FiE 2025: Nutrition innovations for longevity, metabolic health, and mental wellness

At the recent Food ingredients Europe (FiE) trade show in Paris, France, nutrition companies showcased their innovations to support healthy aging, weight management, mental well-being, metabolic health, and skin longevity.

On the show floor, Nutrition Insight met with ADM, Arla Foods Ingredients, Monteloeder by SuanNutra, and PB Leiner to discuss how their science-backed biotics, protein, botanicals, and collagen can be incorporated into everyday foods and beverages. 

At FiE, ADM won the Health Innovation award for its Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 postbiotic, which supports stress, mood, and sleep. Marie-Bénédicte Charpentier, marketing director for EMEA at ADM, told us this ingredient is a “new star” in functional postbiotics. 

“It is a postbiotic — meaning it is stable. It’s a full cell that has been inactivated with heat treatment, and you can incorporate it into many different matrices, including those involving extrusion, pasteurization, and heat treatment.”

“In terms of health benefits, this strain has many functionalities,” she added. “The first is in sleep, stress, and mood, which has become the number one health benefit European consumers are looking for. But unfortunately, only 4% of new food, beverage, or dietary supplement launches target sleep or stress.”

Postbiotic health innovation

Charpentier detailed that ADM has demonstrated a positive impact of the postbiotic by modulating the gut, addressing sleep duration, quality, and how long it takes to fall asleep.

“Not only do we have clinical trials with scientific results like cortisol measurements and EEG, but you can also feel the difference: how long it takes to get to sleep, how long you sleep, what time you wake up, and how often you wake during the night. You can notice the improvements yourself.”

In addition, Charpentier explained that CP2305 can support women’s health. At its booth, ADM presented a chocolate with an appropriate dose (20 mg) of the postbiotic to address physical and mental symptoms of the premenstrual cycle and menopause.

Ahead of ADM’s Health Innovation award win, we discussed the company’s CP2305 postbiotic with its marketing director for EMEA.She added that the strain has demonstrated benefits for women in the premenstrual cycle to address mental symptoms like depression, but also physical ones, with improved skin appearance and decreased vaginal discharge.

“It’s a wide solution,” reiterated Charpentier. “And for women feeling a bit depressed during this period, having it in a chocolate is nice. It combines a pleasant taste, a bit of indulgence, and functionality.”

“We see that improving the quality of life is extremely important. That is one of ADM’s goals: providing solutions that work along the gut-brain axis. We will continue to develop more solutions.”

High-protein dairy ingredients

Arla Foods Ingredients showcased several high-protein concepts at FiE, such as a transparent yogurt, a high-protein cookie, and protein drinks.

Peter Schouw Andersen, senior director of Performance Nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, told us how protein is being added to various formats, such as breakfast cereals, clear drinks, and protein snacks.

“Visiting the US — which is always a bit ahead of other markets — I couldn’t walk into a supermarket without being hit by ‘protein’ labels everywhere. That will also evolve in Europe and Asia. We’ve only seen the start. What we’ll see is trying to get protein into different formats and functions in the diet.”

He expects that protein’s “next big thing” will be to add high levels of protein to finished meals, such as pasta sauce, pasta, and meatballs in the sauce. “Dairy’s role will be boosting different meals with protein.”

Schouw Andersen added that GLP-1 users help drive demand for protein as nutritionists underscore the importance of a high-protein diet. “They say that every third household in the US has one or more GLP-1 users now.”

Additionally, Arla Foods Ingredients presented an ultra-high temperature drink for kids featuring its Nutrilac milk fat globule membrane (MFGM). Schouw Andersen explained that these components have a proven effect on brain development in infants.

Arla Foods Ingredients showcased its protein soda with 10 g of Lacprodan BLG-100 protein in a lemon and lime flavor.“Now we’re looking at how to bring that into the elderly segment, for example, where there are cognitive challenges, or for stressed individuals,” he detailed. “In piglet studies, you can actually see the phospholipids in the brain after digestion. We now need to prove the effects on humans.”

Botanicals for metabolic wellness

Tapping into the growing demand for metabolic wellness and weight management support, Monteloeder by SuanNutra presented its flagship ingredient for metabolic health, Metabolaid. The formula is based on verbena and hibiscus flower extracts.

Danay Cubero, Europe branded sales manager at the company, told us the product’s success is based on its strong evidence, with 10 scientific publications.

Additionally, she shared that consumers also perceive the changes this ingredient creates, highlighting results from a new consumer study the company conducted in the US.

“What we found in this consumer study was the real impact of Metabolaid on people living their normal life — no diet or specific workout routine, just living their life. We saw important results in terms of weight loss and emotional well-being.”

Specifically, Cubero said the study found participants had more control over their food choices, felt fuller, reduced cravings for salty or sugary foods, and limited snacking.

Activating AMPK and GLP-1

Metabolaid’s scientific evidence suggests that the ingredient activates adenosine 5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an enzyme that helps regulate the use of energy. Cubero explained that this indicates the ingredient helps burn more energy, including fat sources.

At the FiE Tasting Bar, companies presented products and concepts that add nutritional value without compromising taste or texture.“It has a very important fat-burning effect,” she underscored. “Different from other ingredients where you lose muscle or water, we have proven in DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) scans, for example, that you don’t lose muscle or water.”

In addition to satiety, she noted that the ingredient’s appeal is related to GLP-1, where consumers want products to help make it easier to reach weight loss goals. Metabolaid modulates the microbiome, which is linked to higher levels of natural GLP-1 production, as supported by clinical trials.

“Our mission with the ingredient is to help these people reach their goal in a more sustainable way,” said Cubero. “All our clinical studies focus on adults, the main population to benefit from our ingredients, and we have always tested it in people with a body mass index of over 25 — people who might be a little overweight but are willing to lose weight.”

“Historically, the US is a huge market and where these GLP-1 trends started, but it has moved into Europe very quickly. Today, we see a lot of demand and consumer interest in this ingredient.”

Collagen for skin longevity

Collagen was also featured prominently at FiE. As the market becomes increasingly crowded, Yingying Wu, sales and product manager at PB Leiner, emphasized the importance of scientific evidence supporting collagen’s health benefits.

PB Leiner presented its Solugel Supra, a collagen containing a minimum of 45% di- and tripeptides, four times higher than the market standard. Wu said the ingredient has an ultra-low molecular weight of 500 Dalton, while some market standards range from 2,000 to 5,000 Dalton.

“It can be absorbed much faster — four times faster than conventional collagen,” she explained. “Amino acid concentration reaches its maximum in as short as half an hour, compared to standard collagen that needs at least two hours to reach the same effect.”

“It supports skin longevity from within. How does it do this? There are two aspects. First, it helps the skin cells repair. According to our latest research, Solugel Supra supports and protects the DNA of skin cells. It protects the DNA in cells and also boosts telomerase activity.”

Wu explained that Solugel Supra offers a high absorption in the body and blood, targeting skin and bone health, as well as sports nutrition.Wu explained that telomeres, protective caps at the end of cell DNA, play a vital role in skin renewal processes. As people age, skin cell function declines, driven by the shortening of telomeres. “Solugel Supra is proven to protect the telomere length and maintain higher telomere length.”

Additionally, the collagen helps the skin to resist external environmental stressors that cause aging, such as UV-light-induced aging.

Future innovations

PB Leiner has a patent pending for Solugel Supra due to its strictly controlled enzymatic production process, added Wu.

“It guarantees, first, the high content of di- and tripeptides, and second, very neutral organoleptic performance. Traditionally, cutting proteins into very small fractions exposes amino acid bonds that induce bitterness, making it hard to formulate them into food and beverages. Our latest technology overcomes this.”

The company’s latest research indicated that Solugel supports healthy bone development. “There are also benefits for people with digestive issues,” Wu added. “For example, those taking GLP-1 medications. They are prone to digestive discomfort and may need protein sources that are easily absorbed and potentially help with skin sagging that may occur after rapid weight loss.”

“But there are many more options — we are just scratching the surface. Think about sports nutrition: if this product reaches maximum concentration in the bloodstream within 30 minutes, how about pre-workout combinations or post-workout recovery?”