Hamburg – November 02, 2026 -- Only 9% of food and beverage professionals say their organization runs fully connected processes across departments, while 40% name disconnected systems and data as their biggest operational hurdle, according to a new TraceGains survey.
The report, "The State of Digital Transformation in Food & Beverage 2026," draws on responses from 423 professionals in 28 countries. Respondents work mainly in quality management, food safety and regulatory affairs. The sample also includes executives and staff from R&D and procurement. The survey was conducted on May 27, 2026, and covers nine functional areas.
Silos persist in 37% of organizations and delay compliance and innovation
Another 37% describe their organization as still shaped by silos in some areas. Respondents link fragmented data to delays in operations, innovation development, compliance and decision-making. Looking ahead, 29% rank lack of connectivity as their biggest challenge for 2027.
Trust and accuracy, not technology, hold back AI adoption for 30%
On artificial intelligence, 53% see automation of repetitive work as its most important role. Some 43% are interested in AI but remain cautious. Trust and accuracy are the largest adoption barrier for 30%. One quarter say enterprise-level data protection and compliance safeguards would raise their confidence.
Traceability and real-time data top the priority list
End-to-end traceability is a decisive success factor for the future, according to 34% of respondents. Connected real-time data is the highest operational priority for the coming years for 32%. The study concludes that companies will increasingly turn to integrated data platforms.
TraceGains argues that only a connected ecosystem allows teams to exchange supplier, quality, regulatory, product, packaging and traceability data without friction.