Fi Europe 2026: Valio presents lactose-free recovery drink and nutrient-dense formats

At Food Ingredients (Fi) Europe (Nov 17–19), Valio will showcase how to turn popular industry trends, such as optimized nutrition and permissible indulgence, into successful products that consumers will repurchase. 

At the event in Frankfurt, Germany, Valio will highlight how to create more nutritional value, without compromising on taste or enjoyment, through its dairy science, innovative ingredients, and product formulation. 

The company’s B2B marketing manager, Tuula Hietanen, tells Nutrition Insight that visitors can see and taste the concepts to understand how Valio can help combine meaningful nutritional benefits with the consumer appeal needed for lasting commercial success.

“One of our highlights is an innovative lactose-free recovery drink that combines high-quality milk protein with carbohydrates derived from milk sugar to support muscle recovery and energy replenishment, opening new possibilities for everyday active nutrition,” says Hietanen. 

“We’re also showcasing how to make indulgent treats more nutritious without compromising on enjoyment, with no-added-sugar and reduced-sugar milk chocolate concepts that deliver the delicious taste and texture consumers love,” she adds. 

Valio will also present its new high-protein instant coffee mix application, designed to bring the benefits of high-quality milk protein into consumers’ everyday coffee routines without affecting taste or convenience. 

Hietanen continues: “In early life nutrition, we’re highlighting our specialized dairy ingredients and expertise in developing advanced nutritional solutions that move closer to the nutritional gold standard of breast milk.” 

Future of nutrition and well-being

Valio expects three trends shaping the future of nutrition and well-being to be “major talking points” at Fi Europe 2026: weight management, holistic health, and personalized nutrition. 

Valio’s lactose-free recovery drink combines high-quality milk protein with carbohydrates to support muscle recovery.“Weight management is becoming a major driver of food innovation,” says Hietanen. “The growing adoption of GLP-1 medications is rapidly reshaping eating habits and accelerating demand for nutrient-dense foods that deliver more nutritional value in smaller portions.” 

She also notes that consumers are taking an increasingly holistic approach to well-being. “They want foods that go beyond basic nutrition, offering multiple benefits that support everything from digestive wellness and recovery to energy and healthy aging.” 

Moreover, Hietanen says that nutrition is becoming increasingly personalized. Consumers are looking for products tailored to their individual health goals, dietary preferences, and lifestyles rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. 

“Together, these trends are reshaping food innovation, challenging manufacturers to deliver more nutrition in every bite, combine multiple health benefits, and create products tailored to increasingly individual consumer needs, all without compromising on taste and enjoyment.”

Lactose-free recovery

At Fi Europe 2026, Valio will present a session on how evolving consumer expectations are shaping the future of nutrition. Hietanen says this presentation will explore the latest research on protein, gut health, and functional nutrition, as well as up-and-coming areas such as recovery and hydration.

“Recovery is emerging as a major growth category as consumers with active lifestyles increasingly seek nutritional solutions to help their bodies recharge and perform at their best,” she highlights. 

The lactose-free recovery drink has “reinvented recovery” with hydrolyzed milk sugar and high-quality milk protein, she adds. 

Hietanen observes an opportunity for products that can offer nutritional value, multiple benefits, and great taste and texture.“While most conventional products rely on added carbohydrates, hydrolyzed lactose naturally provides glucose and galactose, helping restore energy stores both in muscles and the liver,” she explains. 

Hietanen says the lactose-free concept combines high-quality milk protein with carbohydrates derived from hydrolyzed lactose in a balanced 1:1 protein-to-carbohydrate ratio. She notes that the formulation supports digestive comfort without compromising taste or functionality. 

“Recovery tests assessing endurance and strength showed that Valio’s recovery drink application, made with Eila Pro specialty powders, performed comparably to a conventional recovery beverage, while offering digestive comfort, high-quality protein, and reduced ingredient complexity,” she underscores. 

What’s next?

Consumers are making increasingly informed food choices as they become more aware of how different nutrients affect health, says Hietanen. She observes an opportunity for products that can meet several consumer needs at once. 

“But nutritional value alone isn’t enough,” she cautions. “Great taste and texture remain essential, because even the healthiest product won’t succeed if consumers don’t enjoy eating.”

Hietanen notes that the biggest challenge heading into 2027 is meeting those increasingly demanding consumer expectations in a product that actually sells. She cautions that delivering nutritional benefits, clean-label ingredients, and excellent taste and texture in a single product is “far from simple.” 

“Adding protein, reducing sugar, or incorporating functional ingredients can affect everything from taste and texture to product stability and performance.” 

“For manufacturers, success means finding the right balance between nutritional value, consumer appeal, and technical feasibility,” Hietanen adds. “The winning products won’t necessarily be those with the longest list of health benefits, but those that combine the right benefits with great taste and reliable performance.” 

Valio’s innovation strategy centers on rethinking what dairy ingredients can do to meet these demands. The company is moving beyond adding more protein or other nutrients toward developing targeted solutions that deliver specific health benefits, she adds. 

“The future of nutrition isn’t just about how much of a nutrient a product contains, but how different ingredients can work together to support people’s health and well-being,” Hietanen concludes. 

“Ultimately, our ambition is to make dairy nutrition more purposeful, giving manufacturers the ingredients and expertise to create great-tasting products tailored to increasingly specific consumer needs.”