to spark ideas and drive action.

• 13:30 Welcoming Remarks
• 13:40 Short Presentations + Panel/Q&A: GLP-1 State of the Market
• 14:25 GLP-1 Product Lab: From Concept to Commercial Reality
• 15:05 Pitching Session: Pitching, Vote & Wrap Up

Explore how AI is reshaping the food system. Collaborate with peers, learn from industry pioneers, and discover practical ways to apply AI. 

• 13:30 Welcome Remarks
• 13:40 Live Product Demos /AI Tools Showcase
• 14:00 AI in Action: Industry Success Stories
• 14:30 Hands-On Collaborative Workshop | Campfire Sessions
• 15:10 Wrap up & Key Takeaways