Food safety and traceability. Stricter regulations. New standards. Sustainability. These are some of the biggest trends shaping the food and beverage industry in 2025. You’ve probably already heard these buzzwords – but what do they actually mean for your business? And why should food and beverage manufacturers pay close attention?Â
Traceability as a pillar of ESGÂ
Let’s start with ESG. ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance – basically, a way of measuring how responsibly a company operates. Investors, governments, and consumers are all looking more closely at ESG metrics, and they increasingly influence how companies are valued.Â
So, what’s the link to traceability?Â
In food manufacturing, traceability means following a product’s journey from raw ingredients to the supermarket shelf. By capturing and analysing data at every step, companies can prove that products are safe, ethically sourced, and sustainable.
That’s why traceability is now at the heart of ESG strategies. It helps businesses:Â
- Improve transparency and accountabilityÂ
- Reduce waste and inefficienciesÂ
- React quickly to food safety issues, like recallsÂ
- Build trust with consumers who want to know more about what they’re buyingÂ
In an industry where supply chains are long and complex, traceability is no longer optional – it’s essential. Â
Regulations: you can’t ignoreÂ
Food safety has always been critical, and now governments worldwide are raising the bar with stricter rules to protect consumers and fight fraud, mislabelling, and unsafe products, such as counterfeits.Â
Some examples:Â
- United States: The FDA’s Food Traceability Final Rule will come into force in January 2026, requiring detailed tracking of certain foods.Â
- Europe: The EU Deforestation Regulation will require companies to monitor supply chains for seven commodities (cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, and wood, and their derivatives) to ensure they’re not linked to deforestation.Â
- Ukraine: Excise program requiring tracking and tracing of beverage products in order to reduce the circulation of illicit alcohol.Â
The consequences of non-compliance are serious – from fines to losing market access altogether. In short, if you want to stay competitive, compliance must be part of your business plan.Â
GS1 2D barcodes: a new standardÂ
It’s not just regulation shaping the industry. Standards are evolving too. Â
The new 2D barcodes powered by GS1 will fundamentally change how product information is shared. A simple smartphone scan will give instant access to:Â
- Product origin and certificationsÂ
- ESG and sustainability informationÂ
- Nutritional and allergen detailsÂ
- Recycling instructionsÂ
- Compliance documents for regulators Â
Yet, awareness is still limited. A recent Inexto survey of food & beverage professionals revealed that while 60% have heard of the new GS1 standards, most don’t yet know the details. Only 13% are actively preparing to implement, while 27% have never heard of them at all.Â
This gap between awareness and action highlights a crucial point: change is coming fast, and the industry isn’t fully ready. By 2027, GS1 2D barcodes are expected to become the global standard. That leaves just a short window for companies to prepare.Â
Companies that start preparing today will be the ones that can adapt smoothly, avoid disruption, and turn GS1 2D barcodes into a real competitive advantage.Â
Label accuracy and instant traceabilityÂ
Inaccurate labels are more than an inconvenience. They are a business risk, exposing companies to recalls, fines, or worse, putting consumer health at risk.Â
By connecting every product to a unique digital identity, modern traceability systems guarantee label accuracy. What’s printed on the package is always backed by verified supply chain data. That means what’s printed on the package matches real-time, verified supply chain data.Â
This also enables instant traceability. If a problem arises, companies can act fast and with precision, targeting only the affected batches instead of issuing broad, expensive recalls.Â
Inexto’s PerspectiveÂ
At Inexto, we believe traceability is not just about compliance – it’s about creating value. Our mission is to help food and beverage manufacturers turn traceability into a strategic advantage by:Â
- Supporting ESG commitments with accurate, trusted dataÂ
- Ensuring compliance in a fast-changing regulatory environmentÂ
- Building transparency and trust with consumersÂ
- Leveraging global standards like GS1 Digital Link to connect every product to its journey
The companies that embrace traceability today will not only meet the challenges of 2025, but they will also lead the industry into the future.Â