Sixty researchers and professionals from the agri-food sector across Europe gathered in San Michele all’Adige from 13 to 15 May for the international ISO-FOOD symposium focused on food authenticity, traceability and safety. Organised by Fondazione Edmund Mach, the initiative provided an important multidisciplinary platform for discussion on some of the most relevant issues related to food quality, sustainable production and innovation in the agri-food system.

The symposium fostered dialogue among the research community, industry stakeholders and regulatory bodies, with the aim of promoting scientific tools and innovative approaches to support greater transparency, safety and sustainability across food supply chains.

Over the three-day event, participants attended scientific talks, plenary sessions, oral presentations and poster sessions addressing topics such as food authenticity and traceability, foodomics and “omics” technologies, food metrology and standardisation, novel sources and alternative ingredients, as well as the impact of climate change on agri-food production systems.

“ISO-FOOD 2026 confirmed the crucial importance of building international and multidisciplinary networks to address the global challenges facing the food system,” said Damiano Gianelle, Head of the Research and Innovation Centre, highlighting how food quality, authenticity and traceability have become strategic priorities not only for scientific research, but also for consumers, companies and institutions.

The Traceability Research Unit at Fondazione Edmund Mach, which coordinated the international exchange, has extensive experience in developing advanced methods for verifying the origin and authenticity of agri-food products through isotopic mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Its activities are integrated with a dedicated traceability technological platform equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation and applied to the agri-food, environmental and forensic science sectors.