TORONTO, October 6, 2026 – Canadians continue to have considerable goodwill toward the country’s food system, but new research from the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) shows that the environment surrounding that trust is becoming more complex.

The findings, released today at CCFI’s 2026 Public Trust Summit, mark the 10^th year of CCFI’s national public trust research.

Most Canadians (57%) still have a positive impression of Canada’s food system, unchanged from 2025. But confidence in where the system is headed has weakened. Four in 10 Canadians, 40%, believe the food system is moving in the right direction, down five percentage points from last year, while the proportion who are unsure has risen to 38%.

“Canadians haven’t lost confidence in the food system today, but they’re becoming more uncertain about what comes next,” said Lisa Bishop-Spencer, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity. “Trust is still there, but it’s operating in an environment shaped by affordability pressures, a more difficult information landscape, and rapid change.”

Affordability remains the clearest pressure. Nearly half of Canadians, 49%, rate the cost of food as a major concern, unchanged from 2025 and ahead of inflation, access to healthcare, availability of healthy food, and the Canadian economy.

The research also points to growing challenges around the information Canadians receive about food.

Concern about food misinformation increased significantly, from 40% in 2025 to 43% in 2026. Canadians are also slightly more likely to say they find it difficult to determine whether food-related information is true or false, highlighting the challenge of navigating an increasingly crowded information environment.  Against this backdrop, farmers remain Canadians’ most trusted stakeholders in the food system, with trust in them up five percentage points from last year.

“Providing more information isn’t enough on its own,” said Ashley Bruner, Director of Research and Stakeholder Engagement at CCFI. “The challenge is making credible information easier for Canadians to recognize, understand, and verify, and ensuring the people and organizations providing it have earned their trust.”

Artificial intelligence is emerging as another test of that trust. Daily use of AI tools for food-related information rose directionally, from 10% to 12%, while comfort with AI declined significantly across every area measured.  The findings suggest that adoption of new technologies may be outpacing public comfort with how they’re being used.

Taken together, the 2026 findings point to a public trust environment that’s becoming more complex and discerning. Canadians remain broadly positive about the food system, but affordability, uncertainty, information quality, and emerging technologies are placing new pressures on that trust.

“A strong and resilient food system depends on public trust,” said Bishop-Spencer. “The opportunity is to understand what’s underneath these shifts. That means paying attention not only to what Canadians think, but to what’s shaping those views, where uncertainty is emerging, and what organizations across the food system can do to strengthen confidence over time.”

The full 2026 CCFI Public Trust Research explores these findings in greater depth, including affordability and value, trust and credibility, misinformation and transparency, Canadian food and resilience, and emerging technologies.

The 2026 CCFI Public Trust Research is available at https://www.foodintegrity.ca/research/

Hapman, a global leader in custom built bulk material handling equipment, will exhibit at PACK EXPO 2026, taking place October 18–21, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois. Attendees are invited to visit Hapman at Booth LU-7258 to explore the Bulk Bag Filler, Helix® Flexible Screw Conveyor, Bulk Bag Unloader, and CablePro™ Tubular Drag Conveyor.

Expanding its conveying lineup, Hapman will unveil a new conveying solution at PACK EXPO developed for applications where cleanability, product integrity and simplified maintenance are critical. The new system will provide food and pharmaceutical manufacturers with another option for demanding material handling applications

The CablePro™ Tubular Drag Conveyor is designed for the gentle, clean, and efficient transport of delicate products, including cereals, grains, nuts, frozen foods, pet food, and other bulk materials. Featuring FDA-approved components and polished stainless steel tubing, CablePro™ helps maintain product integrity while supporting the stringent sanitation requirements of food and beverage operations. Its self-lubricating UHMW disks are injection-molded directly onto a pre-stretched, food-grade stainless steel braided cable with a nylon coating, providing long-lasting durability and consistent performance.

Also featured at the booth, the Helix® Flexible Screw Conveyor with the HiLo option and integral dust collection is a versatile material handling solution for bulk material transport, batching, and blending. The conveyor accommodates powders, granules, crystals, flakes, and pellets, using a helical screw that rotates inside a fixed tube to efficiently convey materials from point A to point B.

Hapman’s Bulk Bag Unloader is engineered to support efficient, safe, and reliable bulk material handling. The unit accommodates a range of bag sizes through adjustable frames and lifting mechanisms. Integrated dust collection and sealed discharge systems help maintain a cleaner work environment, while powered flow aids promote smooth discharge for materials prone to bridging, clumping, or sticking. Automated controls support consistent flow rates and accuracy, and the unit’s modular design allows it to integrate into existing operations.

Building on more than 80 years of excellence in bulk material handling, Hapman continues to develop conveying solutions around the changing needs of modern processing operations. Attendees are invited to visit Booth LU-7258 at PACK EXPO International 2026 to explore Hapman’s latest solutions and discuss their specific ingredient handling, sanitation, and process automation challenges with the Hapman team.

Hickory, NC (October 1, 2026) —Shurtape Technologies, LLC, an industry-leading manufacturer and marketer of adhesive tape and consumer home and office products, will bring its latest packaging end-of-line performance and sustainability solutions to PACK EXPO International 2026, Oct. 18-21, in Chicago. At Booth N-6030, attendees can discover innovative case sealing technologies and packaging solutions designed to improve operational efficiency, reduce waste and support evolving sustainability goals.

As one of the packaging industry's largest trade shows, PACK EXPO International is expected to attract approximately 48,000 packaging and processing professionals from around the world. At this year's show, Shurtape will feature its leading industrial packaging solutions, including:

ShurSEAL® Packaging Solutions, engineered to help optimize case sealing performance and end-of-line packaging line efficiency.

HP Series® Packaging Tapes, designed to deliver reliable carton sealing performance across a variety of packaging applications.

Sustainable Packaging Tapes, innovative solutions that help companies advance sustainability initiatives without compromising seal integrity or operational performance.

Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with product experts and explore solutions designed to address common packaging challenges such as material waste, downtime, package damage and productivity.

"As packaging operations continue to balance performance, efficiency and sustainability goals, manufacturers are looking for solutions that help them improve across all three areas," said Joe Garvey, Senior Manager of Product Marketing, Shurtape Technologies, LLC. "PACK EXPO International gives us the opportunity to demonstrate how our end-of-line packaging solutions can help customers optimize operations while supporting their long-term sustainability objectives."

In addition to its exhibit presence, Shurtape will participate in Sustainability Central, a featured PACK EXPO educational destination focused on sustainable packaging innovations. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m., Garvey will present, "What's Next for Packaging Tape? Defining Sustainability in Case Sealing Operations." The session will examine how an often-overlooked component of the package, the seal, is becoming a critical lever for reducing virgin plastic in end-of-line operations, helping manufacturers balance sustainability goals with packaging line performance.

To learn more about Shurtape's portfolio of end-of-line packaging solutions and sustainability-focused case sealing innovations, visit Booth N-6030 during PACK EXPO International 2026 or explore Shurtape's packaging solutions at www.shurtape.com/packaging/.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (September 30, 2026) - Lantech, the global leader in stretch wrapping technology since 1972, announces the global launch of its SL400AMR, making this robot-ready stretch wrapping solution available to customers worldwide. 

The SL400 and SL400LT rotary arm stretch wrappers were first introduced for sale in North and South America in February 2026, in an effort to meet growing customer demand for highly automated stretch wrapping solutions. With today's announcement, Lantech is extending the newest machine in the SL400 family to customers globally. The company says this approach gives customers everywhere access to the same proven technology and the same predictable interface for integrating with automated mobile robots.

"The SL400AMR gives customers a straightforward way to integrate stretch wrapping into an automated material-handling environment," said Jim Lancaster, CEO of Lantech. "Making the SL400AMR available globally gives customers and integration partners the same proven technology and support wherever they operate. We look forward to demonstrating it live at PACK EXPO."

Built for AMR-driven automation

The SL400AMR is designed as a straightforward automation option for warehouse and manufacturing environments. It’s suitable for light, heavy, unstable or order-picked loads, with no conveyors, ramps or weight limitations. The machine is built with a predictable interface for automated mobile robots (AMRs), giving integrators clear machine states and consistent results for automated workflows. Key technologies include:

• TurboTak® secures the film tail with precise blasts of air instead of heat or moving parts, eliminating dragging tails that can disrupt automated operations
• Load Seeking Clamp® captures the leading film tail for a stronger hold and fewer film breaks
• Consistent and predictable cycle time allows traffic to be scheduled with no manual intervention needed

Live at PACK EXPO International 2026

Lantech will demonstrate the global availability of the SL400AMR with a live, running unit in its booth (N-5506) at PACK EXPO International, October 18–21, 2026, at McCormick Place in Chicago. This marks the first time the machine has been shown running on the show floor rather than in video only. Show attendees will be able to see the SL400AMR wrap loads in person and speak with Lantech's team about AMR integration.