PLM & Compliance Blog

What EU Grocery Retailers Need to Prepare for in 2026

federico.fontanella@traceone.com (Federico Fontanella, PMP) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:36:08 GMT

Private label continues to grow as a strategic lever for grocery retailers. NielsenIQ reports that 50% of global respondents say they are buying more private label products than ever before — a shift that reflects genuine consumer trust in retailer-owned brands, not just price sensitivity.

But that trust is fragile. In 2026, grocery retailers face a convergence of regulatory deadlines, packaging obligations, and sustainability commitments that will test whether their product data governance is strong enough to protect the brands they have built. This article sets out the five pressures that matter most — and what evidence-based compliance actually looks like in practice.

What does good packaging governance deliver at scale?

Across 7 grocery retailers using Trace One Sustainability over the past two years: 38,382 tons of plastics saved, 486 tons of plastics withdrawn from the market entirely, and a 30% increase in recycled materials across their portfolios. These are not projections — they are measured outcomes from retailers who embedded sustainability data directly into their product governance workflows.

*Figures calculated across 7 Trace One retail customers over the last 2 years.

What Cosmetics and Personal Care Manufacturers Need to Prepare for in 2026

federico.fontanella@traceone.com (Federico Fontanella, PMP) — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 21:19:18 GMT

Cosmetics and personal care manufacturers are heading into 2026 under sustained, compounding pressure rather than facing a single disruptive event. Regulatory scrutiny continues to intensify; ingredient expectations evolve, sustainability claims are challenged more aggressively, and product portfolios grow increasingly complex. At the same time, brands are expected to innovate faster, communicate more transparently, and adapt to shifting consumer sentiment without compromising safety or compliance.

For many organizations, the difficulty is not a lack of regulatory awareness or strategic intent. The difficulty lies in execution. Reformulations, packaging changes, supplier updates, and claims adjustments are happening more frequently and across more products than ever before. Each change introduces downstream consequences that must be managed carefully and consistently.

The trends below outline the most important operational pressures cosmetics and personal care manufacturers will face in 2026, and why disciplined product data governance increasingly determines resilience.

What EU Food and Beverage Manufacturers Need to Prepare for in 2026

federico.fontanella@traceone.com (Federico Fontanella, PMP) — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:38:49 GMT

Food and beverage manufacturers in Europe are entering 2026 with converging pressures rather than separate workstreams. Sustainability targets, packaging reform, supplier volatility, and margin pressure are colliding inside product development, packaging decisions, and supplier change processes simultaneously.

In this environment, product lifecycle management (PLM) becomes an operational backbone rather than a background system. The ability to manage product data, packaging specifications, and supplier documentation in a governed way determines whether frequent change feels controlled or chaotic.

The trends below reflect the most practical pressures EU food and beverage manufacturers will face in 2026 — and why product data governance increasingly defines operational resilience. See how Trace One supports food and beverage manufacturers in building that foundation.

Where U.S. Employers Fail to Warn Workers About Chemical Dangers

Danijel Radonjic — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:24:10 GMT

Millions of U.S. workers handle, store, or work near hazardous chemicals every day—from cleaning solvents and industrial adhesives to flammable gases and corrosive substances. Without proper training, clear labeling, and accessible safety data sheets, employees may not fully understand the health risks they face, including respiratory illness, chemical burns, or fire and explosion hazards. Federal regulators and occupational health experts widely view hazard communication as a foundational component of workplace safety because it determines whether workers have the information needed to protect themselves.

To address these risks, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established the Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom) in 1983. Often referred to as the “right-to-know” rule, the standard requires employers to classify chemical hazards, label containers, maintain safety data sheets, and train workers on safe handling procedures. Yet more than four decades after its adoption, HazCom remains one of OSHA’s most frequently cited workplace safety standards, indicating persistent compliance gaps across industries and regions.

To identify where U.S. employers are failing to warn workers about chemical dangers, Trace One—an SDS, regulatory compliance, and PLM software company serving the chemicals, food & beverage, and cosmetics sectors—analyzed OSHA enforcement data from 2021 through 2025. The analysis investigates which states and industries account for the most HazCom violations, as well as how these citation trends have evolved over time.

Grocery Items With the Biggest Price Increases Since COVID-19

federico.fontanella@traceone.com (Federico Fontanella, PMP) — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 21:44:44 GMT

Grocery Store Items That Have Increased Most in Price

What began as a disruption in supply chains during the early stages of COVID-19 quickly evolved into the fastest period of food price increases since the 1970s. From meat and dairy to pantry staples and coffee, Americans faced higher grocery bills across nearly every category and are still feeling the repercussions today. Even as overall inflation has cooled in 2024 and 2025, grocery prices remain elevated—and for many items, these increases have not subsided.

Where Norovirus Outbreaks Are Most Common

federico.fontanella@traceone.com (Federico Fontanella, PMP) — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Often referred to as the “winter vomiting bug,” norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea from acute gastroenteritis nationwide and is responsible for a significant share of foodborne illness outbreaks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its high transmissibility, coupled with its resilience on surfaces and in various settings, makes norovirus particularly difficult to contain once it begins to spread.

What is PLM? Updating a 14-year-old Reddit Answer with our Head of Strategic Innovation for Today’s Process Manufacturing Industry

federico.fontanella@traceone.com (Federico Fontanella, PMP) — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 18:24:10 GMT

When you search for “what is PLM?” one of the first results is a Reddit post from 2011 — a thread that has become a go-to resource for engineers trying to define Product Lifecycle Management.

US FDA & USDA Food Regulation Updates

Sandhya Sashikumar — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 08:57:29 GMT

As consumer demand for transparency grows and U.S. food safety regulations evolve, staying ahead of FDA compliance is more critical than ever. From ingredient bans like the FDA’s Red Dye No. 3 ruling to new food labeling requirements and enhanced pesticide residue limits, food manufacturers must act fast to remain compliant.

These sweeping regulatory changes from the FDA and USDA are reshaping how products are formulated, labeled, and marketed. Leveraging regulatory compliance software can help brands monitor and adapt to new food safety rules efficiently, avoiding costly recalls and protecting consumer trust.

EU Food Regulation Updates

Abed Moghrabi — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 15:15:40 GMT

As EU food regulations continue to evolve in response to growing consumer expectations around safety, sustainability, and transparency, food businesses face increasing pressure to stay compliant. Whether it’s new ingredient restrictions, changes to allergen disclosures, or tighter limits on chemical residues, these shifts are reshaping how food is formulated, labeled, and distributed across the European market.

Navigating this regulatory landscape requires more than manual tracking. Regulatory compliance software can help brands adapt quickly, reduce risk, and build long-term trust with both regulators and consumers.

Latin America Food Regulation Updates

Nethra Mohanbabu — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:17:46 GMT

Across Latin America, food safety and regulatory frameworks are undergoing rapid transformation as governments respond to rising consumer expectations around health, transparency, and sustainability. Countries throughout the region are introducing more stringent controls on everything from labelling and additives to pesticide residues and nutrition claims.