Trendspotting at Fi Europe: Your guide to the biggest food and drink trends that will define 2026

Trendspotting at Fi Europe

Your guide to the biggest food and drink trends that will define 2026

Anticipating change with Innova’s Top 10 Trends

Upcycling ushers in new era of ingredient opportunities

Can fibre really become the next protein?

What do pet owners want from pet food products in 2026?

Making the transition to evidence-based, personalised health solutions

Scaling traditional fermentation for plant-based innovation

SPONSORED CONTENT Cosun Protein’s Tendra® heralds a new era for plant-based protein

Consumer trends in the fast-changing food and beverage innovation space

How to navigate the new US regulatory landscape

Sweetening success: Practical strategies for sugar reduction

SPONSORED CONTENT The digital and technical transformation of ingredient distribution

Be real: How to reach gen Z consumers

How AI is being used to scale up alternative protein technologies

Fi Europe Startup Challenge: Meet the finalists Meet the finalists of the

2025

Introduction

Celebrating its 30th year, Fi Europe is one of the world’s most important food ingredient trade shows, attracting over 25,000 visitors from the food, beverage, and nutrition sectors from all over the globe.

The event is the annual moment when professionals gather to do business, foster valuable connections, and check the pulse of the industry.

In addition to ample trading and networking opportunities, visitors have access to hours of in-person content in the form of data-packed presentations and engaging panel discussions. This year, visitors can also enjoy special thematic content programmes that shine a spotlight on two key categories that are enjoying unprecedented growth: pet food and functional food and beverages, with presentations and panel discussions focusing on these trending categories.

The Future of Nutrition Lunch and Learn, which takes place on Wednesday, 3 December, will bring together thought leaders from across the industry for an afternoon of inspiration, connection, and strategic innovation. With keynote speakers, networking, and an interactive workshop, the Future of Nutrition Lunch and Learn will deep dive into the strategies shaping resilient food systems, helping forward-thinking industry professionals futureproof their businesses.

Do you want to scout out the latest ingredient innovations that could revolutionise your products? Uncover the biggest consumer trends that are shaping the future of food? Or understand their drivers to better inform your longterm strategic goals?

Fi Europe is the ideal place to find answers to all your food trend questions, and in this trend insights guide, we shine a spotlight on the most important innovations to be seen at this year’s show, bringing the best of the event’s varied programme to readers around the world.

With a selection of articles and interviews with leading trend experts, market analysts, and trailblazing startups, this guide allows business leaders to identify the most important issues that are set to impact the industry throughout 2026.

We also celebrate the finalists of the Fi Europe Innovation Awards and Fi Europe Startup Challenge, two leading events that champion the companies, researchers, and organisations that are breaking new ground in food and beverage ingredient development.

Come and visit the French Pavilion

Hall 4 – Stand 40D74 I 45 exhibitors

*Choisir la France

Innova’s Top 10 Trends

Innova’s yearly unveiling of the Top 10 Trends in the food and beverage sector delivers essential insights for brand leaders and executives.

The past year has been marked by a great deal of volatility, from economic pressures and affordability needs through to growing consumer focus on health and nutrition, and a stronger pull toward sustainability.

At the same time, technology is reshaping the food landscape through AI-driven personalisation, smarter supply chains, and new transparency solutions.

“By continuously tracking new product launches, consumer sentiment, and global trends, we see how these disruptive forces are redefining the way people connect with food and drink,” explained Lu Ann Williams, Innova’s co-founder and global senior vice-president (SVP) of research. “These forces are directly shaping consumer priorities.”

Health benefits, comfort, and emotional connection

Williams noted that people are increasingly seeking products that deliver health benefits, offer comfort and emotional connection, or bring a sense of novelty and adventure.

They are also looking for formats that provide flexibility and convenience, while expecting brands to act with transparency and ethics.

“Younger generations in particular are driving conversations around wellness, mental health, and authenticity,” she said.

“Through annual consumer surveys, social listening, and our trendspotting work, we are able to track how quickly these preferences evolve and where the strongest opportunities for brands are emerging.”

Trust, transparency, and human connection

For formulators and brands, this means increasingly focusing on the need to balance health, indulgence, and affordability. As a result, proteins, fibres, plant proteins, superfoods, and natural actives are all gaining traction.

“Marketing, meanwhile, is moving toward storytelling that emphasises trust, transparency, and human connection, whether through functional benefits, the comfort of heritage, or sustainability credentials,” said Williams.

“By combining our consumer insights with our new product launch database, we are able to show how brands are adapting both formulations and positioning to stay relevant and meet consumers’ rising expectations.”

Innova’s Vertical Trend Intelligence framework also enables the team to explore how macro forces – from holistic health to shifting consumer values – are translating into growth opportunities. Williams noted that this year’s Top 10 Trends highlight how evolving health definitions, occasion-driven design, and more are opening new platforms for growth.

“Our consultancy team of food and beverage experts is working on not just where the industry is today, but how companies can translate these signals into resilient, long-term strategies,” she explained.

Identifying where opportunities lie

The unveiling of the Top 10 Trends provides industry with a clear view of where new opportunities lie – not only in high-growth spaces like gut health, protein, hydration, or plant-based, but also in how to connect these with consumer values around moments, indulgence, affordability, authenticity, and sustainability.

“Most importantly, we’ll show how Innova’s consumer research and new product launch tracking can feed directly into innovation pipelines, helping companies create offerings that spark growth and resonate with consumers,” Williams said. “Fi Europe is always a vital moment to feel the pulse of the industry.”

She is also eager to see how manufacturers and suppliers are responding to disruptive forces and evaluate how insights reflect what is unfolding on the ground.

“I also want to hear directly from industry leaders about their challenges and priorities,” she added.

“This is valuable input that feeds into our ongoing consumer research and consultancy work, ensuring we stay closely aligned with both market dynamics and consumer needs.”

Innova is Fi Europe’s Innovation Hub Knowledge Partner, and its session at the event is entitled 'Top 10 trends in F&B for 2026'.

Lu Ann Williams is global SVP research and co-founder at Innova Market Insights. An expert on trends driving the food and beverage industry, Lu Ann is a frequent speaker at industry events.

Lu Ann Williams

Global SVP Research, Co-Founder Innova Market Insights

of ingredient opportunities

Reduced waste, less environmental impact, new highquality ingredients on the market, and potential new revenue streams ‒ upcycling is a win for everyone, explains the Upcycled Food Association.

Food upcycling is gaining traction as an effective means of reducing food waste and creating new revenue streams. Instead of ending up in landfills, food surplus can be repurposed into new, high-quality ingredients, reducing environmental burdens and contributing towards the creation of a truly circular economy.

Achieving this of course is a challenge. Of all food produced, between 30 to 40% is lost or wasted every year, generating significant greenhouse gas emissions. The global food industry needs to be better connected to create viable markets for upcycled food, and it is critical that consumers are fully brought on board.

Establishing definitions and standards

This is where the Upcycled Food Association (UFA) comes in. The global membership-based trade association was set up in 2019 by a small group of companies that recognised the potential benefits of sharing resources and best practices on the issue of upcycled food. The US-based non-profit Upcycled Food Foundation (UFF) was established at the same time, to support the work of the association.

“First and foremost, we recognised the need for a shared language,” explained UFA CEO Amanda Oenbring. “Coming up with a guiding definition ‒ ‘Upcycled foods use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, are procured and produced using verifiable supply chains, and have a positive impact on the environment’ ‒ was the first step.”

This definition aligns with three key UFA pillars –making sure that food is put to the best possible use; ensuring that upscaled food is verifiable, traceable and transparent; and ensuring that upscaling has positive impact on the environment.

A second key step was the development of a standard that has since become Upcycled Certification. The UFA worked closely with a certifying body, Where Food Comes From (WFCF), to develop this framework. WFCF now owns and administers the only third-party certification programme for upcycled food ingredients and products. “Upcycled Certified was launched in North America in 2021, and has since grown globally,” said Oenbring. “This is something that industry and consumers can rely on.”

Sharing resources and best practices

Largely from word of mouth, the association has since expanded to include members from over 14 countries,

involved along every step of the supply chain. “We support lots of companies wanting to develop products from ingredients that were not being put to best use,” said Oenbring. “Companies come to us looking for specific upcycled ingredients or with identified sidestreams that might be put to better use.”

An important service of the association has therefore been to collect and share best practices, science and research on upcycling ingredients such as agricultural residues, food processing byproducts, and surplus produce. The UFA can also help in identifying technologies capable of capturing value. These might include microbial fermentation, which uses microorganisms like bacteria and fungi to break down and transform organic material, or stabilisation methods such as microwave dehydration, flash drying and beyond, with added benefits of removing large percentages of water present in food streams.

“We have also been involved in awareness-raising, such as celebrating Upcycled Food Month globally each June” continued Oenbring. “There has been a lot of progress here, especially on the consumer front.” Globally, the issue of food upcycling is gaining in prominence. The sixth International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste was held on 29 September 2025, helping to strengthen calls from society and industry to reduce food loss and waste.

Upcycling into high quality ingredients

This work of establishing standards, connecting the food industry, and raising awareness is paying off. A number of UFA member companies in Europe specifically upcycle food production waste into high quality ingredients – and are getting results.

“A good example of this is Alvinesa Natural Ingredients, which elevates byproducts from both grape and olive production to produce natural colours and stabilisers,” said Oenbring. “Agrain is another. The company is developing an entire range of dry ingredients from plant-based side streams. RE-NUT is processing hazelnuts with the shell, so that all those nutrients and all that fibre can go into beverages and baked goods.”

One exciting element of food upcycling is finding ingredients that can replace or ease the pressure on stressed commodities like coffee and cocoa. “The flip side of this is that companies like Barry Callebaut and Olam Food Ingredients (ofi) are looking to make more use of existing resources,” said Oenbring. “The fruit surrounding the cocoa (cacao) or coffee bean (cascara) for example can be used. These are the little ‘unlocks’ that have huge potential.”

The Upcycled Food Association is Fi Europe’s Purposeful Partner and will be leading the Fi Europe Lunch and Learn session.

The Fi Europe Lunch and Learn is a ticketed event and takes place on Wednesday, 3 December, 13:00-15:30

The session will involve sensory exploration of upcycled ingredients, and an overview of consumer acceptance trends and commercial opportunities with a focus on how upcycling innovations can be a key solution for supply chains facing climate fragility.

The UFA will also be present at the Fi Europe Community Hub – stop by to hear from leading UFA members about their upcycled innovation stories and network to gain inspiration for your own upcycling journey.

Amanda Oenbring CEO Upcycled Food Foundation

Webinar Calendar 2026

The Fi Webinar Series covers key food and beverage market topics, offering attendees the opportunity to get up to speed on marketing strategies, ingredient sourcing, and product development.

Our editorial webinars feature live discussions and Q&A with industry experts. The sessions will cover case studies, market reports, consumer insights, regulatory updates, sourcing tips, technology breakthroughs, and relevant startups.

17 February

April

Can fibre really become the next protein?

Fibre has emerged as an ingredient to watch, demonstrated by its uptake in less expected categories like carbonated soft drinks, says Mintel – but does it have the potential to rival protein?

The role of fibre in health is very well established, with high levels of consumer awareness about the importance of fibre-rich diets.

Nonetheless, a fibre gap exists in many nations, with consumer fibre intakes well below recommendations. This has prompted industry-led, fibre-focused initiatives that could help to solve a genuine nutrition problem –unlike many popular food and nutrition trends, which are not underpinned by robust nutrition science.

“However, fibre has not traditionally been as trendy as other nutrients or health ingredients, such as protein,” said Emma Schofield, associate director for global food science at Mintel.

“Proteins link with sport, bodybuilding, and fitness may have supported its trendy and youthful image. By contrast, many consumers link fibre to less glamorous aspects of digestive health, like regularity!”

Fibre: An unexpected social media hit?

High- and added fibre claims have remained flat in global food and drink launches over the past ten years, and most of these claims are found in expected categories, such as breakfast cereals or bakery.

However, Schofield noted there are signs that change is on the horizon for fibre, as it has started to be used by trendier brands, targeting younger consumers.

“Two notable examples include PepsiCo’s prebiotic cola, launched in summer 2025, and Coca-Cola’s Simply Pop drink launch with prebiotic fibre, launched in spring 2025,” she said.

“Fibre is becoming a hit on social media, with the TikTok trend ‘fibremaxxing’ encouraging people to maximise their fibre intakes as a route to health.”

Fibre and the gut microbiome

Gut health is also undergoing a revival, with research into the microbiome and its far-reaching impact highlighting the gut as the cornerstone of health. This could present new opportunities for fibre-focused health products.

“Though the gut-immune link has long been catered to by probiotic launches like Actimel and Yakult, further research may confirm the link between the gut and other aspects of health like weight, heart health, and brain health,” said Schofield.

“In turn, this could lead to greater demand for ingredients like fibre that nurture a healthy gut microbiome.”

Fibre for healthy ageing

Fibre is also thought to benefit not only gut health but also blood glucose control, weight management, and heart health.

As conditions like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes are top causes of ill health in populations, especially in later years of life, fibre holds potential to play a more pivotal role in healthy ageing.

“Recent years have seen greater focus on preventative health – a concept describing the shift away from a curative or reactive approach to health – towards a proactive and preventative approach,” said Schofield.

“Producers could educate consumers about the role fibre plays in preventative health, given fibre-rich diets may help to prevent the onset of health issues like obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.”

The satiating and blood sugar-stabilising properties of fibre also make it relevant as a natural weight management ingredient, sometimes dubbed “nature’s Ozempic”. Though the current buzz around GLP-1s will likely fade, the need for weight management solutions that are healthy and safe for long-term use will not, considering the prevalence of overweight and obesity in many countries.

“Supplement brand Myota has a range of fibre-based supplements that contain fibres like wheat fibre, inulin, resistant starch, oat fibre, and FOS,” said Schofield.

“Their metabolic health booster supplement states that the fibre in the product is consumed by the gut microbiome to produce short-chain fatty acids, which help boost the production of GLP-1 in the body, to help regulate appetite.”

However, brands should exercise caution when making explicit health claims relating to their products and GLP-1 drugs, making sure to carry out necessary due diligence to ensure all claims are substantiated. In August, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned an advert by Myota for using terms such as “nature’s GLP-1”.

Upcycled fibres

Many of the world’s major food waste streams are rich in fibre, like products from the wine (grape pomace), brewing (spent grains), and soy product (okara) industries.

Schofield believes there is an opportunity for producers to develop products that are “good for people and the planet” via upcycled fibre-rich waste streams.

However, she added: “Though fibre-focused NPD helps to solve a genuine nutrition problem (the fibre gap), producers will need to take steps to make fibre more relevant and interesting to consumers, and to educate them about fibre’s role in health beyond the more established aspects of digestive health.”

Mintel is a Content Partner for the Fi Europe 2025 Conference Theatre. Its session is entitled 'Can fibre really become the next protein?' You can find more information about the Fi Europe 2025 Conference Theatre here.

Emma Schofield creates analyses and insights on ingredients and additives, health and wellness, labelling and regulatory developments that may impact NPD, and emerging food tech and science trends. She has been a member of Mintel’s EMEA Food and Drink team for almost a decade.

Emma Schofield Associate Director Global Food Science Mintel

Join the tastemakers in other events:

Fi Vietnam

13-15 May 2026

Ho Chi Minh City

Hi Korea

25-27 August 2026

Seoul

Fi Europe 17-19 November 2026

Frankfurt

Fi Africa 2-4 June 2026

Cairo, Egypt

Fi India 26-28 August 2026

Mumbai

Fi Asia Thailand 1-3 September 2027

Bangkok

Hi Fi Asia China 15-17 June 2026

Shanghai

Fi Asia Indonesia 16-18 September 2026

Jakarta

Fi South America 4-6 August 2026

São Paulo, Brazil

Hi Japan 14-16 October 2026

Tokyo

Plant-Based Innovations

MADE FROM POTATOES AND PEAS

Our plant-based ingredients include native, clean label and modified potato and pea starches, proteins and fibers, as well as potato flakes and granules, which can be applied to a wide range of products in the food industry.

We are driven by sustainable innovation, in harmony with nature. Experts at our Innovation Center in Germany are constantly developing and optimizing concepts, working closely with customers to meet the evolving demands of both the industry and the end user.

What do pet owners want from pet food products in

2026?

Pet owners want sustainability – but they want it with transparency, consistency, and minimal trade-offs in quality or cost. The Pet Sustainability Coalition shares its tips on how to provide this.

The pet food sector has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years, with sustainability demands and new regulations influencing product formulation. Sustainably marketed products for example have become one of the fastest growing product sectors across the industry.

“We’ve seen the shelf space at retail grow from 13% to almost 25% in just four years,” explained the Pet Sustainability Coalition’s director of sustainability and innovation, Allison Reser. “Sustainably marketed products have grown at twice the rate of conventional, so more and more brands are focusing their new product launches in this area.”

Transparency, consistency, and minimal trade-offs

Sustainability has also shifted from being a marketing differentiator to an operational requirement. This is because formulation decisions are now central to reducing climate, water, land, and biodiversity impacts.

“Regulatory pressure, especially in Europe, is also tightening,” added Reser. “The EU mandates that all packaging be recyclable by 2030 and has set binding recycled content targets.”

At the same time, however, brands need to be aware that the premium consumers are willing to pay for sustainability is softening. “Brands that reduce friction, simplify choices, and back claims with verifiable data tend to win,” said Jim Lamancusa, CEO and executive director of the Pet Sustainability Coalition. “I’ve seen real impact from credible labels.”

One study analysing Amazon data, for example, found that introducing recognised sustainability labels increased early demand by 13 to 14%. That underscores how important robust claim substantiation has become. “In short, pet owners want sustainability, but they want it with transparency, consistency, and minimal trade-offs in quality or cost,” said Lamancusa.

Data constraints and recycling challenges

Addressing claim substantiation is just one of the issues that formulators and brands need to consider. Both Reser and Lamancusa also identified the need to address data constraints. Comparing, for example, the carbon intensity, water usage, or land-use of ingredients is incredibly challenging without consistent, trusted benchmarks.

Transitioning to fully recyclable packaging is also a challenge, with the need to rethink materials such as barrier layers, sealants, inks, and adhesives. “The gap between ideal design and scalable material solutions remains large,” said Reser.

“Brands also need to substantiate environmental claims rigorously or risk backlash – the era of loose or vague ‘eco’ marketing is ending. Even when a brand opts for a recyclable or compostable packaging concept, the available recycling or composting infrastructure may not exist or may cost more. Without that infrastructure, the end-of-life promise may be empty.”

Addressing challenges through robust collaboration

Addressing these challenges involves robust collaboration, which is being driven by the Pet Sustainability Coalition along with member brands. “One standout initiative is Plastic Recovery July,” said Reser. “In partnership with rePurpose Global, we recovered 100,000 pounds [around 45 metric tonnes] of naturebound plastic in a single month, while supporting waste worker livelihoods.”

Another positive example is the Coalition’s Pet Sustainability Accreditation, currently the only thirdparty programme in the pet industry to evaluate and verify both operational environmental and social performance. “By rewarding credible action, the accreditation programme helps shift industry norms,” said Reser. “Progress is less about silver bullets and more about layered interventions — from infrastructure and policy to formulation, packaging, and collaborative offsets.”

The Coalition also provides assessment tools, strategic guidance, and a variety of learning opportunities for members. These are designed to help brands prioritise high-leverage changes rather than overwhelming them with goals.

“We also create peer learning opportunities, events like the Pet Summit, Impact Unleashed, tradeshow networking events, and bi-monthly cohorts so members can exchange lessons, accelerate innovation, and align standards,” added Lamancusa. “In short, we aim to be the connective tissue of the industry, serving as translator, convener, validator, and accelerator.”

Building credibility, momentum and alignment

A key message the Pet Sustainability Coalition aims to convey to industry is the importance of trust. “Credibility and honesty are what customers want,” said Lamancusa. “In a complex regulatory landscape, successful brand communication must move past vague claims and prioritise science-backed transparency.”

A second key message is that sustainable innovation drives resilience. “To secure the supply chain and contribute to climate goals, industry must creatively rethink product development,” said Reser. “This means actively embracing high-value, win-win solutions like alternative proteins and upcycled ingredients.”

Both Lamancusa and Reser suggest that brands identify one or two high-leverage initiatives, whether in formulation, packaging, or claims, measure them, verify them, and tell the story clearly. “Small, validated wins build credibility, momentum, and alignment with both sustainability goals and business success,” added Reser.

The Pet Sustainability Coalition is Fi Europe’s Innovation Hub Purposeful Partner for the Day three Pet Food Spotlight. The Coalition will be leading a session entitled ‘Beyond kibble: Recognising and strategically addressing humanisation of pets’.

An expert panel will discuss how technologies like freeze-drying and AI are being employed to unlock product formats that meet demands for sustainable pet food. The session will touch on several core topics including humanisation trends, approaches to ingredient footprinting, packaging design, validating and defending claims, and offer examples of collective action.

Allison Reser Director of Sustainability and Innovation Pet Sustainability Coalition

Making the transition to evidence-based, personalised health solutions

Emerging technologies and research initiatives are transforming functional foods into specific health interventions, connecting food and medicine, according to Everest Group.

Its research director, Aarthi Janakiraman, discusses some of the challenges facing brands and identifies strategic approaches that could help the sector.

On the ingredient front, precision probiotics, heat-stable postbiotics, and bioactive compounds derived from precision fermentation are at the cutting edge of new product development. Other innovative ingredients – like upcycled peptides and fibres, customised lipids, and others – are targeting gut, brain, and heart health.

“Advances in formulation are enhancing bioavailability through technologies such as nano-/microencapsulation, time-release systems, and targeted delivery,” adds Janakiraman. “Manufacturing technologies including pulsed electric fields and high-pressure processing are increasingly used to preserve active ingredients.”

Digital tools are also leading to new ingredient discoveries. Other tech advancements include biomarker-guided diagnostics, connected wearables, and digital twins of metabolism for predictive modelling.

“These innovations are anticipated to align with sustainable sourcing and preventive medicine,” says Janakiraman. “This is facilitating the transition of functional foods from general wellness to

evidence-based, personalised health solutions with pharmaceutical-like precision.”

From niche innovation to recognised benefit

When launching a new functional food or ingredient, formulators and brands routinely encounter challenges related to regulation, consumer perception, formulation, and marketing.

Regulatory challenges include strict requirements for health claims, novel food classification, and varying global standards, all of which impede market entry.

“Consumer trust presents another obstacle,” explains Janakiraman. “This scepticism stems from previous ‘hype’ cycles, safety concerns regarding unfamiliar or biotechnology-derived actives, and increasing demands for transparency and clinical validation.”

Formulation challenges, such as ensuring the stability and bioavailability of sensitive actives, addressing sensory issues, and scaling from laboratory to industrial production, are equally critical.

Branding and marketing bring additional complexities, as companies must credibly convey scientific benefits without making unauthorised claims and differentiate beyond the “superfood” designation.

Overcoming obstacles and winning consumer trust

These obstacles can be navigated, Janakiraman believes, by integrating science, technology, and effective communication.

From a regulatory perspective, early engagement with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) or the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), strategic claims development, and global regulatory collaborations will facilitate the approval process.

Establishing consumer trust meanwhile can be achieved through radical transparency, traceability, sharing clinical data, third-party validation, and education-driven branding.

Technical challenges, including the stability and bioavailability of probiotics, polyphenols, and peptides, can be resolved through encapsulation, fermentation, and advanced delivery technologies. Additionally, flavour masking agents and food matrix pairing can alleviate sensory challenges.

“Hybrid research and development, which combines biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, provides access to validated platforms for formulation and scaling,” says Janakiraman.

“In terms of branding, simplifying scientific concepts into tangible benefits (such as energy, sleep, focus), launching tiered product lines that balance innovation with affordability, and linking foods to applications, wearables, or diagnostics contribute to measurable and trustworthy health solutions.”

A consumer-friendly health ecosystem

For Janakiraman, the most successful brands are those that regard new functional foods not merely as ingredients, but as integral components of a validated, transparent, and consumer-friendly health ecosystem.

“Functional foods will increasingly mirror food as medicine as brands focus on clinical validation and real-world evidence,” she says. “Gut health will remain a priority, with postbiotics, precision probiotics, and synbiotics gaining popularity due to enhanced stability and connections to immunity and brain health.”

Digital personalisation, meanwhile, is set to expand, integrating functional foods with applications, wearables, and biomarker kits to provide customised interventions. Sustainability will also propel growth, with upcycled peptides, fibres, and fermentation-derived bioactives attracting eco-conscious consumers.

“Hybrid collaborations among food, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals will bolster credibility and introduce advanced formulation technologies into consumer products,” says Janakiraman. “Over the next two years, I anticipate the sector to shift toward evidence-based, personalised, and sustainable functional foods.

“However, success will depend on effectively navigating regulatory challenges, building consumer trust, and aligning cost with perceived value.”

Everest Group is a Content Partner for the Conference Theatre at Fi Europe 2025. Its session, 'Food meets pharma: The biotics revolution', will focus on how pharma and biotech technologies are transforming functional foods into health interventions at the intersection of nutrition and pharmaceuticals.

Aarthi Janakiraman Research Director Everest Group

Scaling traditional fermentation for plant-based innovation

Fermentation offers plant-based product developers a route to clean-label formulation, but scaling traditional methods presents both technical and scientific challenges.

The application of fermentation in food processing is nothing new. But as manufacturers respond to consumer demand for cleaner labels and minimally processed ingredients, traditional fermentation methods are reemerging as tools in developing modern plant-based products.

In baking, sourdough fermentation is a prime example.

While some brands market sourdough as a premium artisan product, sourdough fermentation also allows for cleaner ingredient lists by eliminating the need for certain additives, responding to consumer scrutiny of ultra-processed foods.

However, there are still barriers to overcome.

“The problem is not that the knowledge isn’t there,” Michael Gänzle, professor at the University of Alberta and research chair in food microbiology and probiotics, told Fi Global Insights. “The issue is that this knowledge hasn’t been translated into widespread industrial practice outside of Europe.”

Although large-scale sourdough production has existed since the second half of the 20th century – particularly in Germany – its industrial uptake in North America remains limited.

Gänzle, who also serves as editor-in-chief of Fermented Foods, a journal launched by Elsevier earlier this year, attributes this to a lack of formal training programmes and limited access to fermentation culture suppliers in certain markets.

One company he collaborates with in Canada, for instance, was able to source the necessary equipment but had a harder time finding the right personnel.

Fermentation: Essential in clean-label plant-based cheeses

In the plant-based category, fermentation is often necessary to deliver product characteristics without relying on synthetic texturisers or flavourings.

According to Gänzle, there are broadly two strategies for plant-based cheese development: one using starches, isolated proteins and hydrocolloids; and another based on whole-food ingredients such as cashews or germinated seeds.

“If you want to make the plant-based cheeses with whole plant foods, you need to ferment,” he said. “Otherwise, you don’t get the texture and the taste.”

To find better ways to make fermented plant-based cheese analogues, Gänzle turned to traditional cuisines from around the world.

“When we started to work with the plant-based cheese analogues, [we found that] there are two areas in the world where they ferment legumes: Asia – both East Asia and South Asia – and Africa,” he said.

“We looked which organisms [they] use for fermentation and identified the relevant bacilli and mycelium moulds [and processes, which are] different from what we do with our cheese and sausages: they don’t use them after the lactic fermentation, but upfront.

“So, we started using bacilli in our work on plant-based analogues of dairy products, and they work like a charm.”

Fermentation in this context not only enhances flavour and structure, but may also support better digestibility and consumer acceptance.

Still, the scaling challenges seen in sourdough production are also present in plant-based innovation, with limited local expertise, microbial strain selection, and quality control protocols acting as barriers to entry.

Global knowledge systems and new frontiers

Nonetheless, traditional fermentation practices, which vary widely across cultures, offer a rich foundation for innovation and an underused source of technical knowledge.

Gänzle, whose has supervised graduate students working on fermented food and drinks in various countries, noted that academic interest in the global diversity of fermented foods has grown significantly since the mid-2010s.

“Food fermentation [is common] in non-industrialised countries, where there is much less literature, but [they can provide] a beautiful template. For example, in Africa they ferment seeds, including mustard seeds... which means you get all the spiciness of the mustard together with your umami and sweet-and-sour notes,” he said.

This diversity is illustrated by the Periodic Table of Fermented Foods, a conceptual framework Gänzle developed to map product categories, microbial communities, substrates, and fermentation processes. While the framework cannot capture the full range of global fermented foods, it offers a way to identify both shared principles and unique features across cultures, from fish sauces and cacao to dairy, cereals, and tubers.

“You can ferment bamboo, leaves, mustard, ginger – you name it, we have it, you can put it in there,” he said. “And now you have a very broad range of possible tastes that you can use either at home or in the culinary arts.”

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Cosun Protein’s Tendra® heralds a new era for plant-based protein

Sensory and formulation issues abound in the plantbased protein space. Michiel Pronk, of Cosun Protein, describes how Tendra® defies such challenges to unlock a wealth of application opportunities.

For consumers, some of the most salient factors inhibiting the growth of plant-based products surround taste and texture. For manufacturers, solubility and emulsification challenges remain major hurdles in creating high-protein plant-based innovations that hit the mark, alongside delivering on sustainability.

Against this backdrop, Cosun Protein’s expert reveals what makes Tendra® such a groundbreaking solution.

Taste has, to date, proved a formidable challenge within the realm of plant-based proteins. How has Cosun Protein approached this – and what does Tendra® achieve a result?

“Taste neutrality is a major hurdle in plant-based protein development. Cosun Protein tackled this by selecting fava beans for their naturally mild flavour, and applying a proprietary extraction and purification process that preserves the protein’s native state.

“The result is Tendra®, a fava bean protein isolate that consistently delivers a neutral taste profile, outperforming other plant proteins. This makes it ideal for applications like dairy alternatives, desserts, and sports nutrition products, where taste is critical.”

Plant proteins likewise often suffer from poor solubility in water, leading to issues with texture, product uniformity, and stability. How does Tendra® perform in that respect?

“Indeed, working with plant-based proteins can cause challenges facing grittiness or sandiness in many formulations. Tendra® answers such issues positively –its high solubility offers a smooth and creamy texture in a wide range of applications.”

Emulsification is another major challenge for plant proteins. How does Tendra® fare – and how does this translate into product quality and performance?

“Tendra® functions as an excellent emulsifier, stabilising oil droplets in both neutral and acidic environments. Microscopy images show how its protein layer effectively coats and stabilises emulsions, preventing coalescence. This, for example, translates into stable mayonnaise and dressings; creamy dairy alternatives such as ice cream; and improved mouthfeel and shelf stability.

“Tendra®’s emulsification capabilities are a key differentiator, especially in clean-label formulations, where synthetic emulsifiers are avoided.”

Sustainability is clearly a strengthening priority for consumers worldwide. With that in mind, what are the credentials and advantages of Tendra®?

“Tendra® is sourced from European-grown, non-GMO fava beans, which offer efficient nitrogen fixation, low water usage, low CO₂ footprint, and local sourcing.

“These attributes align with Cosun’s broader sustainability goals and resonate with consumers seeking environmentally responsible choices.”

Could Tendra® be incorporated in hybrid formulations – and what would be the main advantages there?

“Tendra® is especially well suited for hybrid formulations that combine plant and animal proteins. Its neutral taste, high solubility, and strong emulsifying and foaming properties make it easy to integrate without compromising texture or flavour. The main advantage is achieving a more sustainable and nutritionally balanced product while maintaining sensory quality.

“In various hybrid formulations, Tendra® can bring cost optimisation because it is more cost efficient compared to the animal-sourced protein. And due to Tendra®’s mild flavour, fewer flavour-masking agents or stabiliser are needed.

“Tendra®’s clean-label potential also helps to simplify formulations and improve consumer acceptance in hybrid dairy, hybrid sport nutrition, or meat applications.”

To sum up, how does Tendra® help shift the dial on plant-based protein for food and beverage developers?

“Tendra® is a high-quality ingredient that addresses the core challenges of plant-based protein development. It offers neutral taste for broad application; superior solubility and low viscosity for smooth textures; and excellent emulsification for stable, creamy products.

“Tendra® is also sustainably sourced, for ethical and environmental appeal. Finally, it’s ideal for hybrid formulations where it helps to speed up the protein transition.

“Tendra® empowers developers to create nextgeneration plant-based products that meet consumer expectations for taste, nutrition, and sustainability –whether in dairy alternatives, sports nutrition, or other innovations.”

Michiel Pronk Sales Manager Cosun Protein

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Consumer trends in the fast-changing food and beverage innovation space

Price, labelling fatigue, and demand for constant innovation: Euromonitor’s Manuel Leckel takes a closer look at what is driving consumer trends in the fastevolving food and beverage landscape.

With its finger on the pulse of latest market trends, Euromonitor International can identify important inflection points as well as key issues food and beverage brands should be aware of.

In a survey, consumers – for the first time – identified price as the most important food attribute, rather than flavour or taste.

“Price has been a key consumer driver throughout last year, driven by issues such as inflation, higher raw material prices, and supply chain disruptions,” said Leckel. “A good example of this has been very high cocoa prices.”

Another destabilising element impacting prices – and something that is likely to be here to stay – is climate change. Leckel pointed out that the agricultural sector is sensitive to dramatic weather patterns.

A commodity crop like sugar beet, for example, can be severely impacted by wet weather.

Accelerating innovation cycles

One emerging trend identified by Euromonitor has been the acceleration of innovation cycles. Leckel likens this to fast fashion, in which new items are brought from ideation to retail stores within a couple of months.

“We’re now seeing this is the food sector,” he said. “I call this Fast Food 2.0. There is a great deal of pressure now on industry to react quicky to consumer trends, because six months down the line, it can be very difficult to create value out of a concept.”

A good example of this is Dubai chocolate. This product – a chocolate bar filled with kadayif (shredded pastry) and pistachio-tahini cream – became a global viral sensation, driven largely by social media and TikTok videos.

“Another example is the Feastables chocolate brand created by the YouTuber Mr Beast,” said Leckel. “This chocolate brand was launched in 15 countries over two years, which is incredible.”

Emerging new marketing channels

The increasing speed of innovation links to the emergence of new social media marketing channels and the role of influencers. It also connects to another trend identified by Euromonitor – labelling fatigue.

“Consumers increasingly feel that products are overloaded with labels,” explained Leckel. “Issues like sustainability and ethics have become normalised. Consumers take for granted that a product will have a great back story.”

This trend is supported by data. A Euromonitor survey recorded a drop of around 10% over the past four years in the number of consumers who say that labels are important.

“This leads back to the importance of new marketing channels,” said Leckel. “People listen to influencers, and this can be seen in how products are advertised.”

Influence of Asia

Another evergreen trend highlighted by Leckel is the health and indulgence paradox. People want to be healthy, but they also enjoy treating themselves.

There is also a small reaction going on to prevailing trends such as plant-based, with some consumers consciously opting for meat and dairy products. This is also in part a response to the overprocessed nature of some plant-based products.

Looking forward, Leckel identified an interesting emerging trend as something he called Asia Cool. This is one of the focuses in the Euromonitor report Top Global Consumer Trends 2026, which explores the popularity of Asia-influenced products worldwide.

“Asia is seen as cool and interesting,” he said. “If you ask the younger generations, they want to travel to Asia, where everything feels new and emerging to them. Arab countries such as the UAE are also influential, and products associated with the region are often boosted by social media influencers.

“This Asian influence can be seen in snacking flavours, the popularity of street food recipes, and even frozen pizza concepts.”

Euromonitor is a Content Partner for the Innovation Hub at Fi Europe 2025 and will running a session entitled 'What’s next in food?

Global product launches and innovation ideas for 2026'.

This session will reveal key insights from Euromonitor’s 2025 tracking of product launches across 32 countries and share fresh consumer survey findings and market forecasts.

Manuel Leckel Senior Account Consultant Euromonitor International

How to navigate the new US regulatory landscape

Political changes are impacting the US regulatory agenda and the food innovation space. While complex, the situation also presents European companies with opportunities, according to Lux Research.

The US regulatory environment has entered a new phase, shaped by the Trump administration and the appointment of Robert F Kennedy Jr as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

This leadership shift is pushing food policy away from permissive frameworks toward a health-first agenda.

“RFK Jr has made it clear he views certain processed and biotech-enabled ingredients, such as seed oils and artificial additives, as harmful to public health,” explained Dr Elnaz Shabani, an analyst at Lux Research.

“The administration has already moved to rescind policies that previously accelerated bio-based innovation and tasked the FDA [US Food and Drug Administration] with reconsidering the system of self-affirmed GRAS [generally recognised as safe] determinations.”

At the same time, the Make America Healthy Again

(MAHA) commission signals a wider government focus on chronic disease prevention through diet.

These federal changes are mirrored by state-level activity, with bans on dyes and preservatives already passed in places like West Virginia.

Regulatory challenges and unpredictability

For food companies operating in the US, the immediate impact is the need to strengthen regulatory practices and increase transparency.

“Over the longer term, the innovation landscape is tilting toward platforms that fit the new health and safety narrative,” said Shabani, who leads insight generation on emerging foodtech innovations at Lux Research.

For companies based in the EU, meanwhile, the US is becoming an unpredictable patchwork. This matters because launch strategies, supply chains, and partnership planning often rely on a coordinated transatlantic approach.

“EU-based businesses exporting into the US must now account for divergent requirements around food colours, preservatives, and sweeteners, which may affect labelling, compliance costs, and go-to-market timing,” said Shabani.

Redirecting innovation pipelines toward Europe

At the same time, US restrictions could redirect innovation pipelines toward Europe, creating more competition but also more opportunities for collaboration.

For EU companies, awareness of these shifts is critical to ensure they can adapt strategies early and remain competitive in a volatile environment.

“Although the US regulatory environment is becoming more complex, it also opens clear opportunities for companies with the right capabilities,” said Shabani. “There is strong demand for functional, clean-label alternatives that can replace ingredients likely to come under pressure.”

Natural colourants, bio-preservation solutions, and next-generation sugar reduction systems represent particularly attractive entry points. Companies that can demonstrate robust safety data and transparent efficacy testing will be well positioned as trusted partners to US brands seeking reformulation solutions.

Global players can also use regional differences to their advantage, sequencing launches in Europe or Asia where regulatory pathways are clearer, while the US lags.

Beyond ingredients, capabilities in modelling, data transparency, and reformulation toolkits can become valuable differentiators, enabling companies to navigate fractured rules and provide added value in partnerships with large brands under pressure to adapt.

Balancing risk, readiness, and reformulation

At this year’s Fi Europe, a key focus for Lux Research will be on helping clients to navigate this new, uneven regulatory landscape while capturing emerging opportunities.

“Our advice centres on building region-specific strategies that balance risk, readiness, and reformulation,” explained Shabani. “Companies should begin with a clear audit of regulatory exposure, especially in areas such as syn-bio inputs, self-affirmed GRAS, and child health-sensitive categories.”

She added that substitutions should prioritise technologies that combine health benefits with clean-label performance, such as fermentation-based preservatives, natural colour systems, and sugar reduction platforms led by rare sugars.

Market sequencing will be key, with the EU and AsiaPacific region often serving as launch markets while US approvals slow.

“At the same time, investing in safety data, predictive tools, and transparent communication will be critical to de-risk innovation,” said Shabani. “Finally, companies should consider flexible supply models, including partnerships and co-development with startups, to keep pipelines resilient while navigating fragmented and evolving rules.”

Shared themes of health, safety, and transparency

Looking ahead, Shabani believes that food innovation is likely to evolve differently across regions but with shared themes of health, safety, and transparency.

In the US, the political and regulatory push toward chronic disease prevention and child health will reshape innovation priorities.

In Europe, strict restrictions will remain, but targeted openings for innovation will create selective opportunities.

Across both markets, key trends to watch include the rise of functional clean-label colours; more advanced preservation technologies, including bio-preservation and active packaging; and sugar reduction as a systemsdesign problem rather than a single-solution challenge.

“Over the next five years, these shifts will not only redefine ingredient roadmaps but also force companies to think more strategically about where and how to launch new technologies,” said Shabani.

Lux Research Inc is a Content Partner for the Innovation Hub at Fi Europe 2025, and will lead a session entitled 'Shaping the future of ingredient innovation in a new political and regulatory era'. The session will explore how regulatory tightening in the US is impacting global commercialisation, and how EU manufacturers can lead with science-backed, sustainable innovation.

Dr Elnaz Shabani is an analyst at Lux Research, where she leads insight generation on emerging food tech innovations. Her work spans ingredient informatics, AI in CPG, clean-label formulation, shelf-life extension, food waste valorisation, and biomass fermentation.

Dr Elnaz Shabani, PhD Research Analyst Lux Research

Sweetening success: Practical strategies for sugar reduction

Drawing on insights from its research with ingredient companies and food and beverage manufacturers, Kline has identified key barriers to sugar reduction, as well as areas with growth potential.

The rising prevalence of lifestyle diseases like diabetes and obesity, coupled with a growing consumer focus on healthier lifestyles, continues to fuel demand for no- or low-calorie food products. This is driving the market for sugar reduction solutions.

Retailers are also increasingly aligning their strategies with public health goals, targeting childhood obesity and non-communicable diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Reducing sugar is a top priority, but far from simple. Many retailers want to avoid artificial sweeteners, focusing instead on natural ingredients and gradual sugar reductions to preserve taste.

This, again, is creating more pressure on manufacturers to reformulate.

“Retailers play an increasingly important and dynamic role in driving change,” said Dr Elizabeth Thundow, vice-president for food and nutrition at Kline + Company. “Supermarkets are not only distributors but also have their own brands.”

Understanding the needs of manufacturers

It should come as little surprise, then, that almost all (98%) food and beverage (F&B) companies believe the market for sugar reduction will “definitely” (74%) or “slightly” (24%) grow.

This finding comes from an extensive global survey carried out by Kline involving more than 30 ingredient manufacturers and distributors, as well as more than 50 F&B manufacturers across the beverage, confectionery, dairy, and snacks and bakery sectors.

“This was an extensive piece of research across the industry that really tried to understand the needs of manufacturers when it comes to sugar reduction,” said Thundow.

“We wanted to identify key barriers to reformulation and also put forward practical strategies to help brands navigate regulatory and commercial pressures and deliver lower-sugar products without compromising taste or texture.”

In the survey, food and beverage manufacturers reported facing a range of challenges in reformulating products to reduce or remove sugar content. Key issues included achieving desired mouthfeel, consumer preference for original taste, and changes to production processes and equipment.

Achieving sugar reduction also requires substantial investments across multiple areas for food and beverage manufacturers, affecting their production processes, costs, and profit margins.

Combined solutions to sugar reduction

However, as many as 92% of food and beverage companies also reported that these challenges did not deter them from pursuing sugar reduction efforts.

To meet targets, such companies are increasingly employing multifaceted approaches, combining strategies such as gradual sugar reduction and the development of new products.

Consumers want lower-sugar options without sacrificing taste and texture, making balanced reformulation crucial. And while often pricier than artificial alternatives, natural options are increasingly popular.

Natural alternative sweeteners have captured 6% of the total sweetening market, and their penetration is expected to accelerate over the next decade.

“Effective sweetening solutions need to help food and beverage manufacturers meet consumer demands while adhering to regulatory requirements,” said Thundow.

“Solutions are far from standardised, and the scope could vary from simple ingredients to blends to fully integrated systems and tailored solutions.”

She suggested that such combined “solutions”, made up of a number of different ingredients tailored for specific applications, will be key to addressing sugar reduction challenges.

Targeted sugar reduction strategies

Another element to be aware of is the fact that sugar reduction approaches vary when it comes to different market segments. Reduction strategies are often highly advanced in certain beverage and confectionery sub-segments, but remain moderate in areas such as chocolate, confectionery, and bakery.

Indeed, beverages remain the largest application for sweeteners, with natural high-intensity sweeteners such as stevia and monk fruit the leading type.

In confectionery, the second-largest application, polyols are the key sweeteners being used.

The survey also found that sweetening trends vary by region and, while most sweeteners are approved worldwide, allulose and monk fruit are waiting for approvals in China and Europe.

Taken together, the findings highlight that while sugar reduction is nuanced and complex, it is a phenomenon seen across the board.

Kline’s presentation at this year’s Fi Europe will help ingredient suppliers and manufacturers to make sense of current trends and to prepare for the future.

“This is all quite challenging for brands and product manufacturers,” said Thundow. “They need far more support than when using a simple sugar ingredient and herein lies an opportunity for ingredient manufacturers and distributors.”

Kline + Company is a Content Partner for the Conference Theatre at Fi Europe 2025, and will be presenting a session entitled 'Sweetening success: Practical strategies for sugar reduction'.

This year’s Conference agenda centres around five core themes: Reformulation; Health and Wellness; Plant-Based and Alternatives; Tech-Led Ingredient Innovation and Solutions; and Functional Food and Beverage.

Dr Elizabeth Thundow VP Food and Nutrition

Kline + Company

New Product Zone, Fi Europe 2024

Innovation Hub, Fi Europe 2024

transformation of ingredient distribution

A global leader in the distribution of speciality ingredients, IMCD is blazing a trail to digitally transform the processes – and possibilities – across this space.

By combining omnichannel, digitally enhanced engagement with deep technical expertise and market insights, IMCD is creating faster, smarter, more connected solutions for customers and principals.

IMCD Food & Nutrition’s Marc van Gerwen (business group director) and Olga Jovnyruk (global marketing director) reveal more.

What resources is IMCD leveraging upon to support a ‘digitally enhanced’ engagement approach?

Van Gerwen: “Digital leadership does not come overnight. IMCD started its digital journey over 20 years ago, when we decided to create a single digital platform, and it has been a key part of our strategy ever since.

“Clearly, it was the right approach. IMCD now operates a connected ecosystem of tools built for speed and technical depth. Externally, our CRM-integrated local websites and myIMCD B2B customer portal give customers self-serve access to product data, documents, and ordering. Internally, our commercial field teams use SalesAssistant, an online tool allowing real-time product matching, technical recommendations, and call planning, enabling customers to receive the right solution – quickly and efficiently.”

As online interactions evolve, how is IMCD enhancing the virtual customer experience?

Jovnyruk: “Customers face tighter timelines, cost pressure, and rising expectations for cleaner label, functional, and affordable solutions. IMCD’s response is to put technically backed answers at their fingertips.

“That includes providing instant access to product specifications, regulatory, and technical documents; sample requests and online orders; on-demand prototype concepts that demonstrate functionality, taste, texture, and nutrition outcomes; virtual events and an on-demand recording library that deliver continuous education and flexibility; and market-driven insights that frame the ‘why now’ behind each recommendation.

“We’re shortening the path from idea to pilot by giving teams the information and inspiration they need, when and where they need it.”

How does IMCD harness data to support customers?

Jovnyruk: “We turn data into direction for our partners. We monitor market trends and consumer preferences to anticipate shifts in formats, claims, and consumer demand. We then translate those insights into application specialities, prototype concepts, and cocreations to reduce customer timelines and accelerate opportunities.

“Pairing this with our robust technical capabilities –including 16 food and nutrition application laboratories and four pilot laboratories in EMEA with over 30 technical experts – we are equipped to support our partners’ success.”

What efficiencies do digital tools create for ingredient distribution tasks?

Jovnyruk: “We are using digital tools to eliminate friction across the value chain. Centralised, consistent data reduces back-and-forth and accelerates speed-tomarket for our customers, allowing our market segment and technical experts to focus on delivering valuable solutions.

“Our SalesAssistant guided discovery tool helps to surface best-fit ingredients and formulation support in moments. These ready-to-scale concepts, available online 24/7, will provide a head start on development, inspiring discovery and ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking without starting from scratch.”

How important is balancing digital engagement with personal interaction?

Van Gerwen: “Digital makes us faster, while people make us better. We invest in regional commercial teams, market specialists, and application laboratories so that customers can collaborate hands-on with experts who understand local tastes, regulations, and manufacturing realities.

“Tools like SalesAssistant augment those relationships by equipping IMCD’s teams with live insights and tailored recommendations for every customer call. The result is high-tech and high-touch: scalable digital service backed by trusted human expertise.”

How will digital transformation impact ingredient distribution in the future – and what is IMCD’s mission within that context?

Van Gerwen: “As AI and automation advance, the winners will be those who pair data speed with technical mastery. Our vision is to keep paving the way for market-driven, technically outstanding ingredient solutions, supported by our first-class technical capabilities, delivered through the channels customers find most efficient. We’ll continue to anticipate needs, drive technical excellence, compress development timelines, and connect customers and principals in a faster, smarter ecosystem.

“The future is digital, and IMCD is committed to turning a world of opportunity into commercial reality for our customers and principal partners.”

Marc Van Gerwen Business Group DirectorFood & Nutrition IMCD

Olga Jovnyruk Global Marketing DirectorFood & Nutrition IMCD

Enjoy Life at Every Stage

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Explore our Concepts at Fi Europe booth no. 71H18, hall 7.1.

Be real: How to reach gen Z consumers

Gen Z consumers are boundary-breaking foodies who are open to experimentation and excitement, and are putting their faith in user-generated content, says one insights expert.

Generation Z’s purchasing power is growing, making these consumers an increasingly important target audience for food and beverage (F&B) businesses.

To this end, Egg Soldiers’ Insights Lab has published a series of Gen Z 2026/27 trend spotlights, to help F&B teams identify early marketing opportunities and futureproof their offers for this demographic cohort.

In an exclusive interview, Kateline Porritt, director of insight and innovation at the London-based food trends and development consultancy, discussed what strategies food operators can deploy for reaching these consumers – now aged between 13 and 28 years.

Challenging the status quo

Porritt described gen Z as a “boundary-breaking demographic” that is disrupting the status quo across food sectors.

“The really interesting thing about gen Z is that they are cycle breakers; they are challenging a lot of the

traditions that have been around for a long time,” she told Fi Global Insights.

One example of this is the way in which they consume information, she said.

“They search on TikTok in the way that I search on Google,” she explained. “They have access to all this information that we just didn’t have, and it puts them in a different space.”

Another is how they interact with businesses.

“There have been a couple of studies showing that gen Zs can struggle in person. They are more used to deliveries and self-service kiosks and checkouts. Their formative years were during Covid; their final school years and their first jobs were probably remote,” she said.

This introduces a host of new challenges for businesses, according to Porritt, including how to reach that generation; how to talk to them; in what manner to talk to them; and what to talk to them about.

“It feels like there is a layer of mystery for businesses around how to attract gen Z or at least prepare for them becoming customers in the future,” she noted.

She said the key to reaching gen Z consumers is meeting them where they are.

“People aren’t just shopping on the high street, but they are still shopping. Businesses just need to go and find them,” she added.

Gen Z consumers and user-generated content

In terms of how businesses should communicate with gen Z consumers, it is important to recognise their preference for “person-to-person” or “word of mouth” information, according to Porritt.

“The social media platforms where gen Z hang[s] out have an organic feel, as a result of user-generated content. It isn’t a space for thinly veiled sales and marketing, for a company to tell you why you should buy a product – it is a space for word of mouth, and that word of mouth can be global,” she said.

With global connectivity the norm for this consumer group, when it comes to new products, they are very open to experimentation.

“Through social media and the ability to travel, this generation has been exposed to global flavours, mashups, authentic cuisines, different levels of spice, and international influences. There really is a sense of ‘anything goes’ and that opens up a massive space of fun for innovation,” said Porritt.

Whichever direction F&B operators choose to take, Porritt emphasised the importance of authenticity – a recurrent theme with gen Z.

“If you are going to live and breathe a brand – which is what companies need to do to resonate with gen Zs –they need to make sure it feels real to their customers,” she said.

Luxury in small doses

“Fancy for all” is another trend that F&B companies can tap into when targeting gen Z consumers, suggested Porritt.

“Against the backdrop of the extended financial insecurity that we have experienced over the past six years, the idea of microdosing excess has come to the fore,” she explained. “It’s about people treating themselves in short bursts with lavish items like Champagne, oysters, and caviar. This has led to the democratisation of food and fun.”

However, companies looking to capture this zeitgeist must be sure they can deliver on their promise, she warned, adding: “It really has to be worth it if people are going to part with their hard-earned money.”

Ultimately, the most important takeaway from Egg Soldiers’ trends analysis is that gen Z is a generation of foodies, said Porritt.

“They have been raised in a world where they have access to so many different flavours, formats, and types of food – they can go and have sushi or bubble tea or fresh pizza – and they had that exposure during their formative years,” she said. “That constant need for discovery, for excitement from food, and for something new to talk about – I think that is part and parcel of who gen Z is and will continue to be.”

Egg Soldiers has developed a series of actionable strategies to help F&B businesses to create menus, NPD, content, and branding that will resonate with gen Z consumers.

“We’re engaging with our customers on strategies, both short and long term. For some of them it’s about future-proofing themselves for the next 10 years. And at that point we’re talking about gen Z as parents,” Porritt added.

How AI is being used to scale up alternative protein technologies

The alternative protein industry is deploying new strategies such as AI to address its most pressing challenge: scaling technologies from lab to market.

Fi Global Insights spoke to Zoe Yu Tung Law, co-founder and CEO of London-based biotechnology service startup New Wave Biotech, about the key trends that are shaping the way alternative protein companies approach commercialisation – from AI-powered process optimisation to increased specialisation and a growing focus on food security and climate resilience.

Getting R&D costs down

Law found her co-founding partner and data engineer, Nix Hall, three years ago through sustainability venture builder Carbon 13, which she described as “like Love Island, but for sustainability nerds”.

With a shared interest in finding climate change solutions, as well as complementary skills and experience, the pair took aim at the most pressing challenges in the synthetic biology space.

“Ninety percent of [biomanufacturing technologies] fail to go to market, so we looked at why,” Law said. “We tried to talk to as many people as we could across industry to pinpoint the problem, and from there we realised the big issue was scaling.”

According to consultancy McKinsey, there are thousands of companies active in what it dubs the “bio revolution” space in Europe alone, with applications ranging from food and clothing to medicines, fuels, and construction materials.

However, the R&D cost to bring a new bioprocessed alternative protein product to market can run into millions of pounds.

“R&D is extremely expensive, especially at pilot stage where each experiment costs between £10,000 and £100,000,” said Law. “You don’t have many attempts before running out of money.”

The benefits of virtual experimentation

“New Wave Biotech uses AI bioprocess simulations to help you do virtual experimentation. With any process, we can model the technical performance, such as yield and purity, as well as cost and sustainability,” explained Law.

A collaboration with Multus, a biotechnology company that produces ingredients for cultivated meat and pharmaceutical applications, demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach.

The company’s work on media for cultivated meat involved one key ingredient that was very expensive but crucial, produced through fermentation.

New Wave Biotech focused on the downstream process – the purification and harvesting steps that follow fermentation, such as centrifugation, filtration, and drying.

By optimising an area that constitutes a significant portion of R&D costs yet traditionally receives much less attention, the partnership achieved major efficiency gains.

“We started by modelling their existing process, then ran optimisations experimenting with tens of thousands of potential process settings,” said Law. “After four iterations, they increased their end-product yield by 8.6 times and reduced costs by 55%.

“Normally, to optimise with the number of variables they needed, the expectation would be between 51 to 53 experiments using a traditional design of experiments approach, so they did 92% less experiments to get that result.”

The efficiency gains demonstrated in the Multus project are not unique, and gains made in one project can yield results in other projects.

“[AI] helps you continuously improve for that project, but also, if you’re sitting on a bunch of experimental data, then every new project you work on benefits from your previous experiments, [helping] you go faster the more you do it,” said Law.

Industry shifts towards specialisation

Alongside an embrace of AI and new technologies, Law has observed a shift in the alternative protein ecosystem over the past few years, moving from vertically integrated companies to more specialisation and differentiation.

“Looking back three years, companies like [animal-free dairy startup] Perfect Day tried to do everything endto-end, which is extremely difficult because each part is so complex,” said Law. “Recently, we’re seeing more specialisation in the market... It makes sense to have that kind of depth.”

According to Law, this growing specialisation can create a more efficient ecosystem with companies focusing on specific aspects like formulation and recipes, media optimisation, strain development, and downstream process optimisation.

“And when it comes to unifying these specialised approaches, organisations like Nurasa in Singapore [can help] connect startups with corporates that already have the infrastructure, facilities, and expertise to scale,” Law added.

A final important evolution in the industry Law noted is a shift in messaging and focus.

“A few years ago, people were just talking about sustainability for sustainability’s sake, whereas now there’s a lot more talk about food security,” she said.

“If I were starting again today, I’d still work on the same issues, but would make the messaging more around food security, alternative supply chains, and climate resilience, rather than just carbon emission reduction.”

Zoe Yu Tung Law Co-Founder and CEO New Wave Biotech

Fi Europe Startup Challenge: Meet the finalists

Each year, the Fi Europe Startup Challenge shines a spotlight on the brightest young companies from around the world that are blazing a trail by developing novel ingredients and innovative technologies for food manufacturers.

Pitching before the judges and industry audience takes place during Fi Europe, one of the world’s largest ingredient trade shows, where over 1,500 exhibiting companies and over 25,000 industry stakeholders gather each year. Each finalist will pitch before the Fi Europe audience on the Innovation Hub stage on Tuesday, 2 December and the winners will be announced immediately

Read on to find out more about the finalists of the Fi Europe Startup Challenge 2025.

Europe

SUPPORTED BY:

Most Innovative Service or Digital Solution in Food and Beverage

This category covers innovations in digital services and solutions such as AI, machine learning, blockchain, IoT, digital platforms, or data analytics that support improvements in ingredients sourcing and production, food formulation, food safety and quality, traceability, transparency, smart packaging, and/or supply chain management.

Bia Analytical

Bia Analytical launched its Biametric Portable Risk Screening handheld spectroscopy device, which provides instant analysis of the authenticity and compliance of food commodities by matching the “fingerprint” to a world-leading data model via cloud technology.

The Northern Irish startup says this foodtech solution is transforming how and when mislabelling, fraud, and adulteration are detected.

Its Biametric Portal also allows food labs to instantly analyse samples against its data models to identify mislabelling, fraud, or adulteration, while its Biametric Risk Dashboard is an AIpowered platform that collates information about supply chain risk such as recalls, alerts, crop failures, disease, regulations, and logistics.

Cellcraft

Powered by AI and automation, Cellcraft’s proprietary and patented bioelectronic sensors and its predictive control software provide real-time readouts of how cultivated meat cells grow and differentiate, turning bioreactors from black boxes into smart factories.

By combining intelligence with biology, the startup says its end-to-end platform for cultivated meat production, Cellcraft Farm, can make cultivated meat scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable.

The UK company has signed an agreement with one of Europe’s largest meat companies and it is in the process of launching some of its technologies for cultivated meat players.

Differential Bio

German startup Differential Bio says it addresses one of the key bottlenecks in microbial fermentation R&D: the slow, costly, and resource-intensive nature of traditional experimental workflows.

By combining proprietary high-throughput data acquisition with advanced machine learning to simulate microbial growth and expression across a wide range of strains and conditions, it can run thousands of experiments virtually before conducting physical testing.

In this way, it enables R&D teams to identify optimal media compositions, feeding strategies, and process parameters in a fraction of the time and cost. It estimates that its process allows researchers to conduct up to 1,000 times more experiments virtually than they could physically, dramatically reducing development timelines and de-risking scale-up.

DNTech

French company DNTech has developed what it calls a next-generation solution to meet rising food safety standards, outperforming traditional microbiological detection methods.

Aiming to eliminate food recalls by making pathogen detection seamless, scalable, and accessible, it has created a pathogen detection kit to track bacteria quickly in less than two hours. This kit is also highly efficient with a 100% specificity and 95% sensitivity rate. The company says it can also reduce false results by 67%.

DNTech’s smart, affordable chip and analyser can replace complex labs and has already generated strong market interest, with 60 industrial partners requesting beta tests.

SMEY

SMEY is an ingredient startup using AI to develop cultivated oils and fats through precision fermentation.

SMEY’s flagship food ingredient is Noyl Cocoa, a cultivated cocoa butter that the startup says is a sustainable, functionally equivalent alternative to cocoa butter, enabling brands to avoid the ethical and environmental trade-offs of tropical cocoa sourcing.

Headquartered in Paris and with an R&D centre in Munich, the startup’s knowledge base is founded on its so-called “Neobank of Yeasts”, a physical and digital library of over 1,000 species that gives R&D professionals on-demand access to new and sustainable oils and unique enzymes.

TVARIT

TVARIT’s process-informed AI, developed with domain process experts, works directly with the data that dairy processing factories already have from a variety of sources, delivering immediate impact without heavy, upfront digitalisation. This means that dairy plants can then scale with more sensors and digital tools for even greater precision and consistency.

Some of the benefits it brings include direct batch-to-batch and phase-to-phase comparison across multiple batches and automated anomaly and prescriptive dashboards for operators.

TVARIT’s Industrial AI platform – dubbed TIA – empowers dairy plants to stabilise processes, reduce cycle times, and continuously improve yield and quality, delivering rapid ROI in months and long-term competitiveness.

Most Innovative FoodTech Solution

This category covers innovations related to food processing or bioprocessing technologies, solutions or services that enhance either operational efficiency or the nutritional/health value of food.

BioBlends

BioBlends develops gas-based bio-preservatives using bacterial volatile compounds that eliminate contaminating microorganisms and extend shelf life, without altering food taste, texture, or aroma.

Using bioinformatics and a proprietary library of over 250 bacterial strains, it is building a platform to design customised preservative blends for specific food types.

Its initial focus is on the bakery sector, where mould contamination remains a critical challenge, and it is currently running pilot trials with industrial partners and expanding testing of its clean label preservatives to other food applications.

Happy Plant Protein

Happy Plant Protein is a plant-based protein ingredient that, according to the Finnish startup’s founders, overcomes one of the biggest barriers in food innovation: the bitter and beany offflavours typically found in legume proteins.

Its technology transforms ordinary pea or faba bean flour into a mild-tasting, fibrous, and highly functional protein.

Its patented one-step extrusion process is unique because it produces texturised protein directly from flour, without isolating protein concentrates, which shortens the production chain, cuts costs, reduces energy use, and eliminates side-stream waste.

Kyomei

Up to 40% of crop biomass – such as nutrient-rich leaves – is discarded at harvest, contributing to around five billion tonnes of agricultural waste annually. Kyomei’s biotechnology integrates genetically enhanced protein expression with extraction to transform these waste leaves into bio-manufacturing platforms to create food ingredients.

It has two ingredients: rubisco, a climate-friendly, scalable egg and whey replacement and natural alternative to functional additives that are not clean label such as methylcellulose or xanthan gum; and brazzein, a zero-calorie sweet protein that can replace sugar.

The UK startup says its foodtech platform can enable a pipeline of proteins expressed in crops and extracted at scale, adding ten to eighty times more value to existing crops.

Migma

Migma uses an AI-powered platform to predict the best combinations of antioxidants – there are billions of possibilities – which allows it to develop tailor-made antioxidant mixtures for each product, improving quality, safety, and shelf life.

Its platform can take into account multiple factors, such as regulatory requirements or clean label concerns, to create tailormade preservatives for the food industry and pet food industry.

Novella

Novella grows intact plant cells in a closed, controlled bioreactor environment. These wholecell complexes preserve the full spectrum of natural bioactives in their native cellular matrix, creating a stable, potent, and standardised ingredient, it says

This approach, powered by its proprietary AuraCell platform, avoids the use of solvents, pesticides, and agricultural constraints while reducing resource use.

Novella’s first product, Strawberry∞, captures the complexity of strawberry phytonutrients – including vitamin C, anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and phenolic acids – in an intact whole-cell format.

Unlike standard extracts, Strawberry∞ delivers immediate bioavailability and natural synergy between compounds, resulting in a 50% increase in antioxidant capacity (ORAC) at just 1% of the typical extract dose, according to the Israeli startup.

Prozymi Biolabs

Prozymi Biolabs is a Scottish startup that has developed a range of food ingredients and enzymes that specifically target and deactivate the harmful components of gluten, which are responsible for gluten-related disorders, while preserving the remaining parts that are responsible for the desirable texture of bread.

Its enzymes can be added to the regular bread-making process, thus simplifying the manufacturing process while reducing the production cost and allowing brands to create highquality, nutritious, and sustainable bread and baked goods that fit into a whole new category: gluten-safe, rather than gluten-free.

Gluten-safe bread products made using its enzymes are also superior to current gluten-free options that have complex ingredients lists, are expensive, and have a dense and crumbly texture due to the lack of gluten, Prozymi Biolabs says.

Trilliome

Trilliome produces bioactive ingredients that are sourced from upcycled exotic fruits. The Swiss startup says that its human-validated ingredient works by “reprogramming” a person’s native gut flora to work “harder and smarter”, rather than adding new bacteria, which differentiates it from other generic probiotic and fibre blends.

Trilliome’s leading ingredient increases key neuroactive bacteria by up to 45 times and boosts brain and immune metabolites – short-chain fatty acids – by over 150%, it says.

Most Innovative Food or Beverage Ingredient

This category covers innovations related to food and beverage ingredients or additives from animal and non-animal/plant-based/alternative sources. These innovations can be related to improvements in taste, texture, appearance, or nutritional value/health benefits.

Cosaic

Cosaic is a Swiss startup that has developed Cosaic Neo, a natural multifunctional emulsion made from yeast biomass fermentation that can enhance the texture and stability of dairy and dairy-free products.

The startup says it can deliver eight functionalities in one ingredient thanks to its complex microstructure that naturally combines fats, proteins, and fibres.

Kokomodo

Kokomodo is an Israeli company that grows cacao using cellular agriculture. Using carefully selected, non-GMO cell lines in controlled environments, it says it can produce a sustainable, climate-resilient alternative to conventional cacao.

Its cacao is rich in flavanols known to support antioxidant activity and it has a customisable bioactive content and sensory profile, meaning chocolate brands can tailor products to deliver signature flavours or targeted health benefits.

Koppie

Koppie is a Belgian company that has developed a fermented whole bean coffee alternative that, it says, offers low pricing, great taste, and sustainability benefits to coffee roasters or flavour companies.

It has a proprietary, patent-pending technology that it applies to local pulses, which not only maintains the bean shape, but also delivers true coffee flavours

The resulting caffeine-free bean can also be roasted and brewed on standard coffee equipment, making it easy for both businesses and consumers.

Koralo

Koralo says it has developed a unique combination of pre- and postbiotics that target gut health and are produced in a zero-waste process.

Its patented co-fermentation technology is a liquid co-culturing process that combines two superfoods – microalgae and oyster mushroom mycelium – to produce two highly unique functional, health-promoting, and cost-competitive ingredients.

The microalgae-mycelium is harvested and used for food ingredients to enhance texture and nutrition and deliver gut health benefits while the fermentation liquid is dried and used as a feed supplement, resulting in no production waste at all.

Kresko RNAtech

Kresko RNAtech has developed bioactive RNAs as a new class of functional food ingredients. These naturally occurring molecules are abundant in fresh foods – such as superfoods and botanicals – but are almost entirely lost during industrial processing.

Kresko RNAtech says its proprietary platform combines bioinformatics and cell biology to identify, stabilise, and validate specific RNAs that address critical wellbeing needs such as better sleep, skin regeneration, balance, and immunity.

The Argentinian company says that its ingredients are the first scalable line of RNA-based functional ingredients worldwide that are also natural, solvent-free, and safe (self-GRAS compliant), and can be added to supplements, functional foods, and beverages.

Standing Ovation

French company Standing Ovation develops animal-free proteins for the food industry through a patented precision fermentation technology. Its flagship product is casein – milk’s primary protein, providing essential curdling, stretching, and melting properties for dairy products –that is produced via microbiology and engineering.

It has already attracted interest from major food industry players, including a 2022 strategic partnership with cheese giant Bel Group, and it has plans to extend into functional ingredients for specialty applications beyond dairy while developing additional alternative proteins for pet food and protein-enriched solutions.

Tasteomics

Tasteomics has developed a salt-reduction ingredient called Peakaroma, a proprietary, plantbased natural ingredient based on taste receptor and aroma modulatory technology.

In several sensory tests and one large-scale consumer trial, it has shown that its Peakaroma ingredient can enable sodium reduction of at least 35% while improving consumer hedonistic preference by 30%.

Cleared for use in the EU and US and made using abundant, upcycled raw materials, the ingredient can help contribute to food manufacturers’ sustainability and health objectives, it says.

The Protein Brewery

The Protein Brewery is a Dutch startup making Fermotein, a whole-food protein ingredient made from mycelium, the root structure of fungi.

Fermotein is a complete protein, and it also contains fibre, essential vitamins and minerals, and is virtually free from fat, carbs, and sugar. Its neutral taste and smell make it highly versatile across food categories like bakery, snacks, dairy alternatives, and functional nutrition, the company says.

Fermotein also contains high levels of spermidine, a compound linked to cellular health and longevity, which opens doors for products targeting healthy ageing, such as longevity bars or functional foods.

Meet the finalists of the Fi Europe Innovation Awards 2025

Who made it to the shortlist of the Fi Europe Innovation Awards 2025?

Read about the 23 finalists from 20 companies that are making food and drink products healthier and manufacturing processes more efficient and sustainable.

Finalists of the Dairy Alternative Innovation Award

This award recognises an organisation or company that has developed the best plant-based dairy alternative ingredient, or application based on a plant-based dairy alternative ingredient, in terms of sensory and physical properties or application costs.

Ajinomoto Foods Europe

for its ingredient ACTIVA DA, a combination of three enzymes designed to improve the texture of plant-based semi-hard cheeses. The ingredient improves the shreddability of plant-based cheese to facilitate industrial steps such as grating, while also improving the stretchability and meltability after heating.

Lipidos Santiga

for its ingredient Kaolip Duo, a milk fat alternative for superior confectionery coatings. Kaolip Duo is a 100% plant-based, allergen-free, lactose- and trans fat-free ingredient for dairy-free coatings. It delivers harder, more stable coatings than traditional milk fat coatings and supercoatings, with faster crystallisation and reduced risk of fat bloom.

Time-travelling Milkman

for Oleocream, a one-to-one replacer for dairy cream made entirely from sunflower seeds and water. Its formulation mimics the sensory profile of dairy cream while offering scalable, sustainable, and versatile functionality across applications from cream cheese to sauces and desserts.

Lallemand Bio-Ingredients

for Engevita HiPRO Beyond, an ingredient to maximise the protein content in dairyalternative drinks. Engevita HiPRO Beyond has an 80% protein content and all essential amino acids, helping formulators boost the nutritional value of ready-to-drink beverages, achieving more than 10% protein content with ease. It also disperses quickly in liquid without gelling or thickening the drink.

Finalists of the Food Manufacturing Innovation Award

This award recognises an organisation or company that has developed innovative food manufacturing or packaging equipment that improves manufacturing efficiency, reduces waste, and/or enhances product safety.

Handary

for its ingredient Hékôn Microporous Membrane, a heavy-ion microporous membrane designed to preserve fresh produce quality. Its dual-layer structure – a protective substrate bonded to a microporous membrane – enables dynamic O₂/CO₂ regulation while blocking microorganisms and particulates.

Tetra Pak

for its Air Jet Cleaning system for powder handling equipments which, unlike conventional CIP methods that use liquids, instead uses the power of air jets. This technology cleans fast with minimal residual powder so that manufacturers can switch from one recipe to another quickly.

Tetra Pak

for its Industrial Protein Mixer, a product designed to reduce product loss in liquid protein mixing. A response to the longstanding issue of foaming during the mixing phase of liquid food products, this solution aims to improve food and beverage manufacturers’ operational efficiency.

Hosokawa Alpine

for Alpine Microburst AMB, a spiral jet mill for ultrafine grinding of coarse and fibrous materials without pre-crushing. Its central material inlet offers advantages over conventional injector-based mills, which limit feed and require pre-shredding, especially for natural products.

Finalists of the Future FoodTech Innovation Award

This award recognises an organisation or company that has developed an innovative processing or bioprocessing technology solution or service, including the applications of artificial intelligence, that has the potential to improve the production, the functionality, and/or cost of food ingredients.

Amano Enzyme

for Plants Unlimited, a next-generation platform delivering targeted, clean-label enzyme solutions for plant-based innovation. The company says that Plants Unlimited solves stability, foaming, and sweetness issues without artificial additives, enabling premium sensory quality and regulatory compliance.

AKA Food

for its Intelligence Platform for Application Development, which integrates critical data sources and uses AI to empower application development professionals to pitch innovative concepts, product prototypes, and solutions in response to customer briefs.

Tetra Pak

for its whole oat beverages lines, which use 100% of oat grain, versus the normal 80%. This means that the whole oats line delivers around 60% more protein and around 200% more fibre than alternatives, with zero fibre waste.

Finalists of the Health Innovation Award

This award recognises an organisation or company for the development of the best ingredient or application in terms of proven contribution to gut, immune, cognitive, emotional, or physical health.

NIZO Food Research

for its Gut-Brain Axis on Chip, a novel human assay to assess nutrition-mediated brain health. The result of a collaboration between the University of Twente and NIZO Food Research, this human organ-on-chip model simulates the gut-brain axis. Made using stem cell-derived tissues and microfluidic technology, the model enables systematic, animal-free testing of how dietary ingredients affect brain health.

Nu-Mega Ingredients

for Gelphorm, a novel DHA emulsion for UHT drinks. The double microencapsulated DHA ingredient designed specifically for UHT dairy and dairy-alternative products allows manufacturers to achieve high DHA levels while maintaining sensory quality and ensuring a minimum 12-month shelf life.

ADM International

for Lactobacillus Gasseri CP2305, a postbiotic that is postulated to modulate stress via the vagus nerve, offering innovation in mental wellness through gut-brain communication. As a stable, non-living cell derived from probiotics, it is formulationfriendly and suitable for use in products exposed to heat, moisture, or pressure.

Finalists of the Plant-Based

Innovation Award

This award recognises an organisation or company that has developed the best plant-based ingredient, or application based on a plant-based ingredient, in terms of sensory and physical properties or application costs.

Relsus Pte

for its technology RELSUS Ultra-Precise Filtration. The technology removes most impurities, making proteins 100% digestible with exceptional organoleptic properties.

RELSUS functional proteins – PeaTein and ChanaTein – have outperformed benchmark samples of other functional proteins in internationally acknowledged labs.

ICL Food Specialties

for ROVITARIS SprouTx, a textured soy protein that addresses the sensory challenges of soy protein by using the power of germination. It has reduced off-flavours, enhanced umami taste, improved fibrous texture, optimised nutrition, and shortened hydration time compared with other textured proteins on the market.

Handary

for PhosRice, a rice bran extract made from glutinous rice, Tsuyahime rice, and Oryza sativa bran, produced via high-pressure cold pressing. Naturally rich in proteins, phytic acid, and dietary fibre, the extract enhances water retention, texture, gelation, tenderisation, and antioxidant stability, and can replace inorganic phosphates in seafood, processed meat, and poultry.

Reborn Biotech

for Clear Pea Protein, a plant-based protein for clear beverages and functional foods. Made from peas, it delivers excellent taste, clean-label appeal, and enhanced nutritional benefits. With exceptional dispersibility in both hot and cold applications, it allows formulators to create clear beverages, protein-enriched products, and functional foods without compromising sensory quality, the company says.

Royal Avebe

for its ingredient PerfectaGEL, a modified potato starch that reduces drying time of vegan, starch-based gummies by up to 50%, enabling higher efficiency, lower costin-use, and more sustainable operations. The ingredient is also easy to integrate into existing recipes and yields stable, high-quality textures.

Finalists of the Sustainability Innovation Award

This award recognises an organisation or company for a measurable supply system that demonstrates environmental, economic, and/or socially sustainable practices in the food and beverage industry.

IFF

for CHOOZIT LIFT cultures. Based on a patented formulation designed to naturally reduce the lactose level of whey, these ready-to-use cultures can eliminate up to 100% of water used for curd washing, while ensuring a homogenous taste without bitterness and delivering measurable sustainability benefits for semi-hard cheese producers.

Saipol

for its Empreinte range of low-carbon refined rapeseed and sunflower oils, sourced from French seeds grown using regenerative agricultural practices. By 2030, Saipol intends to shift 30% of its sourcing to this programme, offering a tangible lever for food manufacturers’ responsible sourcing and environmental strategies.

ADM

for its regenerative agriculture collaborations across Europe. ADM says it has a farmercentric approach that delivers education, incentives, and innovation to empower growers while improving soil health, reducing emissions, and strengthening biodiversity.

ofi

for its Cocoa Compass, its sustainability ambition for cocoa, which sets goals for 2030 and reports on its progress. Since its launch, ofi says its cocoa business has established child labour monitoring in all managed programmes, achieved 100% traceability and deforestation monitoring in its direct supply chain, and that 44,000 farmers in its supply chain earn a living income.

Innovation Tours

The Fi Europe Innovation Tours are an opportunity to see and taste the most interesting ingredients direct from the show floor. Led by NutriMarketing experts showing new products and suppliers highlighting responses to market trends, this year’s Innovation Tours have six themes:

Health and Wellness

The global wellness market hit $2 trillion in 2025, with growth led by younger generations, according to McKinsey. Consumers’ priorities range from healthy ageing to immune and gut health, from supporting cognitive and emotional health to weight management. Follow the tour to learn how brands can deliver added value through science-backed ingredients and personalised solutions.

Reference: www.mckinsey./industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/future-of-wellness-trends

Ingredia 7.1 L47

Millbaker 4.D110

Rousselot 4.H111

Friesland Campina 7.1 K10

Nigay 4. J146

Limagrain 4. A04

Nexira 4. H10

ADM 4. F10

Fermentalg 4. F77

Elementa 4. F91

Beneo 4C40

Kensing 7.1 C20

Innovation Tours

Plant-Based

The global plant-based food market size was estimated at $46.77 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $103.75 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of 8.29%, with the European region holding the maximum market share in 2024, at 46%. Demand is growing for sustainable, ethical, and healthy products, driven by rising rates of lactose intolerance in the global population, as well as concerns around animal welfare. Join the tour and gain valuable insights into the science and strategy behind next-gen plant-based and alternative proteins.

Reference: www.precedenceresearch.com/plant-based-food-market

4. D124

Algama 7.2 K32

Avebe 4. H110

KMC’s CheeseMaker CF66

Finnamyl Oy 7.1 M43

CSM Ingredients 7.2 G18

AMI Ingredients 7.2 A63

Auralip 7.3 SU13

4. D122 Bloc 4

Borde

Cosucra 4. F100

Legumi’pulse 7.3 Start-up

Ajinomoto

Innovation Tours

Reformulation

Today’s consumers want it all – better nutrition, clean labels, affordability, and great taste. As increasing numbers of people seek out healthier, less processed food, ingredient manufacturers are offering new solutions to help meet their expectations. The global clean-label ingredients market size was estimated at $120,032. 2 million in 2022 and is projected to reach $168,298. 3 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2023 to 2030. Follow the tour to explore the challenges and innovations driving reformulation.

Reference: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/clean-label-ingredients-market-report

Corman 4. H50

Ingood By Olga 4. F83

Layn 4. J112

Tipiak 4. F133

Flanquart 4.D120

Azelis 4. G120

Nexira 4.H10

ADM 4. F10

Panzani Solutions 4. F79

SunBloom Proteins 4. F40

Berrico 7.3 R26

Innovation Tours

Tech-Led Ingredients

The global biotech ingredients market size, estimated at $2.40 billion in 2024, is predicted to increase from $2.59 billion in 2025 to approximately $5.10 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of 7.83%. From precision fermentation and cell cultivation to molecular analysis, join the tour and discover the way new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionise the way we will eat in 2050.

Reference: www.precedenceresearch.com/biotech-ingredients-market

Origin 7.3 P50

Revyve 7.3 J23

Avebe 4. H110

KWS Saat 4. C116

Nizo 4. B153

Brace 4. F161

Sun Chemical 7.2 G47

Rouages 7.3 S33

Biospringer 4. F30

Bom 7.3 J23

Innovation Tours

Circularity and Upcycling

Boosted by rising consumer awareness and tightening regulations such as the European Green Deal, food upcycling is emerging as a pivotal player in the circular economy. The global upcycled food products market size was valued at $59.2 billion in 2024, and is predicted to reach $119.8 billion by 2034 at a 7.6% CAGR. Join the tour and dive into a more circular world.

Reference: www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/upcycled-food-products-market/2638

Intact 4. F117

Foodvalley 7.3 J23

Carbiotix 7.3 C40

Evera by Citrosuco 7.1 L26

Greencovery 7.3 J23

Kreglinger 7.2 J48

Protein Distillery 7.3 S31

AB 7.3 D35

Onima 7.3 J23

Fruitofood 4. F119

Ami Ingredients 7.2 A63

Livoo

Innovation Tours

Petfood

Today, almost half (49%) of all European households own at least one pet and this is set to grow, as younger generations are having fewer children – but are embracing more pets. The European pet food market was worth €29.2 billion in 2023, according to figures from FEDIAF, and trends such as humanisation, clean label, proteinification, free-from, and premiumisation are changing the dynamics of this sector. Join us and discover new ingredients for your customers’ furry friends.

Reference: https://europeanpetfood.org/_/news/fediaf-publishes-2025-facts-and-figures/

Syensqo 7.2 K54

VMP Chemiekontor 7.1 Q44

Ingredia 7.1 L47

Limagrain 4. A42

ADM 4F10

Alvinesa Natural 7.2 C58

Cargill 7.2 M50

Eytelia 7.2 P49

Add: Grainli 7.2N43

Thormi 7.3 C29

The home of food ingredients

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