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October 17, 2025
Discover how dsm-firmenich's innovation platforms and scientific advocacy drive breakthrough nutritional solutions—insights from ICN 2025.
The world faces unprecedented nutritional challenges that demand urgent, science-based nutritional solutions. From marine ecosystems under pressure to billions of people lacking essential nutrients, today's health crises require breakthrough innovations that can scale globally, while addressing interconnected problems with precision.
When Nobel Prize winner Leopold Ružička collaborated with Firmenich starting in 1921, he brought a legacy of breakthrough molecular discoveries that established the scientific foundation for modern chemical innovation.1 His work on complex molecular structures that scientists had thought "impossible to exist" set the precedent for dsm-firmenich's approach today: proving that seemingly impossible innovations can become commercial reality through rigorous science.
This heritage of scientific excellence now powers an innovation services ecosystem that spans 60 countries with ~30,000 passionate people. This is supported by €700M+ annual R&D investment and 2,000+ scientists and engineers across 15 research hubs globally. Together, these numbers tell a compelling story: 16,000+ patents across ~2,600 patent families and 164 new first-patents publications in 2024 alone.
But the true measure of dsm-firmenich's innovation leadership lies not in statistics, but in its unique approach to translating scientific discovery into market-changing nutritional solutions that address critical global health challenges. Following the International Congress of Nutrition (ICN) 2025 (24-29 August, Paris, France), where dsm-firmenich showcased novel research, it's clear that the path from identifying critical health gaps to developing market-ready nutritional solutions requires both rigorous science and collaborative expertise across industries. Read on to find out how the company combines both.
Traditional approaches to anemia have focused primarily on iron supplementation, but dsm-firmenich's participation in ICN 2025's nutritional anemia symposium revealed a more complex reality. The scientific evidence presented demonstrated that managing this global health challenge requires more than addressing iron deficiency alone—but acknowledging the intricate connections between multiple micronutrients, the gut microbiota, and absorption mechanisms that influence the development and progression of anemia.
For example, emerging science shows how vitamin D status and the gut microbiota can contribute to anemia. The hypothesis is that vitamin D deficiency weakens the gut barrier, leading to more bacteria in the blood stream and higher inflammation. This inflammation triggers hepcidin production and high hepcidin blocks iron absorption in the gut. This means even with iron supplementation, anemia may develop.2 A recent global review that dsm-firmenich helped to fund uncovered that three out of four people globally have insufficient vitamin D status.3 This scientific understanding is where dsm-firmenich's ampli-D® comes into play. ampli-D®, an advanced calcifediol innovation (a circulating form of vitamin D), raises vitamin D status 3x faster than ordinary vitamin D, addressing the vitamin D component of this complex anemia pathway. That said, while iron deficiency anemia is a global leading health issue, there are various other vitamins that play a key role in red blood cell production and prevention of anemia, including vitamins A, E, B2, B6, B12, C, folic acid and zinc.4
This scientific foundation informs dsm-firmenich's approach to anemia nutritional solutions, i.e., comprehensive premix formulations that deliver multiple micronutrients simultaneously, rather than relying on single-nutrient (or iron only) approaches. With cutting-edge innovation services, the company even accounts for complex biological interactions between nutrients, helping to move beyond the limitations of traditional iron-only supplementation.
Building on this understanding of anemia as a complex, multi-nutrient challenge, the next critical question becomes: how do we ensure that essential minerals like iron and zinc are actually absorbed and utilized by the body? This is where bioavailability—the body's ability to absorb and use nutrients present in food—becomes paramount for effective anemia prevention and treatment. Maaike Bruins, Director of Nutritional Science at dsm-firmenich, led ICN 2025's "Unpacking the Power of Phytase" symposium, showcasing how enzyme technology can enhance nutrient absorption while supporting more sustainable, plant-based food systems.5
Nearly 88 million people follow plant-based diets globally (by choice or due to limited access of other foods),6 and cereals and legumes provide 70-80% of daily calories in regions like South Asia.7 However, plant-based staples contain phytic acid, which binds to essential minerals like iron and zinc, making them unavailable for absorption despite being present in the food.8 Phytase enzyme can help to resolve this problem by degrading phytic acid and making iron and zinc more available; offering enhanced nutrition without increasing environmental impact.
As climate change necessitates shifts toward more sustainable, plant-forward diets, this bioavailability challenge becomes paramount. The changing environmental conditions are further worsening this challenge—rising temperatures are predicted to increase phytic acid levels while decreasing nutrient concentrations by 2050.9
dsm-firmenich's Tolerase® P phytase acts as the key, breaking down phytic acid to enhance zinc and iron bioavailability by as much as two to twelve-fold.10 This innovation directly supports the holistic approach to anemia demonstrated in dsm-firmenich's symposium participation—not only ensuring multiple micronutrients are present, but that they can actually be absorbed and utilized by the body. The technology also helps offset potential negative side effects of high-dose iron supplementation by improving absorption efficiency at lower doses.
While nutritional complexity presents one set of challenges, environmental pressures create another: how do we maintain nutritional adequacy when the systems that deliver nutrition face increasing disruption? Taichi Inui's presentation on "Disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic impacts on nutrient intakes" represents dsm-firmenich's commitment to addressing global nutrition challenges through evidence-based research.
The presentation uncovered distinct nutritional vulnerabilities:
COVID-19 led to poorer intake of several essential nutrients and sodium11
Earthquakes consistently lead to reduced intake of essential nutrients, increased malnutrition, and unhealthy dietary shifts, especially among vulnerable groups, like pregnant women and young children12,13
Different weather-related disasters create distinct long-term patterns of nutrient disruption, affecting both the availability of nutritious foods and people's ability to maintain adequate nutrient intake14
Inui's key insight challenges traditional approaches: we need to make our diets more resilient against micronutrient shortfalls before disruptions strike. This requires what dsm-firmenich specializes in—a combination of expertise in products, customized solutions, and expert services through end-to-end partnerships. Building resilient nutrition systems demands understanding of ingredients, know-how in premix formulations, and comprehensive services spanning science, application, regulatory, and sensory evaluation to make existing diets more nutritious.
Maria-Fernanda Elias's research on "Addressing Nutrition Insecurity Amid Global Warming" reinforced this urgent need for resilient nutrition systems considering our changing environment. Her work demonstrated that climate pressures create ongoing nutritional vulnerabilities that extend beyond acute disaster scenarios, requiring systematic approaches to nutrition security that can withstand both sudden disruptions and gradual environmental changes.15
Together, these presentations highlight that nutrition security isn't just about having access to diverse foods during stable times, but about building resilience into the food system itself through scientifically designed interventions. Inui's research directly informs the company's approach to developing strategic fortification targets. These include widely consumed staple foods like bread, noodles, processed meat, plant-based oils, and tea/coffee—products chosen for their steady consumption patterns and stable shelf life. These foods can serve as reliable vehicles for delivering essential nutrients when normal dietary patterns are disrupted by either acute disasters or chronic environmental pressures.
Environmental disruption doesn't just threaten existing nutrition systems—it also demands sustainable alternatives to traditional nutrition sources. dsm-firmenich's algal lipids portfolio exemplifies this approach by addressing how environmental pressures on marine ecosystems require innovative solutions for essential nutrient delivery.
Marine fish oil supply alone cannot fulfill the recommended omega-3 intake for the world's growing population, creating a supply chain challenge that mirrors the resilience challenges highlighted in the disaster and climate research.16 This constraint creates an opportunity for complementary sources that can meet both current and future demand sustainably while reducing pressure on vulnerable marine ecosystems.
dsm-firmenich is on a mission to tackle this with its algal lipids family, which addresses both environmental sustainability and nutritional efficacy through a life's®OMEGA portfolio of pure, sustainable, and potent vegan omega-3s, which provide EPA and DHA in a single, quality source. This platform represents dsm-firmenich's approach to advancing the transition from omega-3 fish oil to algal oil while maximizing brain health and immunity health benefits—a complex scientific challenge that required years of innovation in biotechnology and processing.
The company’s latest addition to its portfolio, life's®OMEGA O1030DS, is the most concentrated omega-3 in the range. This achievement demonstrates how sustained R&D investment creates competitive advantages that benefit customers, consumers, and the planet. The approach reflects the same principles underlying dsm-firmenich's work on nutrition resilience: anticipating environmental pressures and developing sustainable alternatives that can deliver essential nutrition regardless of external disruptions to traditional sources.
As consumer demands evolve and regulatory landscapes shift, companies across the nutrition industry face mounting pressures to deliver products that meet increasingly complex requirements. dsm-firmenich's innovation platforms address these industry-wide challenges through six key approaches: benefits through new science, personalization for specific target groups, sustainability leadership, patent-protected quality, better compliance through new formats, and enhanced bioavailability.
The company continues to go beyond individual ingredients to provide integrated solutions that simplify product development. Market-ready solutions with stability data address time-to-market pressures, while custom premixes that combine multiple functional ingredients in single formulations reduce supply chain complexity. And delivery format innovations like Sprinkle It Technology™ (SIT) respond to consumer preferences for convenient, accessible nutrition that integrates seamlessly into daily routines.
dsm-firmenich's participation in ICN 2025 represents more than scientific leadership—it's proof of the company's commitment to bringing progress to life through innovation that matters. By combining proprietary discovery platforms, global scientific innovation, and end-to-end expert services, dsm-firmenich provides partners with the capabilities needed to succeed in today's complex health and nutrition landscape.
The company's research-driven approach, exemplified through its ICN 2025 presentations on anemia complexity, phytase bioavailability, disaster resilience, and sustainable nutrition sources, ensures that solutions address not just current needs, but anticipate future challenges in an interconnected world.
1. Nobel Prize Organisation, "Leopold Ruzicka – Biographical," NobelPrize.org, accessed September 16, 2025, https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1939/ruzicka/biographical/ and Britannica, "Leopold Ružička," accessed September 16, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leopold-Ruzicka.
2. Netting, Merryn J., Karen P. Best, and Tim J. Green. “The Role of Vitamin D in Anemia.” In Nutritional Anemia, edited by Crystal D. Karakochuk, Michael B. Zimmermann, Diego Moretti, and Klaus Kraemer, 195–204. Cham: Springer, 2022. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-14521-6_15.
3. Dunlop, Eleanor, Ngoc Minh Pham, Dong Hoang, Hajar Mazahery, et al. “A systematic review and meta-analysis of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and vitamin D status worldwide.” Journal of Public Health (2025). doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdaf080.
4. Fishman, Steven M., Parul Christian, and Keith P. West Jr. “The role of vitamins in the prevention and control of anaemia.” Public Health Nutrition 3, no. 2 (June 2000): 125-150. doi:10.1017/S1368980000000173.
5. Maaike Bruins, "Unpacking the Power of Phytase" symposium (ICN 2025, Paris, France, August 28, 2025).
6. Strategic Market Research. “Plant-Based Food Statistics - Size & Growth 2023.” Strategic Market Research Blog, August 2023. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://www.strategicmarketresearch.com/blogs/plant-based-food-statistics
7. Winarti, C., Widaningrum, Widayanti S. M., Setyawan N., Qanytah, Juniawati, Suryana E. A., and Widowati S. "Nutrient composition of Indonesian specialty cereals: rice, corn, and sorghum as alternatives to combat malnutrition." Preventive Nutrition and Food Science 28, no. 4 (2023): 471–482. doi:10.3746/pnf.2023.28.4.471.
8. Gibson, R., V. Raboy, and J. King. "Implications of phytate in plant-based foods for iron and zinc bioavailability, setting dietary requirements, and formulating programs and policies." Nutrition Reviews 76, no. 11 (2018): 793–804. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuy028.
9. Sarah Gibson, "Opening remarks," ICN 2025 Phytase Session, Paris, France, August 28, 2025.
10. Troesch, B., A. Egli, I. Zeder, R. Hurrell, R. F. de Pee, and R. F. Hurrell. "Absorption studies show that phytase from Aspergillus niger significantly increases iron and zinc bioavailability from phytate-rich foods." Food and Nutrition Bulletin 34, no. 2 Suppl (2013): S90–S101. doi:10.1177/15648265130342S111. PMID:24050000.
11. Clemente-Suárez, V., D. Ramos-Campo, J. Mielgo-Ayuso, Athanasios Dalamitros, P. Nikolaidis, Alberto J. Hormeño-Holgado, and J. F. Tornero-Aguilera.
"Nutrition in the actual COVID-19 pandemic. A narrative review." Nutrients 13, no. 6 (2021): Article 1924. doi:10.3390/nu13061924.
12. Kaya Kacar, Husna, Ömer Furkan Kaçar, T. Kose, and Amanda Avery."The food and nutritional insecurity experienced by pregnant women living in shelters following the 2023 earthquakes in Turkiye." International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (2024): Article 104987. doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104987.
13. Ghalichi, F., M. Jafarabadi, A. Barzegar, and Rasul Mokhtari. "Assessing and comparing nutritional status and related factors among 6–48 months old children born in the damaged rural and urban areas of Varzeghan after the 2012 earthquake." Progress in Nutrition 21, no. 2-S (2020): Article 6642. doi:10.23751/PN.V21I2-S.6642.
14. Taichi Inui, "Disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic impacts on nutrient intakes: an ecological study" (presentation, ICN 2025, Paris, France, August 26, 2025).
15. Maria-Fernanda Elias, "Addressing Nutrition Insecurity Amid Global Warming: Insights for Effective Strategies" (e-poster presentation, ICN 2025, Paris, France, August 2025).
16. Munro, G. R. From drain to gain in capture fisheries rents: a synthesis study (FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 538). Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2010. [Accessed: August 13, 2025] https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/fa943ad1-99be-42bc-879e-7d186603d962/content
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