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Glass Vials Peptide Compounds and Single Use Syringes Next to Weight Loss Pills

Gray market peptides blur drug and supplement distinctions, raising health risks

As consumers are increasingly using unapproved peptides, short chains of amino acids, hoping to enhance their health, focus, and appearance, experts are calling for increased regulations and research. Legal specialists are warning that this issue, worsened by social media influencers, is blurring the lines between drugs, supplements, and wellness. Nutrition Insight speaks with the authors of a recent JAMA manuscript who warn that synthetic peptides are moving quickly from research into mainstream markets. Social media platforms are promoting synthetic peptides for muscle growth, injury recovery, anti-aging, and cognitive enhancement, resulting in over 130,000 Instagram posts and over 230 million views on TikTok as of last May. 
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GLP-1 trials reveal diet quality gap as companion products boom
Many GLP-1 clinical trials are not tracking what patients are consuming, pointing to a gap in the weight-loss market. Nutrition Insight asks FrieslandCampina Ingredients, Probi, Roquette, and HTBA what this data gap means for nutrition industry innovators developing solutions for GLP-1 users today. A scoping review in Advances in Nutrition from last year of 129 randomized trials investigated liraglutide, semaglutide, or tirzepatide in humans. Only 57 trials included lifestyle modification activities, and only 36 recorded diet quality and food intake. Of this, only 10 trials reported outcomes, while only 17 trials assessed food cravings or eating behavior.
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IFT: Proposed US federal grant rules threaten nutrition science funding & competitiveness
The US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently proposed rules to rewrite the Uniform Guidance — the rulebook for all federal grants. Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) chief science and technology officer tells Nutrition Insight that these rules are set to undermine the nation’s scientific research for food and nutrition and hinder global competitiveness. 
Promotional graphic stating “NOVEL FOOD” and “The only NMN got EFSA's positive safety opinion,” with a European Union flag in the background and UTHEVER NMN branding.
UTHEVER® NMN: The Only NMN to Receive EFSA Positive Safety Opinion for Novel Food
Access the UTHEVER® NMN white paper to discover this anti-ageing ingredient’s technical advantages & official compliance documents, including FDA NDI clearance in the U.S. and a positive EFSA safety opinion in Europe – the first-ever EU official safety endorsement for NMN. Learn the recommended safe daily intake of NMN as assessed by regulatory authorities in the white paper. Next, UTHEVER® NMN will be added to the EU Novel Food list, helping brands accelerate early market entry with strong regulatory support.

This Technical Paper is brought to you by EffePharm Ltd. 
Whey Collagen The Protein power couple
Whey & Collagen: The Protein Power Couple
A perfect match. Whey and collagen blends are stepping into the spotlight, driven by economic strains in the whey market but also by the undeniable, increasing awareness of collagen peptides and their benefits. Discover how the right blend can offer comprehensive joint support, promote holistic well-being—spanning beauty from within, gut comfort, and even improved sleep—or drive metabolic wellness through effective glucose spike management and natural GLP-1 production.
By adding value through price optimization, formulation advantages, and additional health benefits, blending whey protein with premium, science-based collagen peptides such as Peptan® or Nextida® GC holds the potential to be a game-changer. Whether you are developing sports nutrition beverages, functional foods, or holistic health supplements, this session will reveal how leveraging this dynamic mix can help your products stand out on the shelf.
Leena Uabumrungjit, Thai Union Ingredients
Vitafoods Europe 2026: Thai Union Ingredients’ upcycled marine supplement solutions

Leena Uabumrungjit, the senior director at Thai Union Ingredients, spoke with us about the company’s marine ingredient portfolio, which spans omega-3 oils, marine collagen, and tuna-derived calcium. She also spotlighted the company’s full supply chain traceability and upcycled tuna byproducts for clean label formulation.

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HMB supplementation before liver surgery improves recovery in mice
Illustration of a liver
A new study reveals potential benefits of supplementing with beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) — a natural metabolite of the essential amino acid leucine — before a hepatectomy surgery, which removes part of the liver. This approach may help the organ recover more quickly and become more resistant to further damage. Researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, investigated the effects of HMB in an experimental model using mice.
Healthy pregnancy diets cut chemical exposure but may raise pesticide intake,...
pregnant woman eating on the couch
A US study has found that pregnant women following nutritional guidelines may reduce their exposure to many environmental chemicals from food and everyday products. However, the authors warn that following healthy diets high in fruits and vegetables could also increase exposure to pesticides, urging policymakers to include chemical exposure as a factor in dietary guidelines. Diets expose consumers to environmental chemicals, which may enter foods through farming, processing, packaging, storage, or cooking.
January AI’s platform helps track consumer habits, integrating nutrition with...
man taking pictures of his food
Precision health company January AI has announced that its Clinical Nutrition Monitor is qualified as an integrated solution within healthcare on the Mayo Clinic Platform. In the app, patients log meals, giving clinicians longitudinal nutrition data to more easily track diet, body mass index (BMI), body weight, and medications in a smoother workflow. The company stresses that healthcare professionals do not know what patients eat in between appointments, and that there is currently a lack of connection between dietary patterns and clinical outcomes.
Ultra-processed food marketing follows tobacco playbook, researchers argue
child eating ultra processed food
Two recent corresponding US studies have compared the marketing tactics and product design used for ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to those of tobacco, which the authors state show similarities in marketing distribution and product engineering strategies. For children, it targeted foods “to play with,” such as cartoon characters, and “king-sized” foods for adults, with the aim to “promote overconsumption and maximize profits.” The authors say that tobacco companies “heavily invested” in food companies for two decades and used their “long-established business strategies directly to their food operations.”
Small meat and dairy swaps show long-term climate and health benefits
Goal achievement happy woman with open arms outdoors in success
A modeling study has revealed that making modest changes to meat and dairy consumption can help Scotland meet climate, nutrition, and health goals. It shows that making small dietary changes can benefit these objectives without increasing diet costs. 
EU Protein Plan faces backlash for prioritizing animal feed over plant-based...
Green soybean plants growing in agricultural land.

Food Ingredients First

The EU’s new Protein Plan is facing criticism for missing the chance to set clear targets to increase plant protein production for human consumption. While the long-awaited plan, published earlier this week alongside the EU Livestock Strategy, sets a concrete target to increase EU protein production for animal feed, plant-based groups say it lacks the same ambition for food.
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Nutrition Insight June in review 2026
Nutrition & Health News
June in review: GLP-1s drive demand, gut-brain axis & EU...
Metabolic health, mental well-being, EU vitamin limits, and protein differentiation were key topics driving product development in the nutrition industry in June. Meanwhile, policies aiming to drive healthier food choices and scientific research advances also shaped industry conversations. In our June review, Nutrition Insight explores some of the month’s biggest stories, such as weight loss needs driving the industry’s shift to support consumers on GLP-1s and when transitioning off them, alongside clinical research linking probiotics to reductions in geriatric depression. 
Jigsaw puzzle pieces on white background with icon, the words symbolize the interconnection of human health, animal health, and environmental health
Nutrition & Health News
Researchers call for recognizing nutrition’s existing role...
An upcoming paper remarks that nutrition is a missing link to One Health — a paradigm underscoring that human, non-human, and ecosystem health needs to be integrated to address contemporary health challenges. The publication will reveal how dietitians inherently practice this approach without realizing it through their work on sustainable diets and food insecurity. 
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Nutrition & Health News
Webinar preview: Rousselot backs whey-collagen peptide...
Due to the popularity of high-protein food and nutrition, the price of whey ingredients has gone up substantially in recent years, cautions Rousselot. Driven by these market restraints and an increasing awareness of collagen peptides and their benefits, the company notes that blending these ingredients can create “win-win formulations.” In addition, the company says that “the right blend” could offer joint support, promote holistic well-being, or metabolic wellness through effective post-meal glucose spike management and natural GLP-1 production. 

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Women’s bone and joint health across life stagesJul2026

According to Innova Market Insights data, women increasingly view mobility as a key pillar of healthy aging and are taking a more proactive approach to bone and joint health. This is driving growth in...

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GLP-1 support goes mainstream in supplements Jul 2026

As interest in GLP-1–related pathways continues to rise, supplement brands are introducing formulations that focus on supporting appetite regulation, glucose metabolism, gut health, and overall metabolic balance. Across the category, ingredients such as berberine, chromium, probiotics, citrus extracts, capsaicinoids, and bioactive peptides are commonly used to support satiety, energy balance, and healthy metabolic function.

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Cognitive supplement trendsJul 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that cognitive supplement launches are on the rise, with 4% increase in growth from April 2021 to March 2026. This relates to consumers’ interest in improving focus, and especially brain health claims, which were gaining momentum in women’s supplement claims.

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Whey Collagen The Protein power couple
Webinars39:17
Whey & Collagen: The Protein Power Couple

A perfect match. Whey and collagen blends are stepping into the spotlight, driven by economic strains in the whey market but also by the undeniable, increasing awareness of collagen peptides and their benefits. Discover how the right blend can offer comprehensive joint support, promote holistic...

Promotional banner from the Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute (KHNI) titled “Feeding the Future: How climate, consumers and costs are reshaping food systems,” with a register button and podcast eve
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Feeding the Future: How Climate, Consumers and Costs Are Reshaping Food Systems
Leena Uabumrungjit, Thai Union Ingredients
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Vitafoods Europe 2026: Thai Union Ingredients’ upcycled marine supplement solutions
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Powering the Gut: Why Fiber and Prebiotics Matter
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