IFT First 2025 live: Beneo highlights natural toolkit for weight management formulation

At IFT First 2025 in Chicago, Illinois, US, Beneo (Booth S1634) is showcasing its nutrition-forward solutions for weight management and consumers using GLP-1 medications. 

Live on the trade show floor, Nutrition Insight sits down with Kyle Krause, Beneo’s regional product manager, to discuss how its range of ingredients — including prebiotic chicory root fibers, the low-glycemic carbohydrate Palatinose, and plant-based proteins — provides brands with diverse, science-supported solutions to target key health concerns such as satiety, blood sugar control, and digestive wellness.

“For muscle maintenance, protein, obviously, is very important,” Krause says. “At Beneo, we make faba and rice plant-based proteins, and when used together in formulations, they offer a complete amino acid profile that supports muscle health, which is very important for consumers that are on GLP-1, because they’re not eating a lot of food and they’re not getting a lot of protein from their diet.”

“Nutrient-dense foods are needed, and our plant-based proteins provide that and help support muscle maintenance. For blood sugar management, we have Palatinose, which is a low glycemic sugar that supports a slow release of glucose into the bloodstream. It’s a very healthy sugar that supports metabolic health.”

Preference for Palatinose

Krause reveals that recent studies show that 15 g of Palatinose per serving can naturally stimulate GLP-1 hormone secretion. This supports appetite regulation, helps reduce calorie intake, and offers a natural way for consumers to manage weight and feel fuller that meets their healthy eating and weight management goals.Kyle Krause, Beneo’s regional product manager.

He points out that another focus for Beneo is long-term weight maintenance and providing solutions to prevent post-diet weight regain. Krause says the approach emphasizes sustained energy release, appetite regulation, and metabolic support through functional ingredients.

Additionally, he states that recent findings suggest that weight regain often occurs after discontinuing GLP-1 treatment. However, research indicates that a daily intake of 10 g of chicory root fiber may help support long-term weight control by triggering hormones in the gut-brain axis that promote feelings of fullness and reduce overall food intake.

“In that regard, Palatinose — because of that GLP-1 release and being a low glycemic carb — is a healthier sugar that helps prevent that ‘yo-yo effect’ caused by consuming too many calories that get converted to fat in the body,” Krause underscores. “It also supports sustained energy by that slow release of glucose into the bloodstream and helps consumers avoid sugar spikes and crashes.” 

“When they get that crash, they want to keep snacking because they’re hungry all over again. Palatinose helps prevent that by providing a slow release of glucose, providing energy to the body.”

Collaborative functional combinations

For the show, Beneo also collaborated with Gelita and California Natural Color to create a concept performance beverage.

Krause highlights that all of the ingredients used — Beneo’s Palatinose, Gelita’s collagen, and California Natural Color’s colorants — are considered natural. He describes the product as a unique, milk-based beverage backed by science for sports endurance, which offers the industry a blueprint to develop innovative, naturally formulated sports drinks using similar or varied ingredient combinations.

“There are a lot of claims in the industry, and consumers shouldn’t be misled,” Krause emphasizes. “The product they choose should deliver the benefits that are stated on pack.With Palatinose, you have numerous human clinical trials that support its effects, not only on GLP-1, but also for sustained energy, as well as fat burning effect, because there’s less insulin release in the body, which causes a hormonal shift — your body actually starts to burn more fat.”

“Again, this is supported by human clinical trials, and there are 32 studies based on using chicory root fiber that support weight management in humans. If consumers see these claims on products that use Palatinose or chicory root fiber, they’ll at least be confident that the product is delivering what it’s saying it is.”Beneo highlights that it has solutions for consumers at every stage of their weight loss journeys.

Functional foods and formulation tools

Beneo is also showcasing concept products designed for real-world applications, including high-protein, plant-based tortilla chips, heart-healthy cookies, and slim fiber chews. The booth aims to provide product developers with hands-on insight into formulating better-for-you options that don’t compromise on taste or texture.

Krasue points out that Beneo offers Orafti BetaFit, which is a high-fiber whole grain barley flour with concentrated beta-glucan, supports heart health by helping the body capture cholesterol and also aids in moderating blood glucose levels. This is attractive to health-conscious consumers, such as those on GLP-1 treatments.

For individuals seeking nutrient-dense foods, he notes that Orafti BetaFit works well for developing high-fiber, whole-grain snacks, cereals, and baked goods.

“What’s great is, in the industry, our chicory fibers are used in a lot of food products, from dairy to baked goods — consumers are getting this already,” Krause concludes. “They look for this on labels, which is known as inulin, and they know that it really can support their weight management long term.”

“We have a toolkit of solutions to support the industry, to make products that are geared toward consumers on GLP-1.”