ChallengeUpdated on 6 February 2026
New functional ingredients
Chief Marketing and Innovation Director at Grup Cacaolat
Barcelona, Spain
About
Functional ingredients are entering a new era.
Scientific advances, new sources, emerging needs and evolving consumer expectations are transforming the role ingredients play in products and experiences.
The New Functional Ingredients Challenge invitesto explore novel functional ingredients and ingredient systems that could define the future. The scope is intentionally broad to encourage breakthrough thinking beyond today’s categories, claims and applications.
This challenge is not limited to specific benefits, formats or industries. Solutions may involve new bioactive compounds, novel sources, fermentation, biotech, upcycling, processing technologies, delivery systems, or entirely new ways to create and use functional ingredients.
What new functionalities could ingredients unlock?
How might they be produced, combined, delivered or experienced?
What role could they play in shaping future products, services or ecosystems?
We are looking for forward-looking, differentiated solutions with the potential to open new value spaces and challenge current paradigms.
Topic
- Foodtech
- Healthy foods
- Natural Food Ingredients
- Food manufacturing
Organisation
Similar opportunities
Challenge
- Snacks
- Foodtech
- Healthy foods
- Food innovation
- Disruptive packaging
- Nutritional supplements
- New tastes and eating experiences
MONTSE JODAR
Chief Marketing and Innovation Director at Grup Cacaolat
Barcelona, Spain
Challenge
Development of functional and healthy foods
- Taste
- Snacks
- Foodtech
- Wellness
- Agritech
- Clean label
- Plant based
- Neurosciences
- Encapsulation
- Healthy foods
- Public tender
- Sustainability
- Nutraceuticals
- Food processing
- Food innovation
- Co-development
- Food supplements
- Food engineering
- Social innovation
- Food manufacturing
- Active biocompounds
- Access to customers
- Disruptive packaging
- Sustainable packaging
- Nutritional supplements
- Natural Food Ingredients
- Proof of concept/pilot testing
- New tastes and eating experiences
- Horizon Europe's project consortium
- Client-provider collaboration (commercial agreement)
Guillermo Mena
R&D Project Office at FRUSELVA GLOBAL
Reus, Spain
Challenge
Advanced Biofermentation & Industrial Scale-Up for Next-Generation Food Ingredients
- Snacks
- Bakery
- Foodtech
- Food waste
- Food waste
- Clean label
- Healthy foods
- Food innovation
- Co-development
- Food supplements
- Access to customers
- Upcycling of by-products
- Valorisation of by-products
- Horizon Europe's project consortium
- Client-provider collaboration (commercial agreement)
Vanesa Martínez Chamorro
CEO at Grupo Carinsa
Sant Quirze del Vallès, Spain