CHICAGO, July 7, 2026 — Changing federal regulations and shifting consumer desires around ingredients are sparking confusion for food manufacturers and operators alike.
But IFMA The Food Away from Home Association is seeking to bring together FAFH industry leaders with the goal of finding consensus and developing standards around what constitutes “nutritionally viable” foods.
The Association is launching “FAFH Ingredient Standards: Finding Common Ground,” a working group that will help build the nutrition framework to define the industry’s future.
“As consumers and operators have become more educated about ingredient sourcing, demand for products with recognizable ingredients continues to grow,” said Charlie McConnell, the Association’s vice president of Industry Insights, Research and Education. “Both manufacturers and operators benefit from an industry standard that clearly defines which ingredients are nutritional and which ones do not qualify.”
The Common Ground project will “deliver concrete, easy-to-interpret standards that work for all constituents in the food-away-from-home ecosystem,” McConnell added.
A group of manufacturers and operators will meet regularly from August to November to determine guidelines for products in categories including proteins, fruits and vegetables, processed foods, processed snacks, dairy and beverages.
Manufacturer participants will have direct access to 12 foodservice operators as they participate in at least four project subcommittee meetings with members of the Association’s Foodservice Leadership Councils representing K-12, C&U, Healthcare and B&I.
“By fostering collaboration between operators and manufacturers in developing these standards, we ensure genuine consensus rather than competing standards that work against each other,” McConnell said. “IFMA The Food Away from Home Association is uniquely positioned to convene these stakeholders and drive meaningful change for the overall industry.”
Participants will have the opportunity to create these all-important ingredient standards, rather than just following them. They’ll also have an influence on real purchasing decisions and will gain first-mover advantage by participating in this first-of-its-kind collaborative effort between foodservice manufacturers and operators.
The Association’s project comes as the Trump Administration weighs a federal definition for ultra-processed foods, part of Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ongoing Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. A formal definition could have wide-ranging impacts for food manufacturers as consumers seek out fewer processed foods.
To participate in the Association’s new “FAFH Ingredient Standards: Finding Common Ground” workgroup, contact Charlie McConnell at cmcconnell@foodaway.org. The application deadline is July 31.
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Heather Lalley is the director of communications for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association. A lifelong journalist, Lalley has previously worked with industry publications including Restaurant Business, CSP Daily News, Supermarket News and Foodservice Director.