November in review: G20 calls for nutrition security in the Global South, RFK Jr.’s nomination sparks debate

In November’s major health and nutrition industry news, FrieslandCampina Ingredients revealed opportunities in the underserved children’s nutrition category, while fava bean-based protein took the spotlights as a sustainable food, beverage and supplement ingredient at Food ingredients Europe (FiE).

In our November review, Nutrition Insight looks back at some of the month’s biggest stories, including India’s and Brazil’s focus on the Global South at this year’s G20 summit and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Meanwhile, we looked at concerns over Donald Trump’s election to the US presidency in regards to food and nutrition security.

November
FrieslandCampina Ingredients uncovers untapped market potential in targeted children’s nutrition
We sat down with Timo Faber, global marketing lead of Early Life Nutrition at FrieslandCampina Ingredients, to discuss the effects lower global birth rates may have on the infant nutrition market. Faber reveals that brands may look to diversify into child nutrition, which offers opportunities for product innovation. He also notes that, beyond multivitamins, demand is growing for ingredients that address parental concerns in gut health, growth, immunity, cognition and mental well-being. We examine the gaps and opportunities in this emerging market.

FiE 2024: Spotlight on high-protein fava bean applications and functionality
At this year’s FiE trade show in Frankfurt, Germany, fava beans took center stage as a plant-based and sustainable high-protein solution for food fortification. On the showroom floor, Nutrition Insight sat down with experts from Cosun Protein, Roquette and Sensus to discuss the latest advancements and innovations in fava bean protein solutions. The legume is a staple in Southern European, Northern European, East Asian, Latin American and North African cuisines and has gained popularity for its flavor profile and protein load.Wen spoke with Sheelagh Pentony, VP of marketing for Kerry Europe, about the company’s top nutrition trends for 2025 at FiE 2024.

G20: Brazil and India lead Global South in tackling hunger, poverty and nutrition crisis
At this year’s G20 summit on “building a just world and a sustainable planet,” Brazil and India shined a spotlight on the Global South, which includes regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Nutrition took center stage at the summit, with leaders spotlighting programs to combat hunger, enhance food security and ensure equitable support for vulnerable groups. Brazil hosted the intergovernmental forum, and its president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said: “ Those who have always been invisible will be at the center of the international agenda.” We looked at the calls to action to prevent hunger and nutrition security at this year’s summit.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for US health secretary garners mixed industry reactions
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the US HHS resulted in contrasting industry responses. Some stakeholders welcomed Kennedy’s promise of reform to the department and its agencies, while others worried about the “anti-scientific” positions held by the nominee. We caught up with experts from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the Natural Products Association (NPA), Alkemist Labs and the Council of Responsible Nutrition (CRN) to examine the possible problems and opportunities inherent in his professed positions.

FiE 2024 live: Prinova debuts “Good for You” F&B concepts and innovative pre-workout ingredient
Prinova showcased new product concepts developed to address current mega-trends in food and nutrition at this year’s Food ingredients Europe (FiE) 2024 trade show in Frankfurt, Germany. After a year of comprehensive market research, the company said it had crafted a “Good for You” range that taps into consumer-driven demands for healthier food choices along with a new pre-workout ingredient. We spoke with James Street, global marketing director at Prinova, live on the showroom floor to discuss the new line’s health benefits and applicability.Tim De Lange, Rousselot’s Global Application Center manager, spoke with us at FiE 2024 about the potential of healthy confectionaries.

Trump’s win sparks concerns over food security, nutrition programs and women’s health
On the heels of Donald Trump’s election to the US presidency, we consulted with experts from the CSPI, FRAC, and the CEO of Proov, on how the political shift could reshape the country’s food security and health policies. The organizations revealed that threats to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), worries of increased food and nutrition insecurity and the potential of impingements on women’s health issues as regulatory barriers are eased were major industry and nutrition concerns.

Malnutrition Awareness Week: Spotlight on Danone’s targeted medical nutrition
International organizations and companies brought malnutrition and optimal nutritional care to the forefront of political discussions during Malnutrition Awareness Week (November 11–15). WHO highlighted that disease-related malnutrition affects 30–50% of hospitalized patients in Europe, weakening their ability to fight infection and recover from illness. Moreover, the organization revealed that the often overlooked condition poses significant risks to vulnerable groups, such as older adults and people with non-communicable diseases like cancer or diabetes. We met with Katrien van Laere, Danone’s chief scientific and medical officer, to learn more about the causes, impacts and nutritional solutions to disease-related malnutrition.At SupplySide West 2024, we caught up with Jakob Dalmose Rasmussen, Novonesis’ VP of Human Health, to discuss what we can expect from the company in 2025 and beyond.

World Diabetes Day: New research cautions of alarming global prevalence and widening treatment gaps
Recent research revealed that, in 2022, an estimated 828 million adults had diabetes worldwide, an increase of 630 million compared to 1990. More than half of diagnosed patients (59%) aged 30 or older did not receive treatment — 3.5 times the number in 1990. The researchers cautioned that the burden of diabetes and untreated diabetes is increasingly borne by low-income and middle-income countries, where treatment did not increase sufficiently at pace with surging diabetes prevalence. We looked at the study’s results and recommendations for easing the burden of the disease.

Famine fears: UN calls for action as Gaza faces malnutrition and starvation risk
UN experts warned of imminent famine risk in northern Gaza and urged intervention to prevent the crisis. “Immediate action, within days, not weeks, is required from all actors who are directly taking part in the conflict or who have an influence on its conduct, to avert and alleviate this catastrophic situation,” underlined the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee (FRC). According to the most recent IPC Snapshot Report, the entire Gaza Strip was experiencing acute food insecurity and the analysis warned that the whole Gaza Strip risks famine between this month and April 2025.

Nigeria’s nutrition crisis: 5.4 million children at risk as World Bank fund offers hope
With Nigeria’s child hunger crisis deepening, Save the Children called for urgent action. The organization revealed that, even though government initiatives and US$50 million in World Bank funding were given to address food shortages and boost nutrition programs in the country, an additional one million children in Nigeria were expected to suffer acute malnutrition by April 2025, as worsening floods, violence and food shortages deepen the hunger crisis. This brought the number to a total of 5.4 million children at risk of malnutrition compared to 4.4 million last April — a 25% increase, according to analysis carried out by Cadre Harmonisé, the regional authority on hunger crises in the Sahel and West Africa.