Klipspringer named Headline Sponsor of IFST's Autumn Conference 2026

The Autumn Conference 2026 (AC26) will bring together more than 175 leaders, innovators and experts from across the food system for a day of practical presentations, expert panels and discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. The conference will be chaired by Alec Kyriakides, an independent food safety consultant with over 35 years in the industry, who currently chairs the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food.

The keynote address will be delivered by Professor Ian Young, Chief Scientific Advisor to the Food Standards Agency. He will be joined on the programme by speakers including Judith Batchelar OBE, Co-Chair of the Food Data Transparency Partnership, Professor Greta Defeyter OBE of Northumbria University, and Professor Todd Landman of the University of Nottingham's Rights Lab, covering topics spanning food policy, sustainability, packaging and the food workforce.

Founded in 1999, Klipspringer is the proactive partner of choice for food safety compliance across the UK and Ireland's food sector. The company works with over 3,500 food factories and stakeholders including auditors, retailers, manufacturers and hospitality businesses to enhance standards.

Guy Bush, Engagement Manager at Klipspringer, said: "IFST members are some of the most forward-thinking people in our industry, always looking to what's next for food safety. That's the spirit behind 'Delivering Food Strategy Outcomes' and why we're proud to be part of that conversation as Headline Sponsor. Working with over 3,500 food factories, we bring real, on-the-ground insight to the table and we're looking forward to collaborating with everyone in the room to drive food safety forward, together." Bobby Edge-Partington, Head of Knowledge, Learning and Communications at IFST, said: "Food strategy is only worth anything once it turns into action. That's what AC26 is built for. We've got food safety, sustainability and policy experts together in one room in Nottingham for a single day, chaired by Alec Kyriakides, who knows this sector better than almost anyone. Having Klipspringer on board as Headline Sponsor fits perfectly. Their teams work at the sharp end of food safety compliance every day, and that's exactly the kind of practical, on-the-ground thinking this conference needs."