Fi Europe 2026 awards shortlist spotlights protein, foodtech and sustainability

Fi Europe has revealed 25 shortlisted entries across eight categories for its 2026 Innovation Awards, including a new Alternative Protein Innovation Award recognizing ingredients and applications from plant, fungal, algal, microbial, and insect sources.

Selected from 133 submissions, the finalists span ingredient functionality, processing technology, health, and sustainability. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, November 17, during Fi Europe, which takes place November 17–19 at Messe Frankfurt, Germany.

Ahead of the event, we spotlight the 2026 Innovation Awards finalists.

The Alternative Protein Innovation Award finalists

Bunge — PurePro soy protein concentrate: Designed to address unwanted flavors and dull color in protein-enriched foods while maintaining soy’s nutritional and functional benefits. Applications include meat alternatives, bakery products, cereals, and snacks, giving manufacturers flexibility across product categories.

dsm-firmenich — Vertis TVPs with ModulaSense: Textured pea proteins with taste modulation incorporated directly during extrusion to reduce bitterness and beany, earthy, and cereal notes. The approach provides a more neutral base for plant-based and hybrid meat products while reducing reliance on additional masking systems.

Lallemand Bio-Ingredients — Engevita HiPro Beyond: A yeast-derived ingredient containing at least 80% protein, developed for dairy alternatives, hybrid foods, and specialized nutrition. Its neutral flavor and limited interaction with other formulation components enable protein enrichment while maintaining the intended taste and texture.

dsm-firmenich’s Vertis TVPs feature in this hybrid beef burger.

The Dairy Alternative Innovation Award finalists

KWS — Proteomex platform: Combines plant breeding, genomics, food analytics, and sensory evaluation to identify pea varieties suited to dairy alternatives. The platform targets challenges such as off-flavors, color, and functionality by developing desirable characteristics from the raw material stage.

Nourish Ingredients — Creamilux: A specialty lipid ingredient designed to deliver dairy-like creaminess, mouthfeel, and functionality in plant-based and hybrid products. It works at low inclusion levels and targets applications where conventional alternatives struggle to reproduce the sensory properties of dairy fat.

The Food Manufacturing Innovation Award finalists

Gopack — Flexivent block bottom bag: A polyethylene bag with a ventilation system that releases excess air while limiting the loss of fine powder particles. Developed for ingredients such as milk powder, cocoa, flour, and protein powders, it improves compactness during palletization, storage, and transport.

Spectral Blue — MWHI antimicrobial blue light: Multi-wavelength, high-intensity blue light technology designed to provide continuous microbial control in food processing environments. The non-chemical system targets contamination risks on equipment and surrounding surfaces, including areas where moisture and food residues encourage microbial growth.

The Future Foodtech Innovation Award finalists

Arborea — BioSolar Leaf: A cultivation system using sunlight and CO₂ to grow microalgae for proteins and other functional ingredients. Its soil-free approach avoids the need for fertile agricultural land and offers opportunities to produce food ingredients on otherwise unsuitable surfaces.

dsm-firmenich — Maxiren EVO: A fermentation-produced cheese coagulant designed to improve texture, melt, flavor development, and processing flexibility. Its targeted action on casein also supports moisture retention and yield, helping cheesemakers improve production efficiency and cheese performance throughout shelf life.

Ferm Labs — Precision AI-bioprocessing: A controlled fermentation platform that converts side-streams into functional flavor ingredients. Its flagship Kokumesan ingredient uses liquid whey to deliver aged-cheese flavor, with the company reporting opportunities to reduce cheese inclusion and formulation costs.

MOA Foodtech — Turning byproducts into functional ingredients: An AI-guided fermentation platform converting agricultural and food industry side-streams into ingredients for food, feed, and pet food. The approach combines waste valorization with the development of nutritional and functional properties for manufacturers.

Forza10’s Coolty Meat contains cultivated meat supplied by BeneMeat.

The Health Innovation Award finalists

Botanic Healthcare — CornFit: A standardized extract derived from cornsilk, an underutilized agricultural byproduct, developed for metabolic health and weight management formulations. The ingredient is offered for applications including capsules, tablets, powders, and liquid extracts.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients — Social Protein: An alcohol-free beverage concept combining 10 g of whey protein with 5 g of prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides. The light, refreshing format brings protein and fiber into social drinking occasions, extending functional nutrition beyond conventional shakes and sports beverages.

Wecare Probiotics — Weizmannia coagulans BC99: A spore-forming probiotic positioned for sports nutrition and other health applications, with research covering areas including protein absorption and digestive health. Its processing resilience supports incorporation into formats such as meal replacement powders and functional gummies.

The Pet Food & Nutrition Innovation Award finalists

ADM — Priome Oral Care postbiotic: A heat-treated microbial ingredient developed to support canine oral health, including dental plaque management and oral microbiome balance. Based on Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CECT 9161, it has been investigated in a controlled feeding trial involving adult dogs.

Bene Meat Technologies — Coolty Meat: A complete wet dog food introduced by Forza10 using cultivated meat supplied by BeneMeat. The product brings cultivated protein into a commercial pet food application, with a formulation aimed particularly at dogs with food intolerances.

Beneo — BeneoFeed FB P60: A faba bean protein concentrate offering binding functionality as a partial or full replacement for animal blood plasma in wet pet food. Technical trials indicate opportunities to maintain product texture while reducing recipe costs and increasing plant-based ingredient use.

The Plant-based Innovation Award finalists

Botanic Healthcare — Guarsol: A water-soluble dietary fiber made from partially hydrolyzed guar gum, suitable for beverages and other functional formulations. The shortlisted application focuses on its use in liposomal systems to support properties including particle size, dispersibility, and stability.

GNT — Spirulina stabilization technology: Developed to help natural blue colors withstand beverage acidity, heat processing, and storage. The technology addresses the instability of spirulina’s phycocyanin pigment, expanding formulation possibilities for manufacturers seeking alternatives to synthetic blue colors.GNT’s spirulina-based colors deliver vibrant blue shades in beverages.

Roquette — Product to be announced: Roquette has been shortlisted for a plant-based innovation whose product name and technical details have yet to be disclosed. Further information is expected ahead of the awards.

Zentis — Thermostable popping bobas: Liquid-filled pearls designed to remain intact when mixed into muffin or cupcake dough and baked. The plant-based inclusions add bursts of flavor and contrasting texture, with potential applications across sweet and savory bakery products.

The Sustainability Innovation Award finalists

Beyond Oil — Frying oil treatment technology: A food-grade filter powder designed to reduce compounds formed as frying oil degrades, helping maintain oil quality and extend usable life. The technology targets lower oil consumption and waste while integrating with existing filtration systems.

Lipsa — Sustainable coconut oil project: A responsible sourcing initiative covering traceability, farmer development, and environmental and social practices in coconut supply chains. The project includes collaboration with origin partners and verification under the Sustainable Coconut Charter’s Supply Chain Standard.

Roquette — Transport decarbonization: A logistics initiative combining lower-emission transport options, load optimization, and carrier partnerships with verified emissions calculations. Customer carbon scorecards provide visibility into delivery-related emissions, supporting manufacturers’ efforts to measure and manage their Scope 3 footprint.

Tereos — Cultivate Net Zero: An offer combining lower-carbon ingredients, tailored carbon performance management, and regenerative agriculture partnerships. It connects agricultural practices with industrial decarbonization to help customers reduce the footprint of ingredients such as sugars, alcohols, and starches.