Stephen Daniells

NutraIngredients USA is pleased to announce the finalists for the NutraIngredients USA Awards 2026... The winners will be announced during an awards presentation in July.

Probiota Americas 2026, hosted in Vancouver, will feature expert speakers and sessions focusing on the role of the microbiome in healthspan, aging, phages, weight management and prebiotics during Day 2 of its three-day conference. Highlights include panels on longevity, the virome, CRISPR-engineered phages, fermentation and the potential of probiotics and postbiotics for weight management, as well as presentations by industry and student competition winners. The day will conclude with a call to bridge academic research and real-world microbiome solutions. Additional themes on other days include market trends, regulatory topics, and innovations in microbiome science.

Probiota Americas, hosted by NutraIngredients and the International Probiotics Association, will take place June 8-10 at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, featuring leading experts discussing the latest scientific, regulatory, and market insights on probiotics, prebiotics, and the microbiome industry. The conference includes sessions on market growth, regulatory updates, emerging science related to environmental pollutants, longevity, metabolic health, and the companion animal and women’s health sectors, alongside competitions highlighting innovative research and startups. Networking events, wellness activities, and a major social evening at Stanley Park Brewery are also featured, with strong attendee satisfaction from previous years.

dsm-firmenich is shifting its innovation strategy in the nutraceutical industry by focusing on the biology of aging rather than traditional condition-based health approaches. At Vitafoods Europe, Vincent van Buul highlighted that the company targets four key hallmarks of aging—chronic low-grade inflammation, gut microbiome composition, mitochondrial function and cellular energy, and cellular senescence—to help cells maintain optimal function as humans live longer. The company emphasizes the modifiable nature of these aging mechanisms, particularly the gut microbiome, whose composition and physical characteristics change with age and can be influenced by targeted interventions.

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A Japanese pilot study found that daily supplementation with cuminaldehyde-rich cumin essential oil for 12 weeks improved psychomotor speed and reduced reaction times by 8% and 10%, respectively, in healthy seniors aged 65-86, compared to a placebo. While no significant effects were observed for memory, processing speed, executive function, or attention, the results suggest that cumin essential oil may support cognitive health and functional independence in older adults.

The Nutra Healthspan Summit, an event dedicated to nutritional approaches - including dietary supplements - to promote healthspan and longevity, is returning for November 2026. The two day event will take place in London and topics include: The state of the market; Consumer insights – straight from the horse’s mouth; Mitochondrial function and ageing; Women’s health; Cognition and ageing; Diagnostics, testing, and wearables; The regulatory landscape; and Investors and market success.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in China found that daily supplementation with the Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis BLa80 probiotic significantly reduced the incidence of respiratory infections and eczema in formula-fed infants and toddlers over six months. The probiotic group also showed fewer gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms, improved immunological markers, and enrichment of beneficial gut bacteria compared to placebo. These findings support the role of BLa80 in promoting immune and metabolic health during early childhood.

The Weston Family Foundation has launched the Microbiome Innovations for New Therapies (MINT) program, committing C$37 million over seven years to support new microbiome-based interventions that show strong preclinical promise and are ready to move toward clinical trials. The program is open to a variety of microbiome modulators, including probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, fecal microbiome transplants, and bacteriophages, with the goal of improving health and wellbeing, particularly for Canadians, while also considering global impact.

Catch up with our weekly round-up of key news from across the Nutraverse.