A man adds protein to a shaker cup from a large bucket of powder.

“Proteinmaxxing” and GLP-1 drive whey squeeze as suppliers scale and diversify

Whey protein is under pressure and demand has climbed fast enough that suppliers are rebuilding around it. GLP-1 drugs have driven demand for high-quality dairy protein, as consumers load more protein into more eating occasions. Suppliers across the industry are addressing this challenge in different ways.
Shaved ice dessert with mango slices.
Desserts and ice cream reimagined: Balancing indulgence, nutrition and new sensory experiences
Ice cream and desserts have always been products of pleasure. They are associated with moments of comfort, celebration, and indulgence. However, the category is entering a new phase, as consumers increasingly expect more from their favorite treats. Today’s dessert and ice cream consumers are looking for products that deliver enjoyment and align with broader health and lifestyle priorities. Higher protein, reduced sugar, lactose-free options, cleaner labels, premium ingredients, and exciting sensory experiences are all influencing innovation across the category.
2nd Nature uses AI to identify new sweetening compounds.
2nd Nature CEO: How AI is transforming sweetener innovation and discovery
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how the food and beverage industry approaches sweetener innovation, moving discovery away from years of trial-and-error screening and toward targeted identification of new functional compounds. For decades, sweetener development relied heavily on a limited number of platforms, including sugar, synthetic sweeteners, stevia, and monk fruit. According to Effendi Leonard, CEO of AI-powered ingredient company 2nd Nature, AI is changing that landscape by allowing scientists to uncover molecules that conventional approaches overlooked.
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Freshness that goes further
Any quality issues? This paper examines how carbohydrate science and the functional properties of TREHA® can help manufacturers protect the quality of chilled and frozen foods. Through improved moisture retention, freeze-thaw stability and low sweetness, TREHA® offers a practical formulation tool for maintaining product quality across the supply chain.This Technical Paper is brought to you by Nagase Food Ingredients.
AGRANA Fruit webinar promotional graphic showing a shopper reading a label beside text about gaps in functional F&B
When Healthy Isn't Enough: What's Missing in Today's Functional F&B?
As consumer demand for functional food and beverage products continues to rise, delivering health benefits is no longer a differentiator, it’s an expectation. But while brands compete on claims, many overlook a critical driver of repeat purchase: enjoyment.Taste, texture and sensory excitement often fall short, leaving consumers with products that are good for them, but not compelling enough to come back to. In this webinar, we explore the missing link in today’s functional F&B landscape: “fun.” Why is indulgence still important alongside functionality in many categories and how can brands bridge the gap between nutrition and pleasure without compromising on either.Join us as we unpack emerging consumer expectations, highlight key trends, and demonstrate how a holistic approach to product development can unlock both health and indulgence. Discover why the future of functional F&B lies in both what products do and how they make people feel.
Raisio video thumbnail: Smiling woman in front of wooden shelves displaying Elovena oatmeal, snack biscuits, and other packaged food products
Raisio Food Solutions: How oats can elevate gluten-free product development

At Raisio Food Solutions’ offices in Helsinki, Finland, Heidi Romu from international business development explores how oats can elevate gluten-free product innovation. From boosting fiber and nutritional diversity to improving texture, creaminess, and water binding, Romu discusses the versatility of oats, the requirements of gluten-free production, emerging global demand, and the next opportunities for better-for-you gluten-free foods and beverages.

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EU “veggie burger” fight returns as MEPs seek wider naming ban
Grocery store refrigerator section with rows of various brands of plant based protein substitutes.
The EU is heading toward another battle over whether plant-based foods can use familiar meat-related names, just weeks after lawmakers finalized rules that deliberately left terms such as “burger,” “sausage,” and “nugget” available to alternative protein makers.
GLP-1 nutrition and whey prices help lift Arla Foods Ingredients revenue 19.3%
Arla staff celebrate H2 2026 results.
Arla Foods Ingredients posted a 19.3% year-on-year revenue increase in the first half of 2026, reaching €867 million (~US$1.01 billion), up from €726 million (~US$846 million) a year earlier. The results come as higher whey protein prices and sustained demand for value-added nutrition ingredients bolstered the dairy cooperative’s ingredients business.
EU PPWR: What F&B companies need to know about the new packaging rules
Various packaging and recycling symbol.
The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) marks the biggest change to packaging legislation in decades. While often described as a recyclability regulation, its impact reaches far beyond whether a package can be recycled. For food and beverage companies, PPWR could reshape how packaging is designed, documented, sourced, and managed across the entire value chain.
Ingredion wins EU Novel Food approval for upcycled carrot fiber ingredient
Man with healthy gut holding stomach.
The European Commission has authorized Ingredion’s Benicaros SF Pure P, an upcycled, rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I)-enriched soluble carrot fiber, for use in foods, beverages, and dietary supplements. The authorization, which enables commercialization throughout the EU beginning July 2, 2026, follows a positive scientific safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority and extends Ingredion’s functional fiber portfolio into a new category of upcycled, plant-based ingredients.
Food industry’s next challenge: Building a future-ready science workforce
Food scientist working on laptop.
The future of the food system may depend on more than scientific breakthroughs and technological innovation. According to a new white paper from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the industry must also address a growing workforce challenge: ensuring food professionals have the skills needed to apply those innovations effectively.
Menopause formulations diversify with functional probiotics and botanicals
Woman taking nutrition supplements at home in kitchen

Nutrition Insight

As the scientific understanding and exploration of menopausal women’s health deepens, the nutrition industry is increasingly reflecting this in creating formulations addressing more nuanced needs and investing in women-only clinical trials to back them up. To learn which ingredients or formulation approaches are gaining the most traction for menopause products, Nutrition Insight speaks with Lallemand Bio-Ingredients, Lallemand Health Solutions, and Gnosis by Lesaffre. 
Highlighted features
F&B ingredient innovation leaders in Helsinki, Finland.
Tech & Innovation
Valio, Raisio and Solar Foods: Inside Finland’s ingredient...
Milk, northern oats, and a microorganism fed with carbon dioxide and hydrogen may appear to have little in common. In Finland, however, they illustrate how the country is drawing on established agriculture, advanced processing, and emerging biotechnology to develop higher-value food ingredients. During a recent reporting trip to Helsinki, Finland, Food Ingredients First spoke with experts from Valio, Raisio Food Solutions, and Solar Foods to explore the science, commercial thinking, and the collaborative culture driving the country’s ingredient innovation.
Woman drinks boba bubble tea while looking at her phone.
Food Ingredients News
From novelty to NPD: How boba, mochi and cold foam are...
From chewy tapioca boba and fruit-filled popping pearls to soft mochi and airy cold foam, texture is becoming an increasingly important ingredient in food and beverage innovation. Once closely associated with specialist bubble tea shops, Japanese confectionery, and coffeehouse culture, these textural formats are now appearing across mainstream beverages, desserts, dairy, confectionery, and packaged foods.
Person using a GLP-1 medication by injecting into their stomach area.
Food Ingredients News
Nestlé’s GLP-1 strategy reframes food formulation around...
When GLP-1 weight loss medications first began gaining mainstream attention, the food and beverage industry was largely asking a defensive question: what happens if consumers simply eat less? Although that concern has not disappeared entirely, two years into the GLP-1 conversation, the industry response increasingly looks less like a retreat and more like a reformulation exercise. The latest signal comes from Nestlé, which is developing products specifically for people taking weight-loss drugs, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. The company is looking at high-protein and collagen-containing products, among other nutritional solutions, leveraging AI and nutritional science to inform development. 

Ingredient focus

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Clean label evolutionAug2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that consumers globally are reducing artificial ingredients in their diets to eat healthier. Global data also shows that clean label claims are gaining ground in ...

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New frontiers in protein Aug 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates a 6% average annual growth in F&B launches with protein ingredients and high/source of protein claims between April 2021 and March 2026. The top subcategories were Cereal, Dairy, and Meat Substitutes. Soup and hot drinks with protein ingredients were emerging. The top protein ingredients were milk protein, pea protein, and soy protein isolate.

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What’s next in Desserts and Ice Cream?Aug 2026

Innova Market Insights data shows that flavor still plays a vital role in ice cream and dessert choices, with the category growing at a 4% CAGR from July 2021 to June 2026. While ice cream accounts for the largest share of these launches, toppings and flavor combinations are becoming more creative areas for NPD. Sour flavors are also gaining attention in desserts, growing by 132% over the past five years globally.

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Raisio video thumbnail: Smiling woman in front of wooden shelves displaying Elovena oatmeal, snack biscuits, and other packaged food products
Video05:24
Raisio Food Solutions: How oats can elevate gluten-free product development

At Raisio Food Solutions’ offices in Helsinki, Finland, Heidi Romu from international business development explores how oats can elevate gluten-free product innovation. From boosting fiber and nutritional diversity to improving texture, creaminess, and water binding, Romu discusses the...

Erika Milczek, Curie Co.
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IFT FIRST 2026: Curie Co boosts dairy yields with protein-stabilizing enzyme
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IFT FIRST 2026: AAK spotlights specialty fats in deconstructed Dubai-style chocolate
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