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Suppliers warn GLP-1 companion category risks credibility gap without evidence

The metabolic health trend has accelerated GLP-1 companion innovations. However, the rapid expansion has raised questions about whether products designed to support nutrition during rapid weight loss are grounded in evidence, given that the developments are in the early stages. To learn how the industry is responding to the momentum with responsible science, Nutrition Insight speaks with Roquette, Probi, FrieslandCampina Ingredients, and HTBA.
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Protein, fiber & taste drive next wave of GLP-1 companion nutrition
GLP-1 consumers are eating less, but not necessarily better, caution ingredient suppliers. They see the growing prevalence of these medications driving a shift in food and beverages, sparking innovations in nutrient-dense products with protein and fiber. Moreover, they spot taste, texture, and digestive comfort as key purchasing drivers. Innova Market Insights data indicates that GLP-1 mentions in supplement launches grew by 67% from July 2023 to June 2026. New product launches are moving beyond appetite control, combining prebiotics, probiotics, fiber, berberine, botanicals, vitamins, and minerals to address satiety, metabolic health, and digestive wellness. 
Oobli milk chocolate bar
Oobli expands sweet protein pipeline with miraculin to target metabolic health
In response to escalating metabolic health challenges, sweet proteins are gathering pace as alternatives to sugar and traditional high-intensity sweeteners. Among the companies commercializing them, Oobli is leveraging precision fermentation to produce bio-identical sweet proteins that mirror those found in rare equatorial fruits, which it says do not trigger blood glucose spikes, insulin responses, or digestive distress. Nutrition Insight speaks to Amy Chen, president and chief commercial officer of Oobli, to take a closer look at the future of sweet protein discovery, how these digest compared to standard dietary proteins, and targeted product developments in the field.
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CPHI Milan 2026: Cargill targets children and seniors with better-tasting, low-impurity excipients

Cargill’s Eelco van Oosterbosch, marketing director for Health and Nutrition, and Catherine Boghmans, senior applications specialist, highlighted the overlaps and differences between pharmaceutical ingredients and dietary supplements. The pair also explored how innovations in consumer-friendly supplement delivery formats have shifted pharmaceuticals toward a similar direction. Cargill showcased excipient solutions alongside prototypes with improved taste and low impurity levels, designed for sensitive populations, such as children and the elderly.

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SupplySide Global 2026 preview: Biotics, protein & longevity top agenda
At SupplySide Global 2026 (Oct 28–30), exhibitors will highlight where the nutrition and food industries are heading. GLP-1 companion nutrition is expected to take center place at the event in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, from protein innovations to fiber-forward beverages for satiety and muscle preservation. Companies are spotlighting their advances in supporting longevity, women’s health, and active nutrition, while exploring new and convenient delivery formats for actives, postbiotics, and dairy and plant proteins.
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DMC Biotechnologies raises US$18M to commercialize precision-fermented KeyPura...
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DMC Biotechnologies has secured US$18 million in financing to scale its high-purity bioactives made from precision fermentation. The US-based health ingredient company plans to channel the investment toward the commercialization of its KeyPura ingredients portfolio across the health, wellness, and personal care markets. The KeyPura portfolio includes myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol, which DMC says are two complementary ingredients with applications across reproductive health, metabolic wellness, infant nutrition, and other specialty nutrition formulations.
IFF launches GutABAlite for metabolic health via GABA production at SupplySide...
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IFF has launched GutABAlite, a probiotic brand for the clinically studied strain Levilactobacillus brevis LBR-6108, for metabolic health. 
BMC Ingredients’ Rhiza high-protein mycelium secures FSSAI approval in India
Rhiza mycelium protein chunks
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an approval letter for BMC Ingredients’ Rhiza Mycelium, the company’s flagship ingredient made through fermentation. The regulatory notice advances the company’s plan to bring its high-protein ingredient to Indian food manufacturers as it expands its international business. BMC Ingredients produces Rhiza from whole- food mycelium — the root-like structure of fungi. It is made by fermenting Neurospora crassa, a species of fungi with a lengthy history of human consumption.
IFF backs probiotic strain quality over CFU counts, taps biomics to predict...
Researcher in lab with probiotics
Amid a growing demand for probiotics, IFF underscores the importance of improving the inherent quality of strains used in supplements, rather than increasing their colony-forming units (CFU) count. CFUs are used to estimate the number of viable microbial cells in a product. Nutrition Insight meets with Dr. Arthur Ouwehand, a technical fellow at IFF, to discuss probiotic quality, research advances, and knowledge gaps. The company uses biomics to predict how a strain will behave in the human body. Biomics is the multidimensional analysis of biological data, Ouwehand explains. He says the analysis covers many aspects, such as metabolomics (analysis of metabolites), proteomics (proteins), and transcriptomics (RNA transcripts). “Biomics, in general, will not guarantee that a probiotic works, but it will help us make informed choices on what probiotic to test, for what potential health benefit,” he details. 
UK MPs call for NHS obesity overhaul as black-market GLP-1s and childhood...
Doctor and patient consultation on obesity in clinic
The UK Health and Social Care Committee is calling for the National Health Service (NHS) to overhaul its approach to obesity and treat it as a chronic, lifelong condition similar to diabetes. 
Chicken-fed salmon raises sustainability concerns as producers rethink fish feed
Salmon farming at sea.

Food Ingredients First

Farmed salmon are being fed chicken by-products as Norway’s feed industry turns to alternatives to marine ingredients. The move revives concerns about consumer acceptance and whether the shift delivers environmental benefits or transfers pressure onto other animals. Poultry-derived ingredients offer a locally available protein source that can support salmon growth and reduce reliance on fishmeal, according to Margareth Øverland, professor of aquaculture nutrition at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. However, Eurogroup for Animals questions their sustainability credentials and warns that ingredient substitution cannot resolve the wider problems of intensive salmon farming. 
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Nutrition & Health News
Menopause supplements need women-only trials to move beyond...
During Menopause Awareness Month, Nutrition Insight meets with industry players to discuss how they are balancing efficacy, safety, and credibility as women at this life stage often want natural or non-hormonal solutions. Gnosis by Lesaffre, Lallemand Health Solutions, and Lallemand Bio-Ingredients also highlight what evidence is still missing to help move menopause products from wellness claims to trusted solutions. 
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Nutrition & Health News
GLP-1 companion nutrition must complement drugs, not...
Nutrition ingredient suppliers are urging industry players to position products as a complement to GLP-1s, not a replacement. They note that supplements can never be equivalent to pharmaceuticals, but can support the safe and effective use of GLP-1 medications. Nutrition Insight meets with Beneo, Saanroo, HTBA, and Phynova to discuss where nutrition fits alongside pharmacotherapy, promising ingredients that support GLP-1s, the science needed to back their effectiveness, and how the market may develop in the next few years. 
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Nutrition & Health News
CPHI Milan 2026 review: Pharma standards and GLP-1 trends...
Nutraceuticals are increasingly sought out by the pharmaceutical industry. This demand is raising the bar for ingredients — nutrition companies are increasingly investing in the science behind their products to better support consumers’ health targets. Although nutrition approaches are disease-preventative, and pharma solutions aim to cure, exhibitors at CPHI Milan 2026 told Nutrition Insight that the divide between the two fields is closing. 

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The rise of cranberry in women’s healthOct2026

 Innova Market Insights data indicates that cranberry is a familiar ingredient among female consumers in the US and Western Europe, with one in four consumers reporting cranberry consumption. This fam...

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HMO advancements Oct 2026

Innova Market Insights data shows that global product launches featuring HMO ingredients grew by 5% year over year, comparing July 2025 – June 2026 with July 2024 – June 2025. 2'-Fucosyllactose was the leading HMO ingredient, accounting for 86% of NPD, while 3-Fucosyllactose recorded the fastest growth in new launches, highlighting potential opportunities for innovation.

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Workout optimization nutritionOct 2026

Innova Market Insights data reveals growing consumer interest in sports nutrition, with launches growing at a +17% CAGR from July 2021 to June 2026. Innovation is increasingly focused on collagen, with claims and, in particular, peptides gaining momentum.

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Eelco & Catherine, Cargill
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CPHI Milan 2026: Cargill targets children and seniors with better-tasting, low-impurity excipients

Cargill’s Eelco van Oosterbosch, marketing director for Health and Nutrition, and Catherine Boghmans, senior applications specialist, highlighted the overlaps and differences between pharmaceutical ingredients and dietary supplements. The pair also explored how innovations in consumer-friendly...

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CPHI Milan 2026: Indena champions biology over trends in delivery format choice
AB Biotics, Fermenta Biotech, Ingredion, Probiotical & Select Botanical
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CPHI Milan 2026 recap: Nutrition suppliers see affordability squeeze alongside metabolic health boom
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