Speaker
Mr Sean Leighton
Wednesday 12 November, 2025
Sean Leighton is the Global Vice President of Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory Affairs at Cargill, based in Minnesota. With over 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, he has held leadership roles across Quality, Food Safety, and Environmental Sustainability in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Sean holds a Bachelor of Science in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master of Science in Food Science from the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from Emory University.
Beyond his corporate responsibilities, Sean is deeply involved in advancing food safety and quality standards globally. He has served as the President of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and sits on advisory boards for several organizations, including the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, the Center for Food Integrity, Partnerships for Food Safety Education, and the Food Fraud Think Tank at Michigan State University
Plenary presentation
Transforming Food and Beverage Manufacturing for the Future
Wednesday 12 November, 2025
Keynote Speaker Abstract:
Transforming Food and Beverage Manufacturing for the Future
The keynote highlights a bold strategy to transform food safety and quality across the global food and beverage industry. The presentation introduces Cargill’s FSQR 2030 vision, which focuses on protecting consumers and brand integrity while enabling sustainable growth through innovation and operational excellence.
Leighton highlights three strategic pillars—people, data, and technology—as the foundation for this transformation. A centerpiece of the talk is the Cargill™ Hazard Alert System, an advanced AI-powered platform that scans millions of records from over 10,000 data sources to identify and escalate potential food safety risks. The system enables proactive risk management through expert review and cross-functional collaboration, with recent examples including MOAH contamination in potato chips, nanoparticles in bleaching earth, and pesticide residues in oats.The keynote emphasizes leadership development within FSQR, introducing four key agilities—technical, data, project, and networking—that are essential for navigating complex risk management environments and driving innovation. These capabilities support Cargill’s broader goal of aligning its portfolio and commercial strategies with customer needs, enabling differentiated risk management and targeted sustainability solutions.
The keynote concludes by reinforcing the role of digital tools and data-driven processes in achieving Cargill’s 2030 goals. By integrating advanced technologies with strategic priorities, Cargill positions itself to remain a trusted supplier and innovation leader in the evolving global food system.
