TraceGains launches Europe-wide food and beverage digitalisation benchmark
TraceGains, a provider of compliance, quality and innovation solutions for the food and beverage sector, has launched a new industry research initiative examining how manufacturers across Europe are responding to rising operational, regulatory and commercial pressures. The European Food & Beverage Digitalization Benchmark 2026 asks operational leaders to share how their organisations are approaching digitalisation across ingredient sourcing, traceability, supplier collaboration, regulatory compliance and new product development.
Study to address a gap in independent benchmarking
According to TraceGains, no comprehensive, independent benchmark currently exists that focuses specifically on the digital maturity of Europe’s food and beverage manufacturing sector, despite many manufacturers continuing to rely on fragmented systems, manual processes and disconnected data. The study targets professionals working in quality, compliance, procurement, regulatory affairs, operations and product development.
The initiative arrives as the sector faces a set of significant regulatory milestones, including the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Digital Product Passport (DPP) requirements and the Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), all of which place greater emphasis on data quality, transparency and operational agility.
Bal Chand, European Marketing Manager at TraceGains
Bal Chand, European Marketing Manager at TraceGains, said manufacturers are being asked to do more with greater accountability. “Food and beverage manufacturers are being asked to do more, faster, and with greater evidence behind every decision, from sourcing and compliance through to product development and customer response,” she said. “But many teams are still working across disconnected processes, manual data requests and systems that make it harder to keep pace.”
Participants to receive personalised maturity assessments
Manufacturers taking part in the benchmark will receive a personalised Digital Maturity Assessment, giving an immediate evaluation of their organisation’s capabilities across five dimensions of digital maturity, along with practical recommendations for improvement.
A second report will follow once the survey concludes. “Once the survey concludes, participants will also receive a second, personalized report comparing their organization anonymously against peer businesses within the wider European benchmark,” Chand said. She added that confidentiality has been built into the study’s design: “All published findings will be presented in aggregated, anonymous form, and of course individual company data will remain confidential and will never be disclosed.”
Findings intended to inform policy and industry practice
Beyond individual company insight, TraceGains says the benchmark is intended to build an evidence base for the wider industry. “The resulting report will identify emerging trends, highlight areas of common challenge, explore investment priorities, and provide policymakers, manufacturers, technology providers and industry bodies with a clearer understanding of how digital transformation is progressing across Europe’s F&B sector,” Chand said.
TraceGains has indicated an ambition for the benchmark to run annually, allowing comparisons over time as the industry responds to regulatory and commercial pressures. “The future of the industry is dependent on better data, stronger collaboration and informed decision-making,” Chand said.
About TraceGains
TraceGains, a Veralto company, provides a Source-to-Shelf business ecosystem for the food and beverage industry, digitising compliance, audits, labelling, product development, ESG and packaging processes. Some 1,500 global brands, including half of the top 100 food and beverage manufacturers, use TraceGains’ network, which connects buyers, suppliers and service providers across more than 100,000 supplier locations and almost 700,000 ingredients.
- For more information. visit: https://tracegains.com/
