TraceGains demonstrated how connected data and purpose-built artificial intelligence can help European food and beverage manufacturers tackle challenges ranging from regulatory compliance and traceability to formulation and product innovation at two major industry events recently.

At ENG Global Food Safety 2026 in Berlin and at Innovation in Non-Alcoholic Drinks 2026 in London, TraceGains showcased how connecting supplier, ingredient, specification, product, formulation and compliance data can help organizations break down silos and make faster, more informed decisions.

“Food and beverage manufacturers are being asked to move faster on every front,” said Michelle Henry, Director of Sales for Europe with TraceGains, the leading provider of compliance, quality, and innovation solutions for the F&B industry. “Regulatory requirements are evolving, supply chains are increasingly complex, and consumer expectations are changing rapidly. Similarly, retailers are demanding innovation to meet trends quicker, while consumers and regulations are driving the need for transparency which retailers push down the supply chain. Yet the information teams need to respond is often still fragmented across systems, departments and spreadsheets,” she said.

At the 21st annual Global Food Safety summit, TraceGains focused on this growing complexity facing food safety, compliance and regulatory teams. Under the theme, ‘The challenge isn’t understanding regulations, it’s understanding their impact,’ the session explored how connected data can help organizations negotiate the downstream implications of regulatory change across suppliers, ingredients, specifications, products and packaging.

“Understanding a regulation is only the first step,” said Michelle. “The real challenge is determining what has changed, which products and suppliers are affected, and what action needs to be taken. When those connections are visible, teams can respond more quickly, reduce manual work and approach compliance with greater confidence.”

Rebecca Kaya, a regulatory specialist with product labelling compliance experts Ashbury Global, agreed. “Regulation itself isn’t getting inherently more complex,” she said, “but the information you need to prove compliance is. That’s the shift most businesses have not yet resourced for.”

Developed as an AI-powered laboratory and workspace platform for NPD teams, AI Formulation combines real-time ingredient data, AI-driven formulation, and collaborative workflows to accelerate research and development, time to market, and reduce risk. The TraceGains presentation demonstrated how connected data can improve visibility across regulatory workflows, reduce duplication, strengthen audit readiness and support a move from reactive compliance management toward more proactive risk mitigation.

“Traceability and compliance are fundamentally data challenges,” added Michelle. “If critical information is locked away in disconnected systems, it becomes much harder to see the full picture. Connecting that information gives teams a clearer view of risk and creates a much stronger foundation for automation and AI.”

Accelerating product innovation

Just days later at the Innovation in Non-Alcoholic Drinks conference in London, TraceGains shifted the focus from compliance to the equally urgent challenge of accelerating product innovation. Presented jointly with Levercliff Associates, the session ‘From Prompt to Product: Using AI and Connected Data to Accelerate Beverage Innovation’ combined Levercliff’s expertise in consumer and market trends with practical demonstrations from TraceGains.

Insights from Levercliff highlighted the pace at which consumer preferences and beverage trends are evolving, reinforcing the need for manufacturers to translate market intelligence into product concepts and formulations more quickly. “Consumer trends can emerge and scale quickly, but successful innovation starts with knowing exactly who your consumer is, what they value and how their needs are changing,” said Lauren Smith, Cluster and Category Manager at Levercliff Associates.

“Strong consumer insight helps manufacturers focus investment on the opportunities most likely to succeed. “The real advantage comes when businesses can combine that understanding with the ability to move quickly, transforming consumer demand into products that reach shelves ahead of the competition. That’s where the greatest growth opportunities exist,” she said.

TraceGains then demonstrated how AI Formulation connects product data and uses purpose-built AI to help bridge that gap. “We showed how teams can move from a product brief, consumer trend insight or existing formula toward candidate formulations more efficiently, drawing on connected ingredient, specification and formulation data,” said Michelle. “AI can help manufacturers accelerate innovation, but the quality and relevance of the data behind it matters. Unlike general AI, which uses information derived from the internet – including forums, public opinion and dated insights – AI Formulation is purpose-built for F&B, bringing AI together with the industry-specific knowledge and workflows that teams rely on to develop products. The result is a more connected way to explore formulations and move ideas toward reality,” she said.

The presentation also highlighted the importance of collaboration across R&D, procurement, regulatory and supplier management, helping organizations reduce the siloed approach that can slow product development.

“While these two events addressed different business priorities, they underlined the common message that connected data provides the foundation for faster, smarter decision-making across the food and beverage value chain,” said Michelle. “Whether you’re responding to a regulatory change or trying to get a new beverage to market, fundamentally you need trusted information connected across the business.

“That is what enables organizations to reduce complexity, collaborate more effectively and use AI in a way that delivers practical value, helping F&B manufacturers create the data foundation needed to manage risk, improve operational efficiency and accelerate innovation,” she said.