From infants to adults: Novonesis on HMO versatility, formula advances and health benefits

Bringing forth a wealth of health properties beyond infant development, human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are making their way into diversified nutritional food and supplement applications to elevate products with new claims benefitting broader demographics. 

Nutrition Insight speaks to Christina Jahani Rexen, commercial development manager for Advanced Health and Proteins at Novonesis, to dive deeper into trends and formulation advances in this category.

“Importantly, the scientific backing for HMOs continues to grow at a rapid pace,” she emphasizes. “HMOs are now being investigated across preclinical, clinical, and real-world research, expanding well beyond the original focus on infant nutrition.”

“Increasing evidence demonstrates benefits in older children and adults, including support for immune health, gastrointestinal function, and metabolic outcomes. This positions HMOs as one of the most exciting ingredient categories today, not only as prebiotics but also as multifunctional bioactives with relevance across life stages.”

Rexen highlights that, through microbial fermentation, HMOs lead to the production of important metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, which exert positive effects locally in the gut and systemically throughout the body.

“Beyond their prebiotic role, HMOs provide additional, multifunctional benefits,” she notes. “They act as decoy structures, helping prevent undesired microbes from attaching to the gut. They also interact with immune cells, contributing to immune modulation and supporting the maturation of both the immune system and the gut.”

In parallel, a growing body of evidence links HMOs to neurodevelopmental and cognitive benefits, further underscoring their importance in early-life nutrition.

Optimizing infant formula

Novonesis offers several science-backed HMOs, including MyOli 5HMO Mix, a blend of clinically investigated HMO blends.

“Importantly, it contains HMOs from all major structural groups naturally found in human milk: fucosylated, neutral non-fucosylated, and sialylated HMOs,” Rexen explains.

Novonesis recently initiated a clinical study conducted in collaboration with the Danish Aarhus University Hospital, the Technical University of Denmark, and the University of Copenhagen.

“Our study investigates the impact of our 5HMO Mix on the microbiome, for example, supporting an abundance of bifidobacteria in the infant gut, while also exploring immune system development, fecal microbiome, and overall growth and tolerability in healthy infants,” details Rexen.

“Importantly, blood samples will be analyzed in the study, enabling deeper insight into how HMOs influence systemic immune markers and long-term health development beyond the gut.

This research reflects our commitment to delivering robust, clinically grounded evidence on the benefits of early-life HMO supplementation.”

Regional activities

Rexen says Novonesis tracks the HMO segment through a combination of external and internal resources, including its own research, proprietary models, databases, and consumer studies. “This allows us to develop a robust understanding of demographic needs, formulation preferences, and market activity, and how these evolve over time.”

“A key focus of our monitoring is infant formula, where we continuously assess regional differences in health benefit priorities, parent and brand expectations, and the emergence of new concepts and innovations that shape demand.”

The category is evolving beyond single-HMO inclusion toward multi-HMO blends, with an increasing number of brands launching products featuring 5-HMO and 6-HMO mixes in higher dosages.From a market development perspective, Rexen observes that the inclusion of HMOs in infant formula is accelerating globally. Importantly, she notes the category is evolving beyond single-HMO inclusion toward multi-HMO blends, with an increasing number of brands launching products featuring 5-HMO and 6-HMO mixes in higher dosages.

“This reflects a broader industry ambition to move closer to the structural and functional complexity of human milk,” she adds.

“Regionally, the US shows a high HMO presence by value, supported by earlier regulatory approvals and strong market access. Europe also represents a leading market, driven by key players and continued innovation. In Asian markets, we are seeing fast growth and strong activity in new product launches.”

Diversifying formats

Rexen observes a rapidly growing interest in dietary supplements containing HMOs, particularly in powdered, sachet, capsule, and blend formats positioned for gut and immune health.

Looking ahead, she anticipates HMO applications to continue expanding beyond traditional powder-based formats. “From a technical perspective, HMOs are well-suited for use in beverages, bars, and gummies, opening up attractive opportunities, especially in adult nutrition.”

“These formats align well with consumer demand for convenience, enjoyment, and easy daily integration,” she notes. “In addition, we anticipate increased momentum around targeted and personalized nutrition concepts, where HMOs are combined with other functional ingredients to address specific health needs, life stages, or consumer segments.”

“This evolution reflects a broader shift from single-ingredient solutions toward purpose-driven formulations with clearly defined health benefits.”

Looking forward, Rexen says Novonesis’ HMO portfolio will likely evolve toward more complex structures, incorporating a greater number of building blocks and more diverse combinations.

“At Novonesis, this evolution is science-driven. We have ongoing research programs investigating the health effects of HMOs that are not yet commercially available. These efforts are designed to identify which structures are most relevant to develop next and how they can deliver meaningful and differentiated health benefits.”

Collaborative formulations

At the same time, the future of HMOs will not be defined by single ingredients alone. “One of the most exciting areas of innovation lies in ingredient combinations,” adds Rexen.

“Most naturally, this includes pairing HMOs with probiotics to create synbiotic solutions, where HMOs selectively nourish beneficial bacteria. These synbiotics can deliver functionality that goes beyond the sum of the individual components.”

Rexen highlights that Novonesis supports its customers in creating such combinations of HMOs and other ingredients, while the company’s formulation and application experts provide guidance on technical properties, formulation behavior, analytics, stability, and regulatory considerations.