Givaudan, the global leader in taste and wellbeing, has announced the results of an open-label clinical study, conducted with Michigan State University (MSU) and , a premier training facility for professional racecar drivers in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. The study used state-of-the-art tools to, in part, assess the impact of ™, Givaudan’s patented American ginseng extract, on the drivers’ reaction time.

Notable improvements in driving performance with Cereboost^TM

The study revealed notable improvements in driving performance among drivers who took Cereboost^TM for two weeks, including a significant reduction in the fastest lap time (3 seconds) and significantly faster throttle application on corners. 

After taking Cereboost,^TM participating drivers also reported in a subjective questionnaire feeling positive effects:

• 94% agreed Cereboost™ effectively enhanced their focus
• 91% perceived the effects faster than other products they have tried in the past

Jim Leo, CEO of PitFit, commented: “As the industry leader in human performance coaching for motorsports, PitFit has always taken a proactive approach to researching anything that might improve our clients' performance. Given our strong interest in supporting drivers’ performance, we began exploring research on nutritional supplements that could assist us in our quest. Cereboost^TM was an obvious choice, as it’s backed by peer-reviewed research to support attention and focus.”

Cereboost™: think faster, perform better

“Working with Michigan State University and PitFit gave us the opportunity to evaluate the real-world benefits of an already clinically studied ingredient and understand how athlete drivers perceived its effect, getting us closer to understanding consumer perception” said Romain Le Cozannet, Mind & Energy Category Technical Leader at Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing.

Full results of the new study and all the Cereboost^TM clinical studies in one review .

Vancouver, BC (November 21, 2025) – BC Food & Beverage proudly hosted its 18th annual Rise Awards Night on November 20th at the Rocky Mountaineer in Vancouver. The nearly 400 business leaders in attendance celebrated the achievements of BC’s food and beverage processing industry, featuring inspiring speeches, gourmet local products, and ample networking opportunities among industry leaders, producers, and supporters. It was a heartfelt night of celebration that honoured the hard work and dedication of all award finalists and winners.

“The Rise Awards shine a spotlight on the remarkable people and companies who are shaping the future of BC’s food and beverage community,” said James Donaldson, CEO of BC Food & Beverage. “This year’s winners embody the innovation, passion, and commitment that inspire others and continue to grow BC’s reputation for setting a high bar for innovative food and beverage products.”

The Rise Awards recognizes top leaders, companies, and products across 17 diverse categories. This year, Karen Flavelle of Purdys Chocolatier was honoured with the inaugural Doug Ramsay Award of Excellence, while St. Jean’s Cannery was inducted into the BC Food & Beverage Hall of Fame, celebrating over sixty years of quality and innovation in seafood.

BC Food & Beverage congratulates all winners and finalists. We’re excited to continue supporting growth, innovation, and collaboration in the industry and look forward to celebrating many more successes ahead.

LIST OF THE 2025 RISE AWARD WINNERS:

Hall of Fame Inductee – St. Jean’s Cannery

Doug Ramsay Award of Excellence – Karen Flavelle, Purdys Chocolatier

Best in Brand – SmartSweets

Circularity – Greater Vancouver Food Bank

Emerging Business of the Year – Atome Bakery

Export – Blume

Indigenous Led Business of the Year – Sriracha Revolver

Innovation – Mountain Munchies Inc./Enercheez

Leadership – Janik Livera, Maverick Estate Winery

Outstanding Workplace – Health & Safety – Olympic Dairy (Lactalis)

People’s Choice – Purdys Chocolatier

Social Impact – GnuSanté Creations

Sustainability – Joosy – Fresh Direct Produce

Woman Entrepreneur of the Year – Tami Nasu, withinUs Natural

Product of the Year Gold – SURGE™, VEGAIN Nutrition

Product of the Year Silver – Bake-from-proof Traditional Sourdough Loaf, Atome Bakery

Product of the Year Bronze – Tocha Original, Tocha Foods

For more information, visit Rise Awards.

Generative AI is set to reshape the $1.2 trillion global packaging market, driving faster product launches, smarter supply chains, and greater efficiency, according to a new report.

According to a  from  official research partner, , the global packaging market is valued at $1.2 trillion in 2025, with generative AI (GenAI) emerging as a major driver of growth, creativity, and efficiency across the sector. The research highlights how AI is transforming packaging design, production, and supply chain processes, enabling brands to launch products faster, reduce costs, and respond more effectively to shifting consumer demand.

“Every decade brings a new technology that reshapes the way we work - from the personal computer to the internet, mobile devices, and the cloud,” said Josh Brooks, Divisional Director – Packaging Portfolio at Easyfairs. “Now it’s AI. Global investment in AI infrastructure is expected to reach $2 trillion in 2026, and the potential for packaging is immense. From creating personalised designs to optimising production lines, AI gives the industry the chance to rethink how we design, produce, and deliver packaging at scale.”

Smithers’ report paints a clear vision for the future of packaging. GenAI is already lowering barriers for creativity, driving rapid growth in personalised and virtual content, and generating versatile packaging formats on demand. Brands can launch products with greater confidence, guided by deeper insights into consumer preferences, while reducing the time and cost of experimental trials. Integration with digital printing, finishing, and automated forming machines, combined with intelligent packaging, could transform supply chain management and customer communication.

Smarter AI-driven systems are also improving stock management, efficiency, and waste reduction. Rising SKU numbers, shorter runs, and increasing demand for customisation are driving flexible packaging lines, while e-commerce is using AI to create custom-sized packaging for individual deliveries. Robotics and collaborative robots enhance line flexibility without slowing production, while predictive AI helps mitigate operational risks.

The report highlights further innovations, including “right-sizing” packaging to cut costs and improve sustainability, rapid line reconfiguration for complex shapes, and micro-fulfilment centres enabling 24-hour delivery. Real-time data allows companies to respond instantly to changing demand, promotions, or weather events, while self-learning AI supports a fully circular economy.

Generative AI is also transforming the creative process itself. Bespoke graphics can be generated on demand, enabling rapid prototyping and customisation, while AI agents adjust designs in response to market trends and consumer feedback. By 2025, AI is being applied across text, code, images, video, and 3D content, with outputs expected to outperform professional designers and developers by 2030, marking a step-change in productivity and creativity across packaging.

“Packaging Innovations & Empack is where the future of packaging comes to life,” added Brooks. “Visitors will see firsthand how AI, automation, and sustainable solutions are shaping every stage of the supply chain, from design and production to delivery. It’s the perfect place to explore innovation, discover new technology, and connect with the industry’s leading experts.”

You can explore the full impact of GenAI across the packaging supply chain at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026, the UK’s largest packaging and processing event, taking place on 11 & 12 February at NEC Birmingham. Join over 450 leading suppliers, 7,400 professionals, and more than 80 expert speakers to showcase cutting-edge materials, machinery, smart automation, and sustainable solutions – and .

Access the  for deeper insights into GenAI’s impact on design, production, and the future of packaging.

KARKKILA, Finland (November 13th, 2025) , the leading seafood tech company for the utilization of sidestreams in food production, has studied the nutritional compositions of fish products made with sidestreams from salmon filleting, such as heads, fins, and frames. The results show that these products contain significantly higher levels of key nutrients like collagen, calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, and omega-3 fats than typical filet products currently on the market. The findings suggest that fish products made from filleting sidestreams can play a significant role in bringing new and healthier seafood products to market, while offering processors high-value-added ingredients from raw materials with traditionally low commercial value.

Hailia’s data reveals significantly higher levels of calcium and high vitamin D in ready products made from sidestreams. The reason is the increased bone and cartilage content in these products. Because these two nutrients work in symbiosis, consuming these products can have a positive effect on calcium uptake in the body.

The results also show higher levels of marine collagen, up to 2g per serving, which is five times more than what’s found in filet products, and similar levels to what’s found in many common collagen supplements. The marine collagen market has grown rapidly in recent years, driven by global demand from the beauty and wellness industries. Most collagen supplements today are produced from fish skin and scales, materials that are often imported and processed separately from food production. Hailia’s findings show that seafood sidestreams, such as heads and frames, contain naturally high levels of collagen and other essential nutrients, creating an opportunity to meet this demand more sustainably through whole-food applications.

“Sidestreams have been valuable in cooking throughout our history, from broths to local delicacies, because they give good taste and contain high levels of healthy nutrients,” says Michaela Lindstöm, CEO and Founder of Hailia. “Our data shows that these same raw materials can serve a much bigger purpose, not just as traditional ingredients, but as a natural source of nutrients like marine collagen that are increasingly sought after in global wellness markets in supplement form. By producing ready-to-eat products from these parts of the fish, we can offer people better nutrition in everyday foods, while reducing waste and creating more sustainable value from every catch.”

Iron has risen on the nutritional agenda in recent years, with an increased focus on women’s health in the public debate. Research shows that , making it the world’s most common micronutrient deficiency. Hailia’s analysis shows that products made from sidestreams such as salmon heads, frames, and fins contain twice the amount of iron compared to salmon filet. The findings highlight how sidestreams could help address this global nutritional challenge naturally, by enhancing the iron content of everyday fish-based foods while supporting more efficient use of marine resources.

“People use supplements for different reasons; in many cases, they’re willing to pay premium prices for desirable nutrients for their skincare, wellness, and longevity benefits. But wouldn’t it be better if we got the nutrients we needed from what we eat, rather than relying on often expensive health products?” Lindström concludes.

Hailia’s technology transforms sidestreams into tasty, nutritious, and easy-to-use food products. The technology has developed from use for small pelagics and salmonoids to be applicable to all fish sidestreams, adding value to previously low-yield raw materials and expanding food producers’ product portfolios with new products for consumer markets.

“For decades, the best parts of grains were discarded; we focused on starch and left behind the bran and germ, which we now know are the most nutrient-rich components,” says Otto Kaukonen, CTO and Co-founder at Hailia. “We’re seeing a similar pattern in seafood today. Traditional processing has prioritized fillets, even though the heads, frames, and fins contain much higher levels of collagen, calcium, and iron. With Hailia’s technology, we can finally unlock the full nutritional potential of these parts, giving them a new life in higher-value products. It’s a shift that could make seafood sidestreams the next superfood that’s naturally nutrient-rich, sustainable, and ready for modern diets.”