Highlights
- Themes at Vitafoods Europe spanned female life stage nutrition to clear protein hydration.
- Collagen is an emerging ingredient, while probiotics proves its staying power.
- Edible formats like gummies may drive supplement growth in Europe.
What We Saw at Vitafoods Europe 2023
Key themes and ingredient trends emerged at Vitafoods Europe that hint at what’s coming next in the supplement and functional F&B categories.
Vitafoods Europe 2023 brought together over 18,000 attendees from more than 160 countries to learn about what’s new in supplements and functional foods and beverages.1 Held from May 9th to May 11th in Geneva, Switzerland, the world’s largest nutraceutical event showcased over one thousand brands.2
Top Themes at Vitafoods Europe 2023
The Glanbia Nutritionals team was excited to attend the event, exhibit several innovative ingredients and prototypes, and see firsthand what’s happening in the industry. Here are the top themes we noticed at Vitafoods Europe:
1. Whole-System Nutrition
Nutrition for body and mind was a consistent message throughout the show. This focus on whole-system nutrition shows the industry moving beyond just the physical to consider the mental aspects of mood, balance, and calm as product benefits. There was a shift away from positioning around explosive mental energy.
2. Functional Nutrition
The aftermath of COVID has seen consumers continue to invest in their health and wellness through functional nutrition—what Innova referred to as "food as medicine." Gut, immunity, pre- and probiotics, and protein are the dominant growth segments within supplements and functional food and beverage.
3. Female Nutrition
We also saw a surge in exhibitors targeting the female consumer, with many focused on female life-stage needs such as menopause. Exhibitors are using edible formats such as gummies and healthy aging/beauty ingredients such as collagen to attract women into the category.
4. Sustainability and Naturalness
Sustainability messaging is becoming even more prominent, with a number of products at the show labeled and positioned as “zero carbon.” It seems that sustainability is being treated as an extension of “natural,” which continues to resonate strongly with health and wellness consumers.
5. Hydration
Hydration to replenish, restore, and renew was another theme evident at the exhibitor booths. The emphasis was on clear functional hydration beverages, ranging from protein tea in a can to fruit-flavored protein RTMs. This wave of hydration and replenishment products were gender-neutral in their positioning.
Trending Ingredients and Formats
As for ingredient and format trends at Vitafoods Europe, these are three that stood out the most:
1. Collagen
We saw a lot of collagen, both marine and animal, featured throughout the show. Although collagen is not as established a category in Europe as it is in the US, the momentum and interest seem to be there. The applications were very much linked to female nutrition, including healthy aging and beauty.
2. Probiotics
Pre- and probiotics were also prevalent at the show. The positioning was mainly around gut health, but they could also appeal for immune support. While these ingredients are nothing new, their widespread presence indicates they’re still quite relevant to today’s consumers.
3. Gummies and Other Edible Formats
There was also a notable shift toward edible formats (which are already popular in the US). It wasn’t limited to gummies, though, as we also saw innovative formats such as popping candy. It’s not clear yet how these fun, edible supplement formats will scale in Europe, but edibles have the potential to drive new penetration and increased consumption.
Highlights from the Glanbia Nutritionals Stand
Our team was also busy at our own booth, exhibiting some of our on-trend ingredients, along with several delicious (and nutritious) prototypes. These were the crowd favorites:
1. Extruded Milk Protein Bites
Our Crunchie™ Milk Protein Bites generated some honest excitement and were the clear winners at our booth. We showcased two versions: a BBQ crunchy snack with 15 grams of protein per serving and a sweet, frosted crunchy cereal with 20 grams of protein. Attendees were impressed with the taste and versatility of the bites as they worked well in both sweet and savory applications.
2. Decadent Whipped and Crunchy Protein Bars
We also featured two texture-forward, high protein bars that attendees enjoyed: a chocolate hazelnut vegan whipped bar and a cookies & cream crunch bar. The vegan bar used our BarHarvest™ Pea Protein and milled flaxseed, while the dairy-based crunch bar contained our protein ingredients BarFlex® WPI and BarPro MPC—plus our Crunchie Milk Protein Crisps.
3. Clear Protein Hydration Beverages
Of our clear protein RTM prototypes (Renew, Radiance, Boost, and Replenish), the Replenish in Chicha Morada flavor sparked the most interest. The unique fruity flavor, based on the Peruvian purple corn beverage, is one of our innovative Flavours by Foodarom®. The Replenish clear protein RTM also contained electrolytes, CreaBev® creatine, and amino acids.
4. High Protein Chocolate Recovery Drink
We also got a positive response on our chocolate-flavored, high-protein recovery RTM, with attendees commenting that it was quite indulgent. This chocolatey sports drink featured Provon IsoHi® hydrolyzed whey protein isolate (which is instantized for fast dispersibility) and our milled flaxseed ingredient for a smooth, creamy texture.
Collaborate with Glanbia Nutritionals– Your Ingredient Solutions Partner
If you missed us this time around, no worries! You can catch us at these industry tradeshows that we plan on attending this year. To learn more about our healthy ingredient solutions and product development support for bars, beverages, and more, contact us.