The SAVE FOOD initiative will bring global industry leaders and organisations together at interpack 2026 to explore how packaging can play a critical role in reducing food loss and improving sustainability, with a series of Expert Talks scheduled for 12 May.
Held at Messe Düsseldorf, the sessions will feature two high-level panel discussions addressing regulatory developments, technological innovations and practical solutions across the food supply chain.
The first panel, “Global Packaging in Transition: Regulation, Partnerships and the Race for Sustainable Value,” will bring together important international organisations such as the World Packaging Organisation (WPO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and how industry and government can work together to expedite the transition to sustainable packaging systems while lowering food losses will be the main topics of discussion.
“Turning Packaging into a Food Saver,” the second session, will focus on useful supply chain improvements. Case studies on increasing shelf life, bolstering cold chain logistics, and boosting distribution efficiency will be presented by industry participants such as MULTIVAC, Kühne+Nagel, SIG Foundation, and FSSC. The goal of the debate is to show how integrated strategies that include transportation, packaging, and quality requirements can improve food safety while reducing waste.
In addition to the conference sessions, the initiative will honour innovation through a project competition, the Sustainability Design Awards, and the SAVE FOOD Design Awards. The prizes, which received more than 100 submissions, demonstrate the increasing significance of solutions that tackle food systems’ economic and environmental problems. Notably, the project competition will offer funding for the first time to scale up promising projects and broaden their scope internationally.
The SAVE FOOD Highlight Route, which runs across the exhibition grounds and features businesses showcasing innovations and services targeted at lowering food loss at all stages of the value chain, will also be open to visitors attending Interpack 2026.
With a strong focus on providing workable, scalable solutions to one of the most important issues facing the food business, the SAVE FOOD project seeks to strengthen its position as a worldwide platform that links industry, government, and researchers.
