IFT’s Science and Policy Initiatives Team Reveals Top Trends for 2026

CHICAGO – December 16, 2025 – The Science and Policy Initiatives (SPI) team at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific association committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, has revealed its top five food trends that will not only impact the food and policy landscape, but redefine innovation, safety, sustainability, and consumer trust in the coming year. Those trends include digital tools expanding food safety adoption, AI moving from pilot to practice, and regulatory pressures reshaping the innovation pipeline.

“Our food system is under pressure like never before. Climate change, resource scarcity, geopolitical disruptions, and rising consumer demands are creating unprecedented challenges. In 2026, those challenges will only intensify,” said Brendan Niemira, PhD, IFT Chief Science and Technology Officer (CSTO). “But with those challenges comes opportunity for the food science community to turn uncertainty into innovation, complexity into clarity, and challenges into solutions with next year shaping up to be a landmark year for food innovation.”

View the 2026 food trends.

IFT’s SPI team is led by Brendan Niemira, who recently took over as IFT’s CSTO, and includes Anna Rosales, vice president of science and policy; Blake Harris, managing director of IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center; Sara Bratager, senior food safety and traceability scientist; Celine Terfloth, food systems analyst; Amanda Ferguson, director of scientific journals; and Andrew Kiefer, manager of scientific journals.

Not only does the SPI team share expert scientific insight from and on behalf of the IFT community with various governing bodies, it has weighed in on numerous critical food topics in recent months, including ultra-processed foods, artificial food dyes, and food traceability and safety. The team has also created a series of educational resources that provide consensus scientific perspective and research around critical food topics.

To learn more, go to ift.org.

About Institute of Food Technologists

Since 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has served as the voice of the global food science community. IFT advocates for science, technology, and research to address the world’s greatest food challenges, guiding our community of more than 200,000. IFT convenes professionals from around the world – from producers and product developers to innovators and researchers across food, nutrition, and public health – with a shared mission to help create a global food supply that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all. IFT provides its growing community spanning academia, industry, and government with the resources, connections, and opportunities necessary to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving food system as IFT helps feed the minds that feed the world. For more information, please visit ift.org.

Media Contact

Dennis Van Milligen
Director, External Relations
Institute of Food Technologists
630-853-3022
dvanmilligen@ift.org