HMO revolution: Human milk ingredients go beyond infant formula into global functional nutrition

The human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) market is evolving toward an era of rapid sophistication, driven by a global shift from simple single-ingredient formulations to complex, multifunctional blends. 

While the Asia-Pacific region remains the primary engine for innovation — particularly in premium infant nutrition — a surge in new product launches and regulatory approvals is paving the way for HMOs to enter the mainstream market.

From “synergistic synbiotics” to applications in sports nutrition and healthy aging, industry leaders dsm-firmenich and Valio share insights with Nutrition Insight about how biotechnology and clinical research are bridging the gap between neonatal gold standards and lifelong wellness.

“The global HMO market is rapidly evolving, with demand strongest among parents seeking premium infant formulas that closely align with the complexity of human milk. China and the broader Asia-Pacific region lead this growth, with Hong Kong and Vietnam at the forefront of innovation and dosage levels,” comments Dr. Marta Mikš, senior development manager at dsm-firmenich.

Mikš points to the most popular blends, which now feature five to seven HMOs (2’-Fucosyllactose, 3-Fucosyllactose, Difucosyllactose, Lacto-N-tetraose, Lacto-N-neotetraose, 6’-Sialyllactose, 3’-Sialyllactose), reflecting what she describes as a shift from simple 2’-Fucosyllactose (2’-FL) only formulas to more advanced combinations that support gut health and immunity.

“While Asia-Pacific is the most dynamic region, followed by Europe and the Middle East, all markets are moving toward greater blend complexity and higher HMO inclusion,” she details. “Importantly, in both the EU and the US, all of our HMOs are approved or have generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status, ensuring regulatory compliance and market readiness.”

Early-life nutrition innovations

Sinikka Saikkonen, senior business development manager at Valio, affirms that infant formulas remain the leading product format for HMOs, as they are essential for bringing formulas closer to the nutritional profile of breast milk. As a result, most HMO innovation and new product launches are still focused on early-life nutrition.

“Overall, momentum in the HMO segment is clearly accelerating,” Saikkonen reveals. Pointing to Innova Market Insights data on new global product launches from Dec 2022 to Dec 2025, she notes that the number of products containing HMOs has “increased by more than half from 2024 to 2025 year to date — a strong signal of growing interest across categories.”

Beyond infant nutrition, emerging research is opening entirely new market opportunities for HMOs, expanding them into new life-stage applications.“Geographically, Asia is leading the way, accounting for more than two-thirds of new HMO launches, followed by Latin America and North America. The most active markets include Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Mexico, and the US, while China is also showing renewed growth driven by recent regulatory approvals for HMO ingredients.”

From a formulation perspective, HMOs have also become a widely used prebiotic in food and beverage applications. “The most common consumer-facing claims focus on immune, brain, and digestive health — areas where scientific evidence continues to strengthen and resonate strongly with consumers across different life stages,” notes Saikkonen.

“Our formulation team works closely with customers to turn the latest science into practical, innovative products. We closely follow research and early life nutrition trends and collaborate with ingredient suppliers and start-ups to bring new solutions to market quickly.”

She highlights that Valio focuses on helping customers develop products that come closer to the benefits of human milk for infants who are not breastfed.

HMO blends and ingredient synergies

As a long pioneer of innovation in HMOs, dsm-firmenich states it is shaping the future of infant nutrition with a comprehensive portfolio. The company’s ambition is to identify transformational next-generation solutions that will bridge the compositional and functional gap of formulas with breast milk — the gold standard for infant nutrition.

“Our recent efforts go beyond simply adding more HMO products to our portfolio — they focus on unlocking deeper biological insights and creating purposeful progress,” says Mikš.

“Through advanced ex vivo preclinical models, we are revealing how unique HMO combinations and blends with other ingredients can amplify health benefits. For example, we have recently been exploring synergistic effects of pairing specific HMOs with certain probiotic strains — combinations known as synergistic synbiotics.”

These preclinical trials yielded promising results, she notes, with some combinations seen to boost the production of metabolites associated with infant gut health, immunity, and neurocognitive development.

In other developments, dsm-firmenich is also securing regulatory approvals to expand global access to its HMO ingredients. “Recent milestones include our first approval in India, where our 2’-FL ingredient, Glycare 2FL, can now be used in nutritional products for infants up to six months old, and 2’-FL approval in Indonesia for flavored liquid milk drinks for ages three and older,” Mikš details.

“With over 100 explicit HMO approvals across 165 countries, we’re ensuring more people globally can benefit from HMO-fortified nutrition. This dual focus on expanding both accessibility and application innovation positions our portfolio to meet evolving nutrition needs across the lifespan.”

Sports nutrition is another emergent target area of globally diversifying HMO ingredients.Next-gen offerings

At the core of the category’s evolution are next-generation HMOs, supported by breakthroughs in biotechnology and strategies for cost optimization to ensure commercial viability, Mikš highlights. Beyond infant nutrition, emerging research is opening entirely new market opportunities for HMOs, expanding them into new life-stage applications.

“Scientific credibility remains paramount,” she stresses.“HMOs are positioned as powerful ingredients that can support the gut microbiome, delivering benefits in immune defense, allergy prevention, and emerging areas such as obesity management and cognitive development.”

Other nascent target areas include children’s supplements, adult wellness, longevity, and medical nutrition, addressing needs like gut health, immunity, and cognitive support.

“What’s especially exciting, however, is how quickly HMOs are moving beyond infant formula,” comments Saikkonen at Valio. “We’re seeing growing momentum in categories such as dietary supplements and sports nutrition, with clear potential to expand into everyday consumer products — including functional drinks, nutrition bars, and dairy-based applications.”

She says future products are likely to use more targeted HMO solutions — either single structures or blends — to support specific needs such as lifelong gut health, immunity, and cognitive functions.

Looking ahead, Saikkonen sees one of the most promising areas as combining HMOs with other gut-supporting ingredients, such as prebiotics, probiotics, and fibers. “These combinations are opening new and exciting possibilities for enhanced gut-health benefits across different life stages, and we expect them to drive the next wave of innovation in the HMO space.”