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Finding the X factor at the Vitafoods Europe Innovation Awards 2026

By recognising innovation, the Vitafoods Europe Innovation Awards 2026 stimulate better science, higher standards, and faster progress. But what gives a company the X factor?

Vitafoods Europe exhibitors are invited to highlight their innovations at this year’s event. There are nine awards categories in total: Sports Nutrition and Active Lifestyle; Ingredient Immune and Gut Health Ingredient; Cognitive and Emotional Health Ingredient; Healthy Ageing Ingredient; Weight Management Ingredient; Nutricosmetic Ingredient; Most Innovative Consumer-ready Nutraceutical Finished Product; Diversity & Inclusion; and Sustainability.

The Diversity & Inclusion award is also open to non-exhibiting companies, organisations or associations. Winners will be announced during Vitafoods Europe on 5th May 2026 in Barcelona.

Sports and active lifestyle

One of the jury members will be Luca Bucchini, managing director of Hylobates and chair of the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance. “While I will be judging several categories, my focus will be on sports nutrition,” he says. “It is amazing to see how scientists and specialists work to find new solutions, sometimes surprising and unthinkable just a few years earlier, to meet the needs of athletes, active consumers, and the general population.”

At a time when the very concept of food science and innovation is being challenged, Bucchini believes it is critical to affirm that innovation plays an integral part in making our nutrition and world better. “Some sports achievements would just not be possible and safe without modern nutrition,” he adds.

Bucchini says he will be looking for the ‘wow’ factor and putting himself in the shoes of the consumer. “From a sports nutrition perspective, I like to see both new concepts, and potentially game-changing [ones] for the active consumer,” he says. “I am particuarly fond of projects when R&D teams have worked well with athletes and scientists to find effective solutions.”

Immunity, gut health, and weight management

Sandra Einerhand, founder and head of nutrition-science consultancy Einerhand Science & Innovation, is another jury member. She will also be judging multiple categories but concentrating specifically on the Immune & Gut Health Ingredients and Weight Management Ingredients categories. “These are two of the most dynamic and strategically important areas in nutrition today – and also two of the most complex from a scientific and regulatory perspective,” she says.

Einerhand believes that while food is one of the most powerful health interventions we have, innovation only delivers real value when science, consumer needs, and business strategy are truly aligned. The Vitafoods Europe Innovation Awards provide a unique global credibility platform for innovators, giving them international visibility, high-level connections, and independent recognition.

“Prize-worthy innovation lives at the intersection of robust scientific rationale and evidence, clear consumer relevance, commercial viability, responsible regulatory positioning, and a compelling vision for long-term impact,” she says. “The X-factor is when a solution addresses this space with credible science, clarity of mechanism, and honest communication. By recognising innovation, we stimulate better science, higher standards, more responsible claims, and faster progress.”

Sustainability, diversity, and inclusion

João Brites, director of growth and innovation at How Good, will be focusing on the Sustainability and D&I categories. Brites notes that the food industry is inextricably linked to the well-being of our people and the planet, employing 1.2 billion people, feeding 8.3 billion, and driving 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

"More than just bright ideas, the Vitafoods Europe Innovation Awards recognise companies that have led the biggest breakthroughs in the nutraceuticals industry,” he says. “When you win, […] your customers and investors take note and take you seriously."

For Brites, being part of the jury is a way of seeing the best that the industry has to offer, and to help push it towards ever greater standards. "For the sustainability award, we are looking for companies that make a net positive impact at scale and have the evidence to show it,” he continues. “By impact, we mean both environmental impact on issues as global warming, access to clean water, deforestation, pollution, etc. Social impact [refers to] issues such as human rights, diversity and inclusion, and poverty.”

Cognitive and emotional health, and healthy ageing

Registered nutritionist Barbara Bray, who is also food safety and nutrition consultant at Alo Solutions, will be focusing on cognitive and emotional health, and healthy ageing.

“I'm fascinated by how food innovation can directly improve healthspan not just lifespan,” she says. “After 30 years in chilled foods, I've seen firsthand how the right innovations can make nutritious, safe food more accessible to ageing populations and beyond.”

Bray will be looking for products that provide a genuine benefit, particularly an equitable one that can reach diverse populations. The X factor for her is when a company solves a genuine problem faced by people, and their solution is accessible.

“When we celebrate innovation, we encourage other companies to raise their standards, ultimately benefiting consumers through better products, improved nutrition, and more sustainable practices,” she adds. “Beyond valuable feedback from expert judges, shortlisted and winning companies will gain significant exposure to industry stakeholders, potential investors, and media coverage.”

How to enter

To submit you entry, visit Vitafoods Europe 2026 Innovation Awards Submission Form for detailed guidelines. All entries for the Sustainability and Diversity & Inclusion Awards must provide evidence of innovative approaches/strategies/policies; evidence of impact of implementation by reference to changes within company/organisation practices, position in marketplace, relationships with customers/consumers; plans for future continuous improvement; and quantitative data, as evidence of impact wherever possible.

All other entries must provide scientific and medical evidence to support claims of

bioavailability, efficacy of functionality, performance etc.; evidence of regulatory compliance; and market/commercial success to date. They must also provide evidence of performance against competitive products; the extent of ingredient/nutraceutical innovation and application; and the extent to which their entry a ‘game-changer’. Preference will be given to ingredients/nutraceuticals/consumer finished products launched in the last two years.

Winners will receive a trophy presented on stage during the awards ceremony and be featured on Vitafoods Europe’s official website and press releases. Finalist or Winner stickers, provided by Vitafoods Europe, will be available for your stand onsite. There’s even a chance to win a Brand Awareness Webinar Sponsorship Package valued at EUR 5 000, offered by our sponsor, Smartcore. If you have any questions or need assistance with your entry, please contact Chloe Zhang at [email protected].