Barcelona, 3 October 2026.
Argenta held its two-day conference, Navigating the Feed & Food Regulatory Landscape, on 29 and 30 September. The event brought together more than 100 international participants, including regulators, trade associations, service providers, scientists and companies from across the feed and food chain. Participants shared knowledge and discussed the rules that determine how new ingredients reach the market.
The programme was built around a simple idea: bringing innovative products to market requires collaboration among many stakeholders, all working towards safe and efficient market access.
The first day explored developments in food-chain legislation and the practical steps applicants can take to prepare robust dossiers.
• UK and EU alignment. DEFRA described the advanced negotiations on a UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement. The proposed agreement is based on dynamic alignment with EU rules and is intended to remove routine SPS border checks and third-country certification requirements.
• New EFSA guidance. EFSA presented its guidance on the characterisation of microorganisms used in the food chain, together with advice for applicants on whole-genome sequencing and Qualified Presumption of Safety. EFSA experts also outlined common shortcomings in novel food applications, explained how applicants can avoid them and highlighted the support available to SMEs. Following the applicable guidance, clearly justifying any deviations and submitting study notifications on time can all help avoid delays in reaching the market.
• Market access beyond Europe. Reach24h ChemLinked explained China’s separate pathways for food, overseen by the National Health Commission, and feed, overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The speaker also explained why approvals are specific to each ingredient’s source and production process.
• New approach methodologies. Speakers from Charles River Laboratories and Chemsafe, representing EACL, discussed the growing regulatory interest in new approach methodologies. They emphasised that these methods must provide an equivalent level of protection and currently help mainly to reduce and refine animal testing rather than replace it entirely.
• Industry perspectives. A panel featuring Mmimetika, CRS, Nano1Health and the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein discussed market access, data generation and the challenges faced by SMEs. NAPIC and the Bezos Centre also led sessions on alternative proteins and innovative sustainable food ingredients.
The second day focused on animal feed, covering topics ranging from regulatory simplification to pioneering products.
• Simplifying the rules. The European Commission presented its food and feed safety simplification package, adopted on 16 December 2025. For feed additives, the package proposes life-long authorisations, except for coccidiostats and histomonostats, simpler procedures for modifying authorisations and digital labelling for certain non-safety information. The proposal remains under examination by the EU co-legislators.
• Industry priorities. FEFANA welcomed the clarity to the GMO definition, and the Omnibus simplification package as a good starting point, while calling for further amendments. It also stressed the need for a resilient EU supply of feed ingredients.
• Global updates. ICCF outlined how regulators and industry in the United States, EU and Canada work towards convergent technical guidance for feed ingredients. CRS provided an update on US regulatory pathways, including the proposed move towards mandatory GRAS notification, which is under consultation until December 2026.
• Pioneering success stories. IPIFF discussed developments in the insect sector. Nestlé Purina presented the first physiological condition stabiliser for dogs authorised in the EU under Regulation (EU) 2025/1776. GlasPort RumenTech described its approach to reducing methane emissions from ruminants, while Meatly shared its experience with pioneering cultivated pet food in the UK.
• Pet food and study designs. FEDIAF reviewed the latest developments relating to PARNUTs, including EFSA’s 2026 draft guidance. IRTA shared practical advice on designing safety, tolerance and efficacy studies that meet EFSA requirements.
Navigating the Feed & Food Regulatory Landscape took place on 29 and 30 September 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. The programme included networking breaks and a rooftop dinner on the evening of Day 1. Argenta thanks all speakers and collaborators, including DEFRA, EACL, IPIFF, IRTA, NAPIC, Reach24h and the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein. Argenta also thanks its media partners—Agricult Outlook, ChemLinked, Feed Compounder, Food Business Outlook, International Animal Health Journal, Pet Food Media and The World of Food Ingredients—as well as EFSA for hosting an information booth.
Argenta is a leading contract development and manufacturing organisation and contract research organisation in animal health and nutrition. Its more than 800 team members support customers globally, from concept to market. Argenta’s Regulatory Affairs teams in the EU and US provide support for veterinary medicines, feed and food. For more information, visit www.argentaglobal.com/about.
Email: info@argentaglobal.com
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