Linked banner for FIC 2026 in Shanghai, Mar 17–19, featuring grandfather and child with “Better lifelong health starts here” by Novonesis
Expo West 2026 trade show floor

Expo West 2026: Gut health and weight management innovations in supplements and functional foods

Weight management, gut and women’s health, alongside nutrient-dense formulations dominated innovation at Natural Products Expo West 2026 (Mar 3–6) in Anaheim, California, US. Companies showcased new protein-forward concepts, combinations of probiotics and postbiotics, and clinically-backed ingredients. At the trade show, Nutrition Insight caught up with Saanroo, Kerry, Aker BioMarine, FrieslandCampina Ingredients, and ADM to discuss multifunctional ingredients, delivery technology to improve bioavailability, and new supplement formats. 
Smiling woman taking supplements
Mood boosters: New era of “self-care” supplements spotlights psychobiotics and calm clarity
The mental wellness market emphasizes self-care as consumers increasingly lean toward holistic lifestyle rituals instead of medicinal approaches to boost mood. This transition has given rise to psychobiotics — probiotics and postbiotics to manage stress and sleep via the gut-brain axis, without the jitters of traditional stimulants. In botanicals, black cardamom extracts offer caffeine-free focus, while fermentation-derived salidrosides help conserve endangered rhodiola. Overall, consumers are prioritizing “steady” performance over overstimulation.
Bragg Metabolism Support Supplement
Can supplements mimic GLP-1? Bragg’s metabolic support launch fuels weight loss debate
As rapid weight-loss GLP-1 medications gain more mainstream attention, consumers are increasingly asking whether supplements can “do the same thing,” highlights Bragg. The wellness brand has recently launched a Metabolism Support Supplement that blends its apple cider vinegar with a hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) flower extract and a lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora) leaf extract. Nutrition Insight speaks to Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, professor emeritus at Tufts University, US, and the scientist behind Bragg’s Metabolism Support Supplement, who details the nuances between pharmacological and nutritional solutions for weight loss.
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Dr. Justin Green, Cargill
Expo West 2026: Cargill showcases Epicor postbiotic for new immune health applications

At Natural Products Expo West 2026, Dr. Justin Green, senior scientist at Cargill, highlighted the growing role of postbiotics in nutrition. He said these inactivated microbes offer greater stability in processing steps than live probiotics, while still delivering health benefits. Green also detailed clinical research backing the immune health benefits of Cargill’s yeast-derived Epicor, which can withstand heat and acidity. He predicted that postbiotics will play a larger role in next-generation gut health innovations, although consumer awareness of these ingredients remains limited.

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Nutrition industry 2025 in review: Most read stories
This year, scientific and technological advances, along with growing scrutiny of health claims and regulations, shaped the nutrition industry. Research on the gut microbiome, growing interest in healthy aging, and increasing popularity of GLP-1 medications have driven innovations in targeted solutions, spanning biotics, collagen, botanicals, and protein ingredients. Meanwhile, policy shifts, climate impacts, and geopolitical pressures influenced nutrition security and access to healthy diets. Let’s review this year’s industry-shaping highlights.

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Europeans want healthier diets but affordability and habits block sustainable...
Shopper checking the prices feeling frustrated with her budget
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Food has found that over half (51%) of Europeans want to eat healthier. However, affordability and issues with breaking old habits pose the most significant hurdles to making lifestyle changes, according to EIT’s Trust Report. Young and old Europeans approach food and sustainability differently, with generational differences holding potential for future change. However, the report notes that sustainable food choices, like lowering animal-based products, are declining.
GLP-1 weight regain: Experts debate how many kilos return in one year
Obese man with dietician
In a new meta-analysis, UK researchers have found that weight loss patients regain an average of 60% of total lost weight within one year of stopping GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. The study comprises a systematic review of existing scientific literature and 48 relevant studies. “Drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy act like brakes on our appetite, making us feel full sooner, which means we eat less and therefore lose weight,” says Brajan Budini, study author and a medical student at the School of Clinical Medicine and Trinity College, University of Cambridge.
Precision botanicals: Novella Innovative Technology to commercialize...
Scientists at botanical laboratory during work
Novella Innovative Technology has appointed a new CEO to elevate its start-up operations from the R&D phase to full-scale commercial operations. Working in the nutraceutical industry, the new role will lead the global commercialization of precision botanical ingredients, aiming to provide price stability from climate fluctuations. The company specializes in plant-cell-based ingredients, and newly appointed Antonio Martinez Descalzo comes with expertise in scaling health and wellness ingredients.
Gnosis by Lesaffre champions women’s health supplements at Expo West 2026
Gnosis by Lesaffre Expo West 2026
Women’s health is taking center stage at the ongoing Natural Products Expo West 2026 trade show. Gnosis by Lesaffre is showcasing women’s wellness ingredients that support prenatal health, digestion, and bone density, as well as heart, vaginal, and brain health. On the showroom floor in Anaheim, California, US, Nutrition Insight catches up with Alina Slotnik, the company’s marketing director for the Americas, to discuss opportunities to address women’s health needs and consumer demands. 
Fantastic Fungi’s Paul Stamets: Functional mushrooms for protecting bees and...
Turkey's tail mushroom
Live from the Expo West 2026 trade fair in California, US, Nutrition Insight speaks to renowned mycologist and Fungi Perfecti founder Paul Stamets. Featured in the Netflix documentary “Fantastic Fungi,” Stamets spotlights how mycelium’s potential reaches far beyond human immunity, offering a critical defense for bees and livestock against emerging viral threats.
Coffee prices caught between record harvests and Hormuz disruption
Coffee harvest.

Food Ingredients First

Global coffee prices have fallen sharply from the record highs above US$4.40/lb reached in early 2025, as Brazil’s national supply agency forecasts a record 66.2 million bag harvest and Rabobank projects the first significant global production surplus in five years. But the correction is now facing fresh complications with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war, which is pushing freight rates, insurance premiums, and fuel costs higher just as the supply picture improves.The world’s two largest coffee buyers have laid bare how severe the input cost pressure has been. JDE Peet’s, the biggest pure-play coffee company, absorbed €1.6 billion (US$1.73 billion) in cost inflation in 2025 and passed on 19.5% in pricing to consumers, while Nestlé reported that coffee and cocoa commodity costs drove its underlying trading operating profit margin down 130 basis points. 
Highlighted features
Nutrition Insight February in Review
Nutrition & Health News
February in review: GLP-1 nutrition strategies, probiotic...
February’s highlights include accelerating innovations around GLP-1s, advancing gut microbiome research, growing scrutiny of infant formula safety, and ongoing debates over supplement quality, protein policies, and food reformulation. In our February review, Nutrition Insight features some of the month’s biggest stories, including how supplements can help bridge nutrition gaps related to GLP-1 use and rapid weight loss. In the UK, researchers identified gut microbes that could unlock next-generation probiotics, and we examined Novonesis’ biosolutions toolbox for healthier foods. 
woman who makes a heart shape by hands on her stomach
Nutrition & Health News
New microbiome tool: Gut bacteria cooperation vs....
Scientists have discovered a new way to differentiate healthy microbiomes from diseased ones, based on gut bacteria interactions. They coin this method as the Ecological Network Balance Index (ENBI), which assesses whether microbial communities are dominated by competition or cooperation. Nutrition Insight speaks with study author Martin Blaser, M.D., the director of Rutgers Health’s Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine in the US, who says the metric shows potential links to nutrition, metabolic health, and disease resilience. 
GLP-1 medication
Food Research
GLP-1 formulation: IFT on tailoring functional food and...
GLP-1 medications are progressing into the mainstream US market and redirecting formulation strategies toward complementary nutrient-dense food and beverage options. This emerging class of products is enhanced with functional ingredients such as specific fibers, bioactives, and micronutrients. These inclusions help sustain satiety, muscle mass, and long-term weight management to address consumers’ needs during rapid fat loss. As the new “appetite economy” takes hold, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) highlights that brands are seeking practical strategies to anticipate market changes, enhance product appeal, and maintain regulatory compliance in a dynamic nutrition environment.

Nutrition focus

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Collagen support solutionsFeb2026

Innova Market Insights data shows that over half of global consumers are paying attention to collagen in their diets. The majority of these consumers prefer collagen supplements in on-the-go or powder...

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Botanical wellness boosts Mar 2026

Innova Market Insights’ data indicates that botanical/herbal supplements accounted for 20% of global supplement launches in 2025. More than a third of these launches featured a brain-mood health claim, while a whey-free claim witnessed a 100% CAGR (2021–2025). Ashwagandha ranked highest among herbal ingredients, and lion’s mane mushroom extract showed the fastest growth.

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Omega-3 supplement market trendsMar 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that consumers are actively including omega-3 in their diets. It remains a steady performer in supplement innovation, but new product development is accelerating as sustainable, eco-friendly, and vegan omega-3 options begin making waves in the market. Most often, omega-3 supplements come in soft gel format, but there has been an increase in omega-3 capsule supplement launches.

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Dr. Justin Green, Cargill
Video14:53
Expo West 2026: Cargill showcases Epicor postbiotic for new immune health applications

At Natural Products Expo West 2026, Dr. Justin Green, senior scientist at Cargill, highlighted the growing role of postbiotics in nutrition. He said these inactivated microbes offer greater stability in processing steps than live probiotics, while still delivering health benefits. Green also...

Expo West 2026: ADM on innovating around next wave of GLP-1 and postbiotics
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Expo West 2026: ADM on innovating around next wave of GLP-1 and postbiotics
Amir Vanderfox, BioCell Technology
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Expo West 2026 live: BioCell Technology’s clinically-backed collagen targets skin and joint health
Auke Zeilstra & Floor van Horst, FrieslandCampina Ingredients
Video11:21
Expo West 2026 live: FrieslandCampina Ingredients innovations for athletics and GLP-1 support
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