Novonesis says HMOs, biotics & social media reshape infant nutrition

Novonesis highlights that infant nutrition is increasingly focused on gut microbiome support, offering market opportunities for human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and Bifidobacteria. Social media and emerging AI tools are also reshaping parents’ awareness of ingredients and products as consumers want more control over their health decisions. 

Data from Innova Market Insights points to a 10% annual increase in early nutrition product launches featuring HMOs and biotics ingredients from April 2021 to March 2026. Baby formula and milk accounted for 72% of launches. 

According to the market researcher’s data, the Asia-Pacific region led early nutrition launches, accounting for 44% of launches with HMOs and biotics from April 2025 to March 2026.

Nutrition Insight discusses the role of HMOs in infant nutrition, how social media shapes the industry, and parents’ awareness of key nutrients for babies’ development with experts at Novonesis Human Health.

We meet with Dr. Katherine Guzzetta, global scientific advisor in Early Life and Specialized Nutrition, Joey Zhu, global commercial development manager in Early Life and Specialized Nutrition, and Cecilie Seeger Millek, global insights analyst.

Guzzetta tells us that consumers and infant formula suppliers are growing more aware of the importance of Bifidobacteria for infant health, and how HMOs support the early-life gut microbiome. “Therefore, these pro- and prebiotics are increasingly viewed as highly important ingredients that can be incorporated into infant formula.”

Zhu adds that powder remains a core format option for infant formula, while ready-to-feed liquids are valued for their convenience and ease of use.

Consumers and infant formula suppliers are growing more aware of the importance of Bifidobacteria and HMOs for infant health and gut microbiome.“Overall, demand is shifting toward more advanced, clinically supported formulations that combine functional ingredients. For supplements, regional preferences vary, with consumers favoring formats such as gummies, sachets, sticks, and oil drops.”

HMOs and Bifidobacteria

Zhu says that the most sought-after ingredients in infant nutrition help formulas more closely replicate the functional benefits of human milk and shape a healthy microbiome in early stages. Examples include HMOs, probiotics, lactoferrin, and synbiotics.

She also notes that complex HMO blends, such as Novonesis’ MyOli 5HMOMix, are gaining particular attention.

Novonesis previously told us that this blend contains HMOs from all major structural groups naturally found in human milk: fucosylated, neutral non-fucosylated, and sialylated HMOs. 

Guzzetta adds that scientists are observing an increasing loss of keystone beneficial microbes in early life gut microbiomes, including various strains of Bifidobacterium.

For example, a Swedish study found that one in three infants lacked detectable Bifidobacterium, including babies who were vaginally born or breastfed. The researchers tested 253 babies born in Sweden.

“Bifidobacteria are among the early pioneer microbes of the infant gut microbiome, and can transfer to the infant during birth, skin-to-skin contact, or other environmental exposures, and directly through breast milk,” explains Guzzetta.

“Some bacterial strains have been scientifically shown to support infant health, such as Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12, which is recommended by the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition for the management of excessive crying and fussing in infants.”

She explains that HMOs encourage the growth of Bifidobacteria strains in the infant gut. “By efficiently utilizing HMOs, Bifidobacteria help shape the developing gut ecosystem and support gut and immune maturation.”

Guzzetta adds that HMOs are also associated with healthier early-life development. “Beyond the microbiome, emerging science indicates that HMOs may additionally support the infant’s developing gut health, immune system, and brain.”

Role of social media

Seeger Millek considers how social media use, especially by younger parents, is shaping the industry. She says that, globally, consumers want more control over their health decisions, and that Novonesis has seen a shift in the channels that influence them. 

“Within health, people are globally moving away from being primarily influenced by health care professionals toward using multiple channels as sources to gain knowledge about their health.”

“However, health care professionals have not been disregarded, as Novonesis’ own proprietary insights on early life nutrition show that they remain the strongest source influencing how mothers feed their infants,” she adds. “But mothers use multiple sources to gain knowledge about their infants’ health and symptoms, and to discover new ingredients and products, where social media is a strong influencer, and AI tools are emerging.”

Seeger Millek says mothers use multiple information sources on their infants’ health, including health care professionals, social media, and AI.Although younger generations generally use social media more to learn about health, Seeger Millek says this does not directly translate into the same pattern with infant nutrition, which strongly depends on regional differences.

“For example, in the US, social media groups have their strongest influence among younger mothers, while health care professionals’ influence rises among older mothers.”

“In China, we see the opposite, with older mothers being the ones most influenced by social media groups and health care professionals on social media,” she continues. “However, in China, younger mothers use AI tools more than older mothers as an influencer of their infants’ feeding patterns.”

Awareness of key nutrients

According to Seeger Millek, Novonesis observes social media has a prominent influence over parental awareness of nutrient ingredients and their perceived importance for babies’ health.

She says that mothers who are primarily influenced by social media groups have knowledge of a few “trending” ingredients but fall behind on the broader picture of general awareness and perceived importance of more basic ingredients, such as vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.

“However, the mothers who end up having the most knowledge of nutrient ingredients for infants are the ones who are influenced in their choice of feeding patterns by both health care professionals and social media groups,” adds Seeger Millek.

“Beyond differences in social media influence, a broader disconnect exists in mothers’ awareness of nutrient ingredients and the health benefits they support,” she underscores. “Mothers who are aware of key ingredients do not necessarily associate them with the relevant health areas, while mothers seeking specific health benefits for their baby may not be aware of the ingredients that can help support those benefits.”

Seeger Millek says that health care professionals need to be ready for today’s parents, who increasingly arrive already “Googled,” expecting answers and recommendations on the latest trends in infant nutrition.

“However, the disconnect between mothers’ awareness of ingredients and the health benefits they support also highlights a continued need to educate parents about infant nutrition.”