Vitafoods Asia 2026: Valio backs dairy for APAC healthy aging and recovery

Amid growing demand for high-quality protein, healthy aging support, and recovery nutrition across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, Valio is spotlighting dairy’s role in functional foods at the ongoing Vitafoods Asia 2026 trade show. 

Nutrition Insight speaks with Valio’s Meri Härmälä, global B2B marketing manager, and Susanna Lönnblad, business development manager. 

Härmälä says that APAC is a very important growth region for Valio. At Vitafoods Asia 2026, the company is demonstrating how dairy can support some of the biggest nutrition needs in the market today. 

“Our focus is on science-based dairy solutions for optimized nutrition, including healthy aging, weight management, digestive comfort, and protein enrichment. Early life nutrition is also a focus, where we offer end-to-end services for our customers.” 

She adds that Valio is showcasing a recovery drink concept at the New Product Zone. “That’s especially interesting because of the evolving role of recovery — it’s no longer just about sports. More and more consumers are looking for convenient nutrition that supports recovery in everyday life as well.”

Which nutrition and formulation trends are currently having the greatest influence on Valio’s innovation strategy?
Lönnblad: Our innovation always starts with consumer well-being. Often, it’s a simple question we ask ourselves: what are consumers trying to achieve with their nutrition? Right now, we see strong interest in active nutrition, weight management, and digestive wellness. Protein continues to be one of the biggest trends, and we expect it to stay highly relevant in the coming years.

At Vitafoods Asia, Valio is exhibiting a recovery drink concept at the New Product Zone.At the same time, protein has gone mainstream — it’s not just a sports nutrition topic anymore, but something we see across many food and beverage categories. We are also moving from a focus on protein quantity toward protein quality. Consumers increasingly want more than one benefit out of a product, for example, high-quality protein combined with lactose-free or reduced sugar.

Where do you see the strongest opportunities for dairy-based ingredients in nutrition?
Lönnblad: One of the great strengths of dairy is that it brings together high-quality nutrition and an enjoyable sensory experience. Milk protein provides an excellent foundation for products in many areas, but nutrition alone is not enough — taste and texture matter a lot, too.

Recovery is a good example of where dairy works particularly well: carbohydrates can support energy replenishment, while high-quality protein supports muscle recovery and maintenance. That combination opens up a lot of opportunities for products that deliver meaningful nutritional benefits while still being enjoyable and easy to include in everyday life.

What formulation challenges are Asian manufacturers seeking help with, and how is Valio responding to these needs?
Lönnblad: In many Asian markets, dairy consumption is growing, but manufacturers may not have the same long history of dairy production and formulation expertise as in more established dairy markets. This is where we can add real value and support our customers in developing new products.

Offering gut-friendly, lactose-free solutions becomes incredibly important as more consumers add dairy to their diets. It’s an area we have a lot of know-how in — Valio has a long history as a pioneer in lactose-free solutions. We pride ourselves on our patented technology, which utilizes ultrafiltration and enzymatic hydrolysis, making it possible to create lactose-free dairy products with a fresh, clean taste of milk.

Valio booth at Vitafoods Asia 2026.We also support customers far beyond the ingredient itself: from product and recipe development to production technology, regulatory questions, marketing, and commercialization. The aim is to help take an idea all the way to a market-ready product.

How do regional tastes, product formats, and regulatory requirements shape your approach to the Asian market?
Lönnblad: Asia is, of course, not just one market, so there’s no single formula that works everywhere. Local tastes, eating habits, and preferred formats can differ a lot from country to country. In some markets, convenient snacking and on-the-go nutrition may be especially relevant, while in others the priorities are different.

Regulation is another important part of the equation. Our regulatory experts work closely with customers during development so that products can be adapted to local requirements. The best results come from combining our dairy and formulation expertise with the customer’s own understanding of the local market and consumer.

What do you hope to advance through your participation at Vitafoods Asia?
Härmälä: For us, Vitafoods Asia is about turning good conversations into success stories in APAC. When we combine the customer’s market knowledge with Valio’s consumer insight, R&D, and commercialization expertise, we can move much faster from an idea to something that is genuinely relevant and exciting for the market.

Valio may not yet be as well-known across Asia as we are in Europe, for example, but we bring more than 120 years of dairy expertise and a long history of science-based innovation to the region. For us, the important thing is not the history itself, but what we can do with that expertise today.

We want to work closely with our customers, understand what their consumers need, and help turn those needs into products that are nutritious, enjoyable, and commercially relevant. That’s also what makes events like Vitafoods Asia so valuable: they give us a chance to meet, exchange ideas, and start building the next generation of nutrition together.