Which topics captured the attention of the food industry in May 2026? The most-read articles of May provide a broad overview, ranging from audits, quality management and certification to automation, occupational health and safety requirements, and IT. Topics such as rising food prices, shelf-life studies and the fight against olive oil fraud also attracted considerable interest. These are the ten articles that were read most often on our website in May.
A good QA manager should be lazy, think in terms of the supply chain, and be willing to stand up to management, according to food technologist and consultant IJsbrand Velzeboer. The ‘bureaucratic’ audits quality managers have to deal with are a constant source of frustration for him. “At its core, it comes down to retailers not trusting manufacturers.”
StarCuisine produces more than 160,000 ready-made meals every week. Crafted with an artisanal taste, produced on an industrial scale. When the company moved to a larger facility in 2022, a new challenge emerged: how do you automate a production process without compromising the quality and authenticity that make StarCuisine stand out?
The war in Iran is once again putting global trade under pressure. Oil prices are rising, and fertilizer is becoming more expensive. Food prices are following suit. For the third time in six years, food producers are being forced to adapt. Three experts share how the food processing industry can maintain its commercial strength in this volatile world.
In many food production facilities, powders play a quiet yet critical role. From herbs and spices to starches, flavorings, and colorants, they form the foundation of countless recipes used in snacks, salads, and plant-based products, among others. Behind these seemingly simple ingredients lies a complex logistical operation.
The global olive oil market represents an annual value worth billions of euros. Yet the sector has long struggled with a persistent problem: fraud and misleading claims. A significant share of the olive oil sold as extra virgin does not actually meet the strict quality standards required for that label. A new initiative in the Netherlands aims to change that.
Labeling errors, dependence on servers, and manual work on the production line; for Tony’s Chocolonely, these bottlenecks were holding back growth. By moving the labeling process to the cloud, the company gained stability, control, and a future-proof production environment.
More than three in ten companies in the Netherlands do not have their occupational safety and health (OSH) basics in order. As a result, they are not meeting a legal obligation and employees are exposed to unnecessary risks. This is according to the Arbo in Bedrijf 2024–2025 monitor by the Dutch Labor Inspection.
After months of refining the recipe, you finally have it in your hands: the perfect product for the consumer. Now all that’s left is to determine a best-before or use-by date for the label, and it’s ready for the market! So you send the product to the laboratory and ask them to run it through their super-duper shelf-life analyzer. Ten minutes later, the best-before or use-by date should be clear. Right?
In a world of increasingly complex supply chains and rising expectations from customers and regulators, transparency and reliability are essential. Trust is never a given: it must be built, substantiated, and continuously monitored. That requires consistent performance, clear communication, and compliance with recognized standards.
Growth creates opportunities, but it also puts extra pressure on processes and systems. De Waal Vers from Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht knows that better than most. Over the past few years, the fresh food wholesaler has continued to expand, increasing the need for a stable IT environment as well. For its complete IT management and cybersecurity, the family-owned company now works together with DNA Services.
Source: Vakblad Voedingsindustrie
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