February in review: USAID and SNAP on the chopping block, Biofach 2025 reveals latest nutrition innovations

In February’s major health and nutrition industry news, Elon Musk and the Trump administration froze the US Agency for International Development (USAID), while proposing a US$230 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). At the same time, researchers revealed the role of women’s groups in establishing nutrition security, a survey found that “healthy” food labels may negatively impact purchases, and a study found a paradox of protein consumption in India.

In our February review, Nutrition Insight looks back at some of the month’s biggest stories, including ADM’s 2024 financial earnings report, dsm-firmenich’s divestment from the Feed Enzymes Alliance, and research that revealed supplement users displayed increased trust in AI.

We also looked at the latest innovations to be presented at the Natural Products Expo West (NPEW) 2025 trade show and talked with several industry leaders at Biofach 2025.

February
Trump’s aid freeze: Musk declares “time for USAID to die” as laureates warn of worsening food security
The USAID website shut down amid President Donald Trump’s freeze on foreign aid. Some experts said the move threatened global humanitarian assistance for malnutrition, food security, emergency responses, and stunting. USAID going offline sparked debate over whether the new administration planned to get rid of the agency and bring it under the State Department, which some said raised legal issues. According to reports, the administration put top USAID security officials and 100 staff on leave after the CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, Elon Musk, and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) tried to gain access to classified material. At the same time, we spoke with Action Against Hunger about how the freeze put millions of children at risk.We sat down with a US Cornell University professor who explained how gut bacteria influence cholesterol and fat metabolism.

ADM’s financial earnings decline amid market uncertainty but Nutrition business surges
ADM revealed its 2024 fourth quarter and full-year financial results, reporting a decline in earnings amid challenging market conditions, saying its 2024 financial performance reflects a challenging market environment, with net earnings of US$1.8 billion and adjusted net earnings of US$2.3 billion — a decline of US$1.4 billion from the previous year. At the same time, a report from Reuters revealed the company may cut as many as 700 jobs globally. Looking ahead, the company set its 2025 adjusted earnings per share guidance in the range of US$4.00 to US$4.75, citing continued market challenges, including biofuel and trade policy uncertainties, and said it would focus on improving its operational performance with a goal of delivering US$500–750 million in cost savings over the next few years.

Researchers reveal powerful role of women’s groups in transforming nutrition systems
Women’s groups were proven to be important forces in improving nutrition access by gathering collective strength to overcome economic, social, and institutional barriers. According to a perspective paper, women’s groups guarantee long-term access to nutritious food and resources, while promoting financial independence, organizing communities, and holding systems responsible. Their impacts were shown to extend beyond individual efforts — peer support, advocacy, and direct initiatives like community kitchens and nutrition gardens. We sat down with researchers from India and Nepal who revealed solutions to gender-based barriers to nutrition access.

Supplement consumers have a higher trust in AI than non-users, research flags
Consumers who use supplements are more likely to trust AI technology than those who don’t, according to a recent online survey commissioned by Ingredient Communications. The survey collected data from 1,040 consumers in the UK and US and indicated that more supplement users feel positive about using AI in the food and beverage industry. We talked with the company’s managing director about how the majority of respondents who used a supplement within the past three months said AI is “generally positive for humanity.” We also caught up with Rivalz and Ingredion to talk about AI-powered snacking and spoke with Bayer Consumer Health and Nuritas about AI’s role in nutrition.We talked with Beneo about the company’s organic and sustainable nutrition innovations.

Putting “healthy” on food labels may lower purchase appeal, US research finds
Food labels designed to nudge US consumers toward healthier food choices can sometimes have the opposite effect, according to research from the University of Florida, US. The proposed rule introduced labels that target saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. Each value on the labels, a percent of the recommended daily value, corresponds to one of three levels — low, medium, and high. This news came as the US Food and Drug Administration began weighing whether to require front-of-package food labels and may indicate an unanticipated backlash to the proposed regulation.

Novonesis acquires Feed Enzymes Alliance from dsm-firmenich in €1.5B deal
Nutrition, health, and beauty ingredient producer dsm-firmenich revealed it is selling its stake in the Feed Enzymes Alliance to its long-time partner Novonesis for €1.5 billion (~US$1.55 billion). The sale included the dissolution of the 25-year-old alliance, and dsm-firmenich said it would begin seeking buyers or other strategic options for its Animal Nutrition & Health (ANH) division. The move continued the company’s shift to streamline its operations, advance its plans to separate its ANH business and intensify its focus on food and nutrition ingredients. Following the transaction, dsm-firmenich said it expects to receive around €1.4 billion (~US$1.44 billion) in net cash after deducting transaction costs and capital gains tax. The company anticipates recognition of a book profit on the transaction upon its completion.

Biofach 2025: Functional beverages, plant proteins, fermentation, and nutraceuticals steal the show
At the Biofach 2025 trade show in Nuremberg, Germany, we spoke to an array of companies presenting organic and sustainable food production.  We met with several players and noted key themes, including functional beverages, plant-based proteins, fermented foods, sustainable packaging, and superfoods. At the same time, we spoke with companies about the booming medicinal plant sector, the needs of the world’s aging population, and the continuing demand for organic solutions.The African Baobab Alliance spoke with us about the recent research on the baobab fruit fiber’s gut health benefits.

Protein paradox: Study finds most rural Indians lack sufficient protein intake despite abundant access
A recent study flagged a surprising paradox in rural India — protein deficiency remains widespread there, even in households with sufficient access to protein-rich foods. The researchers found that more than two-thirds of households surveyed across India’s semi-arid tropics consume less protein than recommended despite the availability of protein sources such as legumes, dairy, and livestock products. Conducted across six states and nine districts, the study found that diets in these regions rely heavily on staple grains like rice and wheat, which contribute 60–75% of daily protein intake. While these foods provide some protein, they lack the essential amino acids necessary for balanced nutrition. Meanwhile, protein-rich foods such as pulses, dairy, eggs, and meat remained underutilized, seemingly due to a mix of cultural food preferences, limited nutritional awareness, and financial constraints.

Budget blow: SNAP cuts threaten nutrition security for 40 million US citizens while Rollins pushes reforms
The Republican-led US House of Representatives proposed a US$230 billion cut to SNAP over ten years, which the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said would threaten the food and nutrition security of approximately 40 million US citizens. At the same time, the US Secretary of Agriculture pushed for reforms to reshape SNAP, including stricter work requirements and reassessing what foods should be eligible for purchase. We caught up with the deputy director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, who underscored that SNAP cuts would “unnecessarily thrust millions of people further into food insecurity.” We also looked at how the proposed cuts could undermine the administration’s “healthy America” goals.

NPEW 2025 preview: Innovative nutraceuticals, contaminant testing advances, and vegan capsules
The nutrition and supplement industries are set to showcase nutraceutical innovations at the upcoming NPEW 2025 trade show next week in California, US. We talked with companies that will feature the latest innovations in delivery formats, sustainability advances with vegan capsules, and new products in active nutrition, protein-rich foods, and healthy hydration. We explored the offerings of Lonza Capsules and Health Ingredients (CHI), FrieslandCampina Ingredients, Alkemist Labs, and Gelita. We also talked with Sabinsa and Pharmactive Biotech about the companies’ targeted botanical health and nutrition solutions.