Barilla has been named the world’s leading food company for reputation in the 2026 Global RepTrak 100, climbing 16 spots to ninth place overall and entering the global top 10 for the first time. It marks the third consecutive year the Parma, Italy-based company has led the food sector in the annual ranking.
The study, conducted by RepTrak since 1999, evaluates leading global companies across key dimensions including performance, innovation, governance, sustainability and the ability to generate trust over time.
“In today’s turbulent macroeconomic environment, maintaining stable performance is already a positive signal,” said Sara Fargion, VP of RepTrak, EMEA.
“However, the ability to grow in this context becomes a true differentiator. The food sector, in particular, is facing significant pressure, as ongoing waves of inflation continue to drive intense media scrutiny and shape public perception consistently across all 14 countries where we measure reputation.”
Barilla’s advancement reflects its ability to combine product quality, industrial vision and social responsibility – factors increasingly central to reputation metrics. The company has invested heavily in innovation, opening BITE (Barilla Innovation and Technology Experience) in November in Parma. The new research and development center houses 200 professionals including food technologists, researchers, engineers and food designers developing new products across the company’s pasta, sauce and bakery lines.
Consumer validation has followed. Barilla Al Bronzo was named Product of the Year in the pasta category in 2025, while Barilla Protein+ received the same recognition in 2026. Both were selected by more than 12,000 consumers in research conducted by Circana.
On the sustainability front, Barilla reported a 45 percent increase in total water recycled and reused in 2024 compared to 2022. In water-stressed areas, the improvement reached 164 percent. The company has also maintained global gender pay equity since 2020 and offers a gender-neutral parental leave policy guaranteeing 12 fully paid weeks for both parents.
Barilla Group operates in more than 100 countries with 30 production sites and an annual output exceeding two million tons across pasta, ready-made sauces and bakery products. The company employs nearly 9,000 people worldwide. Its brand portfolio includes Mulino Bianco, Pan di Stelle, Wasa, Voiello, Pavesini and Back to Nature, among others.
For grocery retailers, the ranking reinforces Barilla’s position as a trusted shelf partner. As consumers increasingly factor corporate reputation into purchasing decisions, the company’s sustained performance on trust, quality and sustainability metrics strengthens its standing in the pasta and sauce categories.