Key Takeaways

  • Food Safety Tech launched Food Safety Tech Research (FSTR), an independent research and advisory division focused on food safety technology and data-driven operational performance.
  • FSTR’s flagship initiative, the Food Safety Digital Maturity Benchmark, is described as the first comprehensive study of how food and beverage manufacturers adopt digital technologies.
  • The benchmark debuts at the 15th Anniversary Food Safety Consortium in Washington, D.C., running October 21-23, 2026.
  • Qualified professionals at food and beverage companies can participate confidentially and receive a personalized maturity scorecard in return.
  • Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer David Hatch said the industry still lacks independent evidence to separate technology promises from measurable business outcomes.

Food Safety Tech Launches Independent Research Division

Food Safety Tech has launched Food Safety Tech Research (FSTR), a new research and advisory organization operating as the company’s research division and a subsidiary of Innovative Publishing. FSTR is positioned to give food and beverage manufacturers independent, research-driven evidence for evaluating digital technology investments, an area the company says has relied mostly on vendor case studies and analyst opinion.

“Digital transformation is no longer optional, but organizations still lack independent evidence to separate technology promises from measurable business outcomes,” said David Hatch, Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer of FSTR.

What the Digital Maturity Benchmark Measures

FSTR’s first study, the Food Safety Digital Maturity Benchmark, examines how food and beverage manufacturers are adopting digital technologies, where they succeed, where they run into barriers, and how maturity levels affect business outcomes. Participation is open to qualified professionals at food and beverage companies, who can take part confidentially and anonymously and receive a personalized maturity scorecard in return.

Food Safety Tech’s 15-Year Foundation

FSTR builds on Food Safety Tech’s 15-year history as a media, education, and events platform serving the food safety community through journalism, events, and digital content. Rick Biros, Founder and President of Innovative Publishing and FSTR co-founder, described the launch as a natural evolution of that work, extending the company’s track record of helping the industry evaluate emerging technologies and practices through original research.

Benchmark Debuts at October Conference

The Food Safety Digital Maturity Benchmark is set to debut at the 15th Anniversary Food Safety Consortium, scheduled for October 21-23, 2026, in Washington, D.C. FSTR said the study is intended to give the food industry a credible, ongoing reference point as manufacturers weigh where to direct technology spending across safety, resilience, and operations.