Earlier this month, I attended the Midwest Food Products Association's 120th Annual Convention & Expo at the Kalahari Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells. For those unfamiliar, MWFPA represents food processors, packers, and suppliers across the Midwest—a group that knows firsthand what it takes to keep operations running smoothly while meeting increasingly complex regulatory demands.
I showed up to stay connected to what's happening in the food processing space, and I left with some clear takeaways worth sharing. The teams that thrive in 2026 won't just be the ones with the best equipment—they'll be the ones with the best systems.
A Look at the 2025 Convention Experience
The convention brought together processors, suppliers, and service providers for three days of keynotes, breakout sessions, and networking. What stood out most wasn't the flashy product demos—it was the unfiltered conversations happening between sessions. Managers swapping notes on seasonal onboarding. Quality directors comparing audit prep strategies. Operations leaders talking through how they're documenting training without drowning in spreadsheets.
Those hallway conversations? That's where the real value lives.
What We Learned from This Year's Conversations (and What Stood Out to Me)
One phrase kept coming up throughout the event: "The value of what you do is in the eye of the purchaser." In other words, it doesn't matter how good your process is if you can't prove it when it counts—whether "the purchaser" is an auditor, a customer, or your own leadership team.
This idea is connected directly to one of the most critical topics at the convention: SQF certification and employee training standards.
For those who work in food manufacturing, SQF isn't optional—it's foundational. Safe Quality Food certification treats employee training as a mandatory, documented part of the food safety system. You don't just train people and hope for the best. You prove competence through records, ongoing verification, and role-based training programs.
That means maintaining a formal training register or matrix, tracking renewals, and showing that your team can actually perform their food safety tasks—not just sit through a class. For many processors, this is where the cracks start to show. Not because their teams aren't capable, but because their documentation systems can't keep up.
Across multiple conversations, the theme was consistent: workforce development isn't just about hiring the right people. It's about building the infrastructure to keep them trained, compliant, and confident in their roles.
The emphasis on safety culture also came through loud and clear. Leaders aren't just asking, "Are we compliant?" anymore. They're asking, "Do our people feel empowered to stop the line if something's wrong?" That shift—from checkbox compliance to embedded accountability—is what separates good operations from great ones.
What Food Processors Should Prioritize in 2026
Based on what I heard at the convention, here's where teams should focus their attention as they head into the new year.
Strengthening employee training systems. If your training program still relies on paper logs and email reminders, you're creating unnecessary risk. Food processors need systems that track who's trained on what, when renewals are due, and whether competency has been verified. When your best trainer leaves, can the next person pick up where they left off?
Improving compliance documentation and audit readiness. Audits don't wait for you to get organized. If you're scrambling the week before an SQF audit to pull together training records, you're already behind. The goal isn't to survive audits—it's to be audit-ready at any moment.
Reducing administrative load through clearer processes. Too many food safety and training managers are buried in busywork that could be automated or simplified. The right systems don't just save time—they reduce errors and give you back mental bandwidth.
Reinforcing cultures of safety and continuous improvement. The processors that stand out aren't just the ones with the best SOPs—they're the ones where every employee feels personally responsible for safety and quality. That starts with leadership modeling the right behaviors and continues with training that reinforces why standards exist, not just what they are.
One of the unexpected highlights was connecting with Rachel from Haynes Lubricants. It turns out Haynes is a women-owned business, and I earned my women-owned business certification through the state of Wisconsin. We snapped a quick selfie together—a small moment, but a reminder that building connections with other business owners is just as valuable as the educational content.
Final Reflections on Supporting a Safer, More Prepared Industry
What impressed me most about this year's convention was the willingness of attendees to have honest conversations about what's hard. No one was pretending they had it all figured out. They were sharing what worked, what didn't, and where they still needed help. That kind of transparency is what moves an industry forward.
To the leaders I met who are driving progress in food processing: your work matters. The investments you're making in training, safety, and compliance aren't just protecting your operations—they're setting the standard for everyone else.
Here's to a 2026 where teams are better prepared, audits are less stressful, and everyone gets home safe at the end of the day.
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