EC Meeting | A Retailers Perspective

IFFI’s theme for 2026 program is ‘Route to Market’. IFFI-affiliated companies are continuously seeking for innovative technologies, products and processes to add value to the overall food industry. The value and corresponding business potential starts from a market perspective, but only than can this value being captured once the socalled route-to-market is defined. To identify and have access to different ‘routes-to-markets’ the food ingredients industry will need to navigate in 2026.

At the first Executive Counciukl meeting of 2026 Private Label Strategist Koen de Jong will share his insights into the development of private label within the retail channel. He advises retailers and manufacturers on positioning, portfolio development and value creation, with a strong focus on market dynamics, consumer behaviour and value chain collaboration.

In a plenary session the Executive Council members will discuss the business perspective of Private Label in the food value chain driving innovation and steering global supply chains. Together with the keynote speaker they will answer to questons like “By 2026, where exactly can ingredient manufacturers still capture pricing power in retail value chains—and where is it structurally lost? Or what must ingredient companies do differently to move from cost-based pricing to value-based pricing with retailers? And as retailers rationalise assortments and suppliers, which capabilities will directly translate into margin protection—or even margin expansion—for ingredient manufacturers?”