GLP-1 companion ingredient trends: summary
- Ingredient suppliers rapidly expand satiety solutions supporting fast‑growing GLP‑1 demand
- Protein ingredients like casein increasingly used to enhance GLP‑1 fullness effects
- Natural satiety‑triggering alternatives emerge for consumers avoiding pharmaceutical interventions
- Metabolic health focus grows as collagen supports glucose balance and satiety
- Protein and fibre demand surges as GLP‑1 users seek muscle protection and gut support
A year ago, the number of big-brand GLP-1 companion food and drink products could be counted on one hand. Fast forward to 2026 and that’s no longer possible. In just 12 months, FMCGs and start-ups alike have entered the weight management space – either to support GLP-1 drug users or to offer satiety-boosting alternatives.
But while the brands get the recognition, it’s often their suppliers in the wings developing the ingredients that make these products suitable for weight management. As the GLP-1 wave continues to build, demand for innovative, satiety-inducing ingredients is set to surge.
So, which ingredient trends will shape brand strategy in the year ahead?
1. Enhancing the GLP-1 drug effect with ingredients
Most GLP-1-friendly product development to date has focused on companion offerings – typically portion-controlled, nutrient-dense formulations designed to help users meet their daily nutritional needs despite a reduced appetite.
But not all GLP-1 users follow the same regimen. Many, according to Sophie Zillinger Molenaar, global marketing execution lead at FrieslandCampina Ingredients, are micro-dosing – taking smaller-than-standard doses to achieve a milder appetite-suppressing effect for weight management rather than type 2 diabetes.
For those more interested in shedding a couple of kilos than in addressing a clinical need, certain ingredients can help boost the effectiveness of GLP-1 drugs. Proteins are a prime example, explains Molenaar. “Casein specifically is an ingredient that has sustained, longer release of amino acids, making you feel fuller.”
The use case for proteins extends much further. Whether people are taking GLP-1 drugs and want to prevent muscle loss, or they’ve discontinued treatment and want to replicate the satiety effect, proteins like casein “play a big role”.
2. Ingredients that trigger satiety, but aren’t a drug
It’s become clear that although GLP-1 drugs can prove effective for clinical conditions, if not covered by insurance they can prove prohibitively expensive. While some can’t afford them, others prefer to avoid pharmaceutical intervention for weight management altogether.
In these cases, consumers may find themselves looking for satiety-triggering food and drink products, rather than drugs. Indeed, for ingredients supplier Beneo, innovations that aim to trigger a similar response to pharmaceutical innovations – naturally – is a growth area. “Consumers using the medicines are fed up,” says CEO Olivier Roques. “So Beneo has an offering to counteract some of the side effects from a lack-of-nutrition point of view.”
The supplier owns a slowly-digestible sugar with a low glycaemic index, which promises to trigger GLP-1 release and the feeling of fullness. It’s not yet on the market, but Roques confirmed the company is “actively working on it”. He suspects it will be met with excitement from consumers, with some already struggling to believe what’s in Beneo’s pipeline: “Really? You have a product that triggers GLP-1 release and it’s not an injection?”
3. Beyond GLP-1s: metabolic health for weight management
GLP-1 innovation is predicted to be a major trend in food and drink this year. But for some, the trend is much bigger than just weight management: it’s about metabolic health.
That’s the perspective of Valérie Lemarq, global product manager, health and nutrition at Rousselot, an ingredients player supplying collagen ingredients to the food and beverage industries. Collagen, a protein, helps promote the feeling of satiety and can help maintain muscle mass. But it can also help boost metabolic health by supporting glucose control, which means fewer post-meal blood sugar spikes and better overall metabolic balance.
There’s a lot of hype and buzz around GLP-1s, suggests Lemarq. When in actual fact it’s just part of the much greater metabolic health trend. “In my opinion, it feels very similar to, say, the AI trend, where first there’s a buzz with a massive amount of information. But then you need to properly educate people on what is true, and what is over-hype.”
Within these hypes, there’s always a “core of reality”, she says. And for Rousselot, that core is metabolic health. “That’s the trend, while GLP-1 might be a buzzword to attract a lot of attention.”
4. GLP-1s boost demand for protein, and more protein
The biggest food trend of 2026 is predicted to be protein. That’s perhaps unsurprising, given it was right up there among the biggest food trends of the last five years. But, this year, the spike in protein demand has taken suppliers by surprise. To the extent that some markets are experiencing a whey shortage.
The whole protein market has been flipped upside down. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Peter Schouw Anderson, senior director of performance nutrition at Arla Food Ingredients
The uptick in protein demand aligns with increased demand for weight management products. Protein is a “huge trend”, says Peter Schouw Anderson, senior director of performance nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, “and the main driver is the GLP-1 trend.”
That’s because GLP-1 users are at risk of losing muscle. Increasing protein in the diet can help maintain that muscle mass, and encourage greater fat loss. And when even a single member of the household starts taking GLP-1s, it’s more likely the rest of the family will up their protein intake too. When one considers that a third of US households have one or more GLP-1 users, that’s a whole lot more protein being consumed.
5. No, GLP-1s are all about fibre - and here’s why
Others say the GLP-1 wave comes with increased demand for fibre, and specifically, fibre-containing foods. Both can be true. What’s different about fibre, is its mechanism in GLP-1 users.
For starters, GLP-1 users have been known to report gut issues, like gastrointestinal discomfort. Consuming prebiotic fibre can help restore the gut microbiome, and also relieve the potential GLP-1 side effect of constipation. Another reason manufacturers are integrating more fibre into products is to develop new ranges targeting GLP-1 users’ nutritional needs. These ranges are typically offered as smaller, portion‑controlled, nutrient‑dense products designed to help users reduce the risk of malnutrition.
Whichever approach is taken, GLP-1 creates a real opportunity for industry, says Julie Imperato, marketing and communication manager at French acacia gum supplier Nexira. “GLP-1 is here to stay. For food manufacturers, it offers a new way to formulate, with more qualitative portions and the right amount of nutrients.”
