Meet the food & drink community at IFE Manufacturing 2026
IFE Manufacturing returns to Excel London from 30 March to 01 April 2026 as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, bringing together the people, technologies and expertise shaping the future of food and drink production.
Designed specifically for manufacturers, processors and product developers, the event provides a focused environment to explore how engineering, ingredients and innovation intersect across the supply chain.
Positioned alongside IFE, IFE Manufacturing offers a dedicated platform for businesses working in product development, processing, packaging and manufacturing services. The show attracts senior decision-makers from across food and drink manufacturing, from SMEs scaling production to established brands investing in new processes, formats and capabilities. For suppliers, it presents an opportunity to engage directly with teams responsible for improving efficiency, sustainability and product performance.
Feeding the Future
A key theme running through IFE Manufacturing 2026 is Feeding the Future, reflecting the evolving demands placed on manufacturers by changing consumer expectations, regulatory pressures and environmental targets. Across the show floor and content programme, this theme is explored through practical solutions, from ingredient functionality and reformulation to automation, digitalisation and waste reduction.
Ingredient solutions
Ingredients innovation remains central to the event. Visitors can explore new ingredient solutions designed to support cleaner labels, enhanced nutrition and improved functionality, while maintaining scalability and commercial viability. With health, sustainability and taste continuing to converge, IFE Manufacturing offers a space for manufacturers to assess how emerging ingredients can be integrated into existing processes without compromising efficiency or consistency.
Engineering and processing technologies are equally prominent. Exhibitors showcase advances in processing and packaging equipment, manufacturing services and enabling technologies that support greater flexibility, resilience and throughput. As manufacturers look to balance cost pressures with the need to innovate, the event highlights practical approaches to optimising production lines, improving energy efficiency and embedding smarter systems into operations.
Trends & Innovation
Alongside the exhibition, IFE Manufacturing delivers a focused programme of content for food engineers, technical managers and product development teams. On the Trends & Innovation Platform, insight-led sessions draw on research from organisations including FMCG Gurus, Mintel and the Soil Association to examine how consumer trends are translating into technical and commercial decisions within manufacturing.
Topics span reformulation and ingredient functionality, sustainability and sourcing expectations, and the practical implications of nutrition, regulation and labelling for product development. The programme is designed to help manufacturers interpret trend data through a technical lens, supporting informed decisions around process design, ingredient selection and scalable innovation.
Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) will work with Campden BRI to deliver a dedicated day of discussions on 30 March, covering topics including sustainable sourcing, ingredients innovation, AI in product development and ingredients for a healthy diet. The programme is designed to bridge the gap between scientific research and real-world application, offering actionable insight for those responsible for turning ideas into scalable products.
IFE Manufacturing Awards
IFE Manufacturing also plays host to the IFE Manufacturing Awards, delivered in collaboration with IFST. The awards programme champions innovation across core areas including sustainable ingredient innovation, responsible sourcing and ethical partnerships, public health impact, start-up ingredient launches and enabling technologies. By spotlighting ingredients and technologies that deliver measurable impact, the awards reinforce the role of science and engineering in driving progress across the food and drink sector.
With its strong emphasis on technical excellence, collaboration and future-focused thinking, IFE Manufacturing provides a valuable forum for the manufacturing community. For food engineers and ingredients professionals, it offers a rare opportunity to engage with the full ecosystem in one place, from raw materials and formulation through to processing, packaging and production strategy.
As the challenges facing food and drink manufacturing continue to grow in complexity, IFE Manufacturing 2026 positions itself as a practical, solutions-led event, focused on helping the industry build more resilient, sustainable and innovative production systems for the years ahead.
Secure your free trade ticket here
- To find out more about everything happening at this year’s event, and to secure your free trade ticket, visit: ifemanufacturing.co.uk .
