Which companies made the shortlist of the Fi Europe Innovation Awards 2026? Read on to find out who will be competing to win first prize in each category in November.
Open to exhibiting companies and organisations at Fi Europe, the Fi Europe Innovation Awards are an opportunity for the food and beverage ingredient industry to celebrate R&D breakthroughs, sustainability initiatives, game-changing ingredient launches, and more.
Winners are selected by a jury panel and will be announced at a ceremony during Fi Europe in Frankfurt on Tuesday, 17 November 2026.
The jury panel for the Fi Europe Innovation Awards is composed of renowned industry experts who meet every year to examine the merits of each entry before picking a winner.
The 2026 jury panel is composed of: Professor Colin Dennis, chair of the board of trustees, IFIS; Barbara Bray, food safety and nutrition consultant, Alo Solutions; Efi Leontopoulou, manager of scientific and regulatory affairs, EAS Strategies; Ian Healey, editorial director, Dr Harnisch Publications; João Brites, director of growth and innovation, HowGood; Nick Henson, freelance food product development consultant; Dr Philip Spratt, product and ingredient development team lead, Campden BRI; Sandra Einerhand, nutrition science consultant, Einerhand Science & Innovation; and Dr V Krishnakumar, president, Giract.
Pet Food & Nutrition Innovation Award
This award recognises an organisation or company that has developed the best ingredient or application specifically for the pet food and nutrition category in terms of sensory and physical properties or application costs.
ADM for its PRIOME® Oral Care (OC) postbiotic, which is advancing pet oral care through a novel, microbiome-focused approach. Featuring the heat-treated strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CECT 9161, PRIOME® OC was specifically selected for its ability to help reduce dental plaque formation, support healthy teeth, and aid in balancing the oral microbiota.
Bene Meat Technologies for Coolty Meat, which transforms cultivated protein from an experimental ingredient into a complete commercial wet dog food. Developed by FORZA10, part of Nasta Pet Food, with BeneMeat as technology partner and ingredient supplier, its monoprotein formulation contains 26% cultivated meat and is designed particularly for dogs with food intolerances.
BENEO for its faba protein concentrate, BeneoFeed FB P60 (P60), which offers a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to animal blood plasma (ABP) in wet pet food. Trials in wet pet food loaves demonstrated that P60 can partially or fully replace ABP, without significantly affecting product appearance or texture, while providing stronger binding properties than pea protein concentrate.
