Vitafoods Europe 2026

Last week saw 12 members of the BLC team head to Barcelona for Vitafoods Europe 2026. As the leading show for the nutraceutical, functional food and supplements industry, there’s inevitably a lot going on. What we find especially interesting, though, is the chance to see the innovation that’s taking place at an ingredient level and the potential this has for the products we develop.

Although it’s almost impossible to summarise three days and more than 1,600 exhibitors in a few sentences, if we were to highlight one key takeaway, it would be this: 

The ingredients that are standing out are the ones that are positioning themselves as part of a more holistic solution. 

As the wellness category continues to grow, consumers are navigating a complex world where everything promises to make them feel their best. Supplement stacks can quickly add up to the point where they feel overwhelming. 

Brands that can position ingredients as multifunctional solutions are better placed to simplify choice and become part of consumers’ everyday routines.

Read on as we explore how this played out across three categories at this year’s Vitafoods: 

• Gut health

• Hydration 

• Protein 

Gut health

The gut health category is evolving as consumers become more aware of the benefits of a healthy gut – according to Innova’s Trends Survey 2026, 59% of consumers agree that gut health is very important for their whole body. 

But where gut health once focused on good bacteria or reducing bloating, the message across the show floor was the benefit of good gut health on a huge range of other health aspects, including energy, mood, skin and immunity. 

The link between gut health and mental wellbeing is gaining more traction than ever, and ingredients that support the gut-brain axis are becoming a sub-category in their own right: psychobiotics. 

Meanwhile, pre- and probiotics no longer dominate the conversation, with postbiotics and the higher bioavailability and stability they offer being spoken about more. There’s also a recognition that it’s not either/or – by using all three together, a more multifunctional solution can be achieved. 

Trend translation

As consumers become more aware of the benefits of gut health beyond digestion, single-benefit messaging is being replaced by more holistic claims. Growing interest in psychobiotics and postbiotics reflects a shift towards more science-led solutions. The result is a clear opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves through clinically backed claims and further education around the role that gut health can play throughout the rest of the body.

Hydration

By now, we’re all familiar with the role that electrolytes can play in everyday wellness routines, with focus, energy and general wellbeing being the main drivers. But what about the role of hydration in longevity, cellular health, the microbiome or recovery? 

Two specific areas that piqued our interest were longevity, where hydration is said to play a role in nearly all of the 12 hallmarks of ageing, and GLP-1 user support, where hydration can help with everything from reducing nausea and headaches to fighting fatigue. 

Across the show it became clear that the hydration category is shifting again. In addition to better communications about the wider functional benefits of hydration, emerging research is focusing on a range of considerations, from transport efficiency and mechanism to speed of hydration and best use cases. 

From everyday wellness to elite sports nutrition, electrolytes were never created equal, but there’s a growing focus on how they can be formulated and delivered in a way that makes a difference to that individual – whatever the use. 

Trend translation

As hydration evolves from a wellness staple into a more targeted functional category, brands have an opportunity to move beyond one-size-fits-all formulations and develop solutions that meet specific consumer needs and occasions beyond everyday use or sports performance, such as cognitive support, longevity or GLP-1 users. Innovation is moving beyond electrolyte inclusion alone, with greater focus on smarter delivery systems, targeted formulations and clearer communication around which solutions best meet individual needs.

Protein

Protein still dominates, with 3 in 5 consumers actively adding protein to their diets¹, but the way it’s being communicated is changing in line with consumers’ search for more holistic approaches.

The functionality of protein remains the same; what we saw across Vitafoods was a shift in how it’s being positioned across different health needs, life stages and wellness routines, with immunity, healthy ageing and energy levels all being highlighted.

For GLP-1 users, protein was proposed as a way to help reduce nausea thanks to its role in stabilising blood sugar, alongside the more traditional messaging of helping maintain muscle mass and ensure users receive adequate nutrients. Meanwhile, in a healthy ageing context, maintaining muscle mass remains the key message, but as a way to help prevent sarcopenia and underpin strength and mobility. 

Trend translation 

The importance of protein is increasingly being considered in a way that goes beyond macronutrients alone. The opportunity for brands now lies in truly understanding the role that protein can play for different audiences, and formulating and positioning products that meet these specific needs and occasions; an ingredient that’s no longer just for muscle mass or repair but for healthy ageing, everyday energy or immunity. 

¹ Innova Trends Survey 2026

From the floor 

There was, of course, so much more going on across the show. Here’s a snapshot of some of the other things we noticed and conversations we had: 

• The volatility of protein pricing continues to be an industry-wide issue, thanks to a combination of high demand and economic factors.
  

• Longevity is moving at pace beyond the biohacking / cellular health sphere. It’s no longer about living forever but living better for longer.
  

• Collagen was everywhere but beauty isn’t the focus – weight loss, joint health and glucose control were just some of the specific benefits being targeted.
  

• Chewable tablets as a format for ingredients like creatine and collagen. As well as being easier to formulate than gummies, it may be that they’re seen as being more clinical and therefore more trustworthy after some of the issues that have arisen over the last year.