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Finalists of the Vitafoods Europe Innovation Awards 2026 announced

Who made it to the shortlist of the Vitafoods Europe Innovation Awards 2026? Read about the innovative companies that are redefining the nutraceutical industry.

A panel of judges made up of industry experts will gather to choose one winner for each of the eight categories. Winners will be announced at a ceremony on Tuesday 5 May at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via during Vitafoods Europe.

The finalists of the Vitafoods Europe Innovation Awards 2026 are:

Sports Nutrition and Active Lifestyle Ingredient

• Givaudan for Cereboost, an ingredient that improves mental performance in modern sports nutrition. Cereboost is based on an American Ginseng extract that is standardised to a unique profile of ginsenosides and clinically proven to enhance focus, reaction time, and mental energy.
• Mingchyi Biotechnology (MCB) for CreHytine, a dual-mechanism hydrogel creatine monohydrate. The hydrogel uses advanced encapsulation technology to incorporate acacia gum and magnesium, thus enhancing gastric stability, dissolution, and tolerability, supported by clinical studies.
• Natural Remedies for Ashwa.30, a next-generation ashwagandha extract based on 100% rootS that is designed to enhance energy, help boost endurance, and support stress relief delivering benefits at a low daily dose of 30mg.

Immune and Gut Health Ingredient

• dsm-firmenich for Humiome B2, a “biotic” vitamin, that uses patented microbiome targeted technology to deliver approximately 90% of vitamin B2 directly to the colon, where the gut microbiome thrives.
• Martin Bauer Nutraceuticals for 360GUT, a polyphenol-rich extract based on wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum) that supports gut health from within. Unlike bulky fibre prebiotics, 360GUT works at a small daily dose, helping to relieve bloating, irregularity, and digestive discomfort while gently nourishing beneficial gut bacteria.
• NutriScience Innovations for ButyraGen, a patented tributyrin-based prebiotic designed to consistently elevate butyrate, a critical short chain fatty acid (SCFA) and a marker of intestinal and systemic resilience.

Cognitive and Emotional Health Ingredient

• Morinaga Milk Industry for LAC Living+. This ingredient is based on Lactobacillus helveticus MCC1848. The company says the postbiotic helps consumers maintain a positive, balanced mood while offering formulators heat stability, neutral taste, and long shelf life.
• Pharmanager Ingredients for RhodioZen, a natural ingredient that targets the eye–brain axis. In two clinical trials, RhodioZen enhanced information processing speed, supported cognitive recovery, and stabilised eye accommodation during screen exposure.
• Threotech for Magtein, a bioavailable magnesium oral supplement that raises neuronal magnesium and improves cognition, sleep, and emotional resilience.

Healthy Ageing Ingredient

• Mibelle AG Biochemistry for MonaJuvent Nu, an ingredient derived from scarlet beebalm (Monarda didyma) and is rich in the anti-ageing flavonoid, didymin, that tackles the hallmarks of ageing and epigenetic ageing.
• Puredia for Omegia Omega-7 FFA, a clinically studied, vegan omega-7 from sea buckthorn, designed specifically for women navigating menopause. It supports over 13 menopausal symptoms including vaginal dryness, itching, and burning, dry eyes, dry mouth, skin dehydration, hair thinning, and brittle nails.
• SunWay Biotech for ANKASCIN 568. This ingredient redefines red yeast rice by shifting from conventional monacolin K–based inhibition to regulating longevity-related transcription factors. Powered by monascin and ankaflavin, it modulates key regulators – including PPARα, PPARγ, and Nrf2 – to support healthy ageing at its biological foundation.

Weight Management Ingredient

• IMCD for ProGo, an ingredient that naturally supports metabolic weight balance. This patented salmon peptide mix is a triple receptor agonist of GLP-1, GIP, GLP-2. It also protects muscle mass via the inhibition of myostatin and activin A. It allows overweight individuals to avoid taking medication that can result in side effects, the company says.
• Monteloeder by Suannutra for its ingredient, Metabolaid. This botanical ingredient is derived from hibiscus and lemon verbena extracts, and is designed to support healthy weight management through multiple metabolic pathways: it supports natural GLP-1 levels, activates AMPK, promotes fat metabolism, and enhances satiety.
• Phynova for Reducose, an ingredient that supports glycaemic control and weight management. The patented water extract of white mulberry leaf works by partially inhibiting the digestion of carbohydrates, helping to reduce post-prandial blood glucose and insulin responses by 42% from the first serving. It impacts incretins with a double-digit increase of fasting and late phase GLP-1.

Nutricosmetic Ingredient

• ACTIV'INSIDE for its beauty-from-within ingredient, Hair’Inside, a patent-pending nutricosmetic ingredient clinically proven to revitalise hair from within. In a three-month clinical study, it delivered up to 51.3% reductions in hair loss and a 17% increase in brightness.
• Mibelle AG Biochemistry for DracoBelle Nu, a vegan collagen-booster derived from Moldavian dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica) that boosts collagen production in skin tissues by activating the AMPK/FOXO longevity pathway. This reinforces the structural stability of the skin, resulting in a more plump and youthful appearance, the company says.
• Puredia for CyanthOx 80 CWS. This is a sea buckthorn proanthocyanidin extract that stimulates circulating stem cells by over 40%, boosts collagen by over 186%, increases ATP production by over 91%, and delivers nine times the antioxidant potency of grape seed extract. Its cold-water solubility opens formulation possibilities in drinks, powders, gummies, and capsules.

Most Innovative Consumer-Ready Nutraceutical Finished Product

• AronPharma for Forminol Gummies, a patented polyphenol-rich blend – AP029 – with chromium, zinc, and vitamin B6 to support healthy glucose metabolism, energy production, and metabolic resilience. Research suggests that AP029 enhances glucose uptake in cells, lowers blood glucose and insulin levels, and improves lipid metabolism pathways.
• Azelis Group for its low-temperature saffron gummy . The low-temperature gellan-based process protects the delicate bioactive compounds naturally present in saffron. Unlike traditional gummy manufacturing, which relies on high heat, this approach significantly reduces thermal exposure to help preserve ingredient quality and efficacy.
• Kaneka Ubiquinol Europe for its Eqology Pure Arctic Oil (POA) Heart & Energy. This formulation combines Kaneka’s CodMarine ingredient with organic cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, vitamin D3, and yeast-fermented Kaneka Ubiquinol in one innovation, delivering 1,420mg EPA+DHA per serving.
• RONDOLINO for Black Gemma di Salute, a consumer-facing product derived from black rice germ , naturally rich in vitamins, proteins, fibres, plant-based fats, minerals such as iron and magnesium, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds developed using a gentle, chemical-free process.

Sustainability

• Givaudan France Naturals for the Agropoles Platform. This platform is Givaudan’s global agronomy network advancing sustainable supply chains for natural ingredients. Projects such as RHODIOGO (Europe), GUARABEST (Brazil) and TURMITRACE (India) focus on key nutraceutical ingredients and promote biodiversity, farmer resilience, and ingredient quality while reducing environmental impact.
• Nordic Bioproducts for its carbon-smart microcrystalline cellulose. The ingredient is manufactured using a sustainable production process called AaltoCell at the company’s facility in Lappeenranta, Finland, which results in a carbon footprint up to 81% lower than conventional microcrystalline cellulose production methods. It also requires 95% less water, 90% less energy, and 69% fewer chemicals.
• Puredia for its vertically integrated production and manufacturing of sea buckthorn ingredients. It uses solvent-free supercritical CO₂ extraction and fair trade harvesting partnerships to empower local farming communities with year-round income.

The Vitafoods Europe Innovation Awards panel of judges is made up of industry experts, chosen for their knowledge, credentials and objectivity: Prof. Colin Dennis, chair at International Food Information Service; Barbara Bray, food safety and nutrition consultant at Alo Solutions; Efi Leontopoulou, manager scientific and regulatory affairs, EAS Strategies; Ian D. Healey, editorial director at Dr. Harnisch Publications; João Brites, director of growth & innovation at HowGood; Luca Bucchini, managing director of Hylobates; Nick Henson, food product developer; Sandra Einerhand, nutrition science consultant at Einerhand Science & Innovation; Sharon Morey, regulatory affairs manager at Campden BRI; Dr. V. Krishnakumar, president of Giract; and Timothy Whiteley, independent advisor.