IFT FIRST 2026 preview: Multifunctional ingredient systems reshape health-driven F&B

As IFT FIRST 2026 approaches, ingredient suppliers say F&B innovation is moving from single-claim functionality toward more complete formulation systems that can deliver nutrient density, satiety, digestive comfort, convenience, and sensory appeal in one package. The shift is being accelerated by several overlapping consumer and industry forces: the rapid rise of GLP-1 medications, sustained demand for protein, interest in metabolic and microbiome health, and mounting pressure to reduce sugar without eroding taste. For formulators, the next phase of functional nutrition will not be defined by novelty alone. Suppliers say the ingredients that move from “interesting” to commercially important will be those that solve multiple problems at once. Food Ingredients First will be reporting live from IFT FIRST 2026 in Chicago, US, July 12–15. GLP-1 nutrition: A commercial imperative Udi Alroy, CEO and co-founder of CarobWay, expects GLP-1 companion nutrition to rapidly evolve from a ...