Last week’s headlines included news about how a super El Niño is impacting fish oil supply from Peru, upcycled prebiotic carrot ingredient Benicaros gets EU novel foods approval, the acquisition of supplement intelligence platform SuppCo, and India’s Botanic Healthcare plans for the men’s health category.
Possible ‘super’ El Niño test omega oil supply resilience
Peru announced an indefinite extension of a fishing ban that was set to expire on June 10 amid growing concerns about a potential “super” El Niño event.
El Niño, the natural Pacific weather pattern that raises global temperatures, officially began on June 11, confirming predictions made by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) earlier this year.
El Niño episodes have historically caused flooding, drought and wildfires, impacting agriculture and global food stocks. They also disrupt global fish supply by suppressing the natural upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water, stunting the production of phytoplankton and starving smaller fish. Some fish—such as the Peruvian anchoveta which account for more than half the global supply of fish oil—either relocate or move to deeper waters, significantly depleting catch volumes.
This year, Peru’s fishing season has progressed slowly due to the resulting high proportion of juvenile fish, leading to the extension of the fishing ban that had been in place since May 27.
Dr. Enrico Bachis, market research director at The Marine Ingredients Organization (IFFO), said a full cancelation, as seen in 2023, remains possible and that this could drastically alter the fish oil market, limiting supply and amplifying costs.
“El Niño‑driven effective shortages or anticipated shortages typically reduce volumes and affect prices across the entire global feed and aquaculture system, with fish oil hit hardest,” he said. “Peru accounts for a large share of global fishmeal and fish oil supply, so disruptions quickly tighten availability. Buyers adjust their procurement strategies while exporters and traders hold.”
Benicaros gains EFSA Novel Food approval
The European Commission has authorized Ingredion’s recently acquired upcycled prebiotic carrot-fiber, Benicaros, as a Novel Food, allowing manufacturers to use it in food supplements across the EU.
The upcycled carrot pomace ingredient developed by Dutch biotech company NutriLeads was bought earlier this month in an asset deal that transferred full intellectual property, clinical data, trademarks and manufacturing know-how.
After a positive opinion on Rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) at the end of August 2025 the European Commission has now authorized the carrot extract enriched with RG-I (cRG-I) as a novel food under Regulation (EU) 2026/1306.
Function acquires SuppCo
Function, a health platform that provides lab testing, imaging and personalized health insights, has acquired SuppCo, a supplement intelligence platform focused on helping consumers evaluate supplement quality and trustworthiness.
Together, the companies aim to connect biomarker testing, imaging, clinician guidance and supplement recommendations, linking health insights with actionable interventions.
“Function’s lab testing, MRI and CT, clinician-reviewed results identify the gaps and create action plans,” explained Jonathan Swerdlin, CEO and co-founder of Function. “SuppCo’s independent supplement evaluation and TrustScore verify what’s worth taking. The result is a system that recommends based on your biology, verifies what you’re putting in your body and measures whether it’s working.”
SuppCo’s consumer app helps guide supplement choices, with ratings across 35,000+ products and analysis of 500,000+ routines.
Function has always focused on helping people understand what is happening inside their body through labs, imaging, and longitudinal health data, Swerdlin said, adding that SuppCo adds an action layer to that ecosystem.
“They built deep expertise around supplement organization, product quality analysis, and personalized routines, alongside an independent system designed to help consumers navigate a highly fragmented category,” he said.
Botanic Healthcare looks to address ‘neglected’ men’s health category
Indian company Botanic Healthcare says that its new men’s health ingredient innovations, focusing on addressing the needs of two age groups, are set to be launched within the year, despite the category having taken a back seat in recent years.
In the past couple of years, the nutraceutical industry—from ingredients to products—has centered heavily on beauty-from-within and women’s health, according to Gaurav Soni, founder and managing director of Botanic Healthcare, who spoke to NutraIngredients at Hi-Fi Asia 2026, taking place in Shanghai, China from June 15 to 17.
However, he believes that men’s health would regain momentum in the coming year, specifically with a focus on two demographics—men aged between 25 and 45, and older men above 45 years.
For the first age group, their needs are all about strength, stamina, endurance, overall well-being, and not just sexual health. On the other hand, older men have a different body profile that has different needs with declining testosterone, metabolism, and muscle mass.
“We have developed new products for men’s health, which we think is going to be the next big thing. As we sell our ingredients all over the world, these new innovations target both groups. That’s what we tell the brands and marketing companies—you must cater to these two segments,” said Soni.
