Our team attended Vitafoods Europe 2026 in Geneva. Here are our observations on what buyers were asking about, which ingredients were trending, and what supply chain professionals should watch for in the second half of 2026.

Top Ingredient Trends

Several botanical extract categories stood out at this year's show:

• Ashwagandha and adaptogens: Continuing strong demand, but buyers are now asking more detailed questions aboutWithania somnifera standardization and heavy metal compliance for EU markets.
• Polyphenol complexes: Multi-ingredient polyphenol blends — often combining Grape Seed, Green Tea, and Rosemary — are increasingly popular in finished supplement formulations.
• Nootropics / cognitive health: Lion's Mane, Bacopa, and Centella asiatica were prominently featured, with demand driven by the brain health category in North America and Northern Europe.
• Metabolic health: Berberine, Mulberry Leaf (DNJ), and bitter melon extracts remain hot, especially for blood sugar management formulations targeting the diabeticadjunct market.

What Buyers Were Asking About

The quality conversation has shifted. Buyers at this year's show were less focused on price and more focused on:

• Supply chain transparency: Who is the actual manufacturer? Where is the extraction facility located? Buyers want to know their supply chain.
• Carbon footprint and sustainability: Especially from Scandinavian, Dutch, and UK buyers. Traceability documentation is now a commercial requirement, not a nice-to-have.
• Documentation readiness: Pre-prepared COA templates, MSDS in English, and third-party test reports readily available — these dramatically speed up procurement decisions.
• Small-batch flexibility: Startups and emerging brands are a significant portion of the market. Suppliers who can handle 5-25 kg orders with quality documentation are well-positioned.

Supply Chain Takeaways

For supply chain professionals and procurement managers:

• Lead times for specialty botanical extracts (high-purity, custom specifications) have stabilized at 3-4 weeks, but are lengthening for certain categories due to raw material availability.
• Price pressure from freight costs has eased, but currency fluctuations (CNY vs USD/EUR) remain a factor in final landed costs.
• Multi-source strategies are increasingly common — buyers are hedging against single-supplier risk, particularly for high-demand ingredients like Berberine and EGCG.