“This iteration of the awards had the most categories so far, and within that, we can really see some key trends taking shape,” she said.
“Even within very specific areas, there were some surprising spaces where we get a hint of what the industry will see more of.”
Microbiome modulation
As Hudson explained, a key category for the awards was microbiome modulation, both across ingredient and product submissions.
“When we look at microbiome modulation, particularly in relation to ingredients, it’s clear that trends often stem from the ingredient side,” she said.
“When you launch a new ingredient or study one, you learn a lot, and typically as products use ingredients that are already on the market, that ingredient first needs to be studied and verified for use, that’s where innovation happens.”
Within that category, it was clear to Hudson that the industry is “really trying to understand the complexity of microbiome diversity.”
While there is not a clear, universally-accepted definition of a ‘healthy microbiome’, Hudson believes the studies being conducted now are contributing to a deeper understanding of what one might look like.
“Hopefully, this will lead to a more solid definition in the future,” she said. “And in my opinion, this is an important step toward establishing a clearer, more defined concept moving forward.”
Within the product category, entries represented a multitude of benefits from various bacterial strains, including oral health, liver health, weight loss, maternal, and mental health.
“Some of these benefits were previously known, but we’re seeing some clever repackaging and reintroduction,” Hudson said.
Mind and mood
Sleep health emerged as a dominant trend from the Mind and Mood category submissions.
“Sleep is clearly a top priority, and it’s interesting to see so much research is purely on sleep, sleep, sleep,” Hudson said.
“It’s good to see so much research in this space as it is also a main current consumer trend—sometimes this isn’t the case.”
According to recent Lumina Intelligence data provided exclusively at the recent IPA World Congress + Probiota, “getting better sleep” is a top priority across European consumers, as is “supporting mood and mental health.”
“From this data we can see that sleep is evidently a primary concern for consumers between the ages of 18 and 35—it definitely takes precedence in these younger age groups,” Hudson said.
Both botanicals and probiotics took center stage in the category, with new sources and novel strains emerging. As Hudson pointed out, some compelling applicants were able to reinforce the vital connection between sleep, cognitive function and emotional well-being.
Women’s health
Innovation in women’s health was an area that saw a lot of breadth within the applications, and there has been a real shift in women’s health within nutrition towards specialized, science-driven innovations, Hudson explained.
“Instead of broad themes, entries now target specific concerns like PMS, fertility, menopause and iron absorption,” she said.
“Menopause-related products, including those with upcycled ingredients, are gaining traction, and even weight management saw a lot of attention within this space.”
She noted that the women’s health space is sure to see increasing attention towards precision nutrition, which addresses specific needs with targeted solutions.
Beauty from within
The beauty-from-within categories received an extremely high number of applications, Hudson said, noting that this is a space that is likely to keep growing as it resonates with consumers who are tapping into deeper, more sustainable approaches to beauty that align with a greater focus on general well-being.
“Skin health remains a dominant theme, with a shift from ‘anti-aging’ to ‘prejuvenation’—products designed to slow aging before it starts,” she said. “Longevity was a clear driver, and hyperpigmentation is a solution emerging as part of that.”
In terms of ingredients, there’s also a growing presence of postbiotics, vegan formulations and biomimetic technology, which replicates natural compounds through biotechnology.
When it came to finished products, collagen was a prominent feature, also aligning with recent consumer trends.
Awards presentation
The winners will be announced and celebrated at the 11th edition of the NutraIngredients Awards to be held the night of May 21 in Barcelona.