Most food R&D teams are running AI on a broken data foundation. Join Specright to understand why – and what idea-to-label looks like when the architecture is right.
Food and beverage R&D wasn’t built in modern software – it was built in Excel. And while labelling tools, PLM systems, and point solutions have accumulated on top of that foundation, the connective tissue between them has always been a person: re-entering data, reconciling versions, chasing compliance sign-off, and catching errors that should never have occurred.
That architecture is now breaking under pressure. Regulatory fragmentation is intensifying –Nutri-Score becoming mandatory in France, HFSS advertising restrictions in the UK and conflicting health claims rules across jurisdictions. Consumer expectations for clean-label, functional, and sustainably sourced products are rising. Supply chain volatility is forcing more frequent reformulations. And yet most R&D teams are absorbing all of this with largely unchanged systems. Research suggests up to 40 percent of a food scientist’s week goes to non-lab work – documentation, manual compliance checks, and data re-entry – rather than formulation.
This webinar will examine why AI is now viable in food R&D, what it can handle, and where it still needs guardrails. Drawing on deployments with food and beverage manufacturers, Specright’s GM of R&D Workbench, Andy Stark will walk through five workflow moments where a connected, spec-first platform changes the work: ingredient search, formula generation, AI-led reformulation, real-time compliance validation, and label generation as a byproduct of formulation rather than a separate project.
Attendees will leave with a clear picture of modern R&D architecture, the metrics teams are seeing in practice, and a framework for evaluating AI initiatives before committing investment.
Key learning points:
- Understand why AI initiatives in food R&D succeed or fail – and why product specification data is the deciding factor
- Explore how a spec-first approach can eliminate up to 50 percent of non-lab tasks, freeing scientists to focus on higher-value work
- Walk through five real workflow moments – from ingredient search to label generation – and see what changes when the architecture is right
- Discover how to build an R&D data foundation that captures institutional knowledge and compounds value over time
- Navigate the regulatory pressures hitting food teams hardest right now – Nutri-Score, HFSS, and fragmented claims rules – and see how structured data makes compliance automatic
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Andy Stark, GM R&D Workbench at Specright
Andy Stark is the GM of Specright’s R&D Workbench. He works with F&B companies of all shapes and sizes, from SMBs to mid-market and enterprise, transforming how products are created using latest advancements in AI to centralising R&D activities across formulation, labelling, and regulatory compliance.
Prior to joining Specright, Andy founded two B2B SaaS start-ups and brings over 15 years of experience building and scaling software platforms and driving digital transformation across B2B industries, including CPG and supply chain. His expertise spans product, go-to-market, and growth, with experience across startups, corporates, and management consulting. Andy is also an active adviser to early-stage technology companies, and emerging CPG brands.
Rachel Zemser, Food Scientist & Culinary Scientist
Rachel Zemser is a Food Science Industry Consultant and dual-certified Food Scientist and Culinary Scientist with nearly 30 years of experience helping brands and manufacturers take products from concept to commercialisation. She supports R&D, QA, regulatory compliance, and food safety across categories including nutrition bars, gluten-free baked goods, dairy, sauces, dressings, fermentation, and shelf-stable processing. Rachel is also a technical author and educator, contributing to industry publications and food science resources for entrepreneurs.
Is the webinar free?
Yes - there is no charge to watch the webinar.
When will the webinar take place?
5th August 2026 at 3PM (BST)
Can I watch it later?
The session will become available to watch on-demand within 48 hours after the live webinar takes place.
