Ringier Technology Innovation Awards: A glimpse into the “Flavorscape of the Future”

 

 

In the fast-paced food and beverage industry, every new technology and process innovation has the potential to reshape market dynamics. These advancements may not always be eye-catching, but they enhance formulation stability, boost nutritional value, reduce carbon footprints, and improve production efficiency—ultimately delivering delicious and health-conscious experiences to consumers at a competitive cost.

 

The 2025 Food & Beverage Industry – Ringier Technology Innovation Awards were established to honor these achievements. This year, nearly 60 companies submitted 81 innovative products and technologies for final evaluation, spanning six major categories:

• Product of the Year
• Food & Beverage Ingredients
• Packaging Technology
• Processing & Automation / Smart Manufacturing
• Food Safety & Quality Control
• Other Innovations

 

Judging criteria focused on four dimensions: safety, efficacy/performance, cost-effectiveness, and green/sustainability. After expert review and online voting, 38 products from 37 companies were awarded.

 

Notably, this year introduced a special honor—the Sustainability & ESG Pioneer Award—to recognize companies that balance technological innovation with sustainable development. KIE Engineering Technology (China) Co., Ltd. and Probi® received this distinction.

 

Behind the list of winners lies more than just technical achievement—it reflects emerging trends and the logic of technological evolution. Let’s explore the breakthroughs and industry directions revealed across each category.

 

Health integrated into everyday life: Experience reshapes value

As the category closest to consumers, “Product of the Year” reflects how the industry translates the broad concept of “health” into tangible, convenient, and appealing experiences. Many winning products feature clear functional positioning and highly contextualized design, redefining the boundaries of healthy food.

 

In dosage form innovation, JingYao RunYing’s OralBubble Probiotic Chewable Tablets integrate three clinically validated strains into a microbubble format, combining oral health with sensory delight. Zhejiang Hengmei’s Light Protein Cloud Cubes and Rogate’s Sugar-Free High-Fiber Crispy Snacks further advance the “healthy snacking” trend, making protein and fiber intake more effortless.

 

Traditional wellness concepts are being reinterpreted through modern processes. Shanquan Health’s Ready-to-Eat Lung Nourishing Paste, made from herbs like Polygonatum and Codonopsis combined with fructooligosaccharides ( a type of carbohydrate known as oligosaccharide composed of short chains of fructose), caters to fast-paced lifestyles. Weiming Taiyan’s Ginseng Rose Fermented Drink uses fermentation to enhance bioactivity and absorption, injecting modern science into the “food as medicine” philosophy.

 

Meanwhile, companies are targeting specific demographics and life scenarios with “function + context” solutions. Zhongchuang Yike’s Peike® Probiotic Fermented Carrot Juice redefines healthy beverages with a burden-free formula and high bioavailability—suitable for children, seniors, and people managing blood sugar. MyProtein’s Liquid Protein is designed for fitness enthusiasts, offering 50% higher absorption than traditional powders and optimizing post-workout nutrition.

 

Plant-based innovation is also evolving toward better taste and nutrition. Qingdao Haizhilin’s Plant-Based Caviar, made using spherification and encapsulation with sodium alginate and plant oils, mimics the burst-in-mouth texture of real fish roe. Want Want’s Coconut Milk, enhanced with fresh milk, improves both flavor and nutritional profile to meet diverse consumer needs.

 

Functional validation, absorption efficiency & ingredient sourcing revolution

Delivering health benefits in end products depends on continuous innovation in ingredients. This year’s winners in the “Food & Beverage Ingredients” category show a shift from stacking functions to validating mechanisms, improving delivery efficiency, and enabling personalized health interventions.

 

Advanced biotechnology is breaking the limits of traditional cultivation and extraction. Shandong Bailong Chuangyuan’s D-Allulose, produced via enzymatic conversion, offers a sugar-like taste with significantly fewer calories—signaling a breakthrough in sugar alternatives. Dalian Purecon’s Cultured Camellia uses plant cell culture to eliminate reliance on wild resources, enabling sustainable and standardized supply of high-value botanicals.

Scientific validation is replacing vague health claims as the ticket to mainstream markets. Gelita’s BODYBALANCE® Functional Protein Peptides have been clinically proven to increase lean mass, reduce fat, and improve body composition. SLENDACOR®, a patented blend of moringa, curry leaf, and turmeric, has demonstrated weight management and metabolic benefits through human and preclinical trials. Shanghai Ergothioneine Biotech’s (S)-Equol (EquoPro®) targets menopausal women, showing promise in alleviating symptoms, supporting bone health, and improving skin and cardiovascular function.

 

Probiotics and prebiotics are expanding beyond gut health into targeted functions. NovoSyn’s PoSilience Protect³, Probi®’s Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL9, and DKSH’s SynBalance® ProBeautyShield probiotic now support immunity, skin health, mood, and cognition. Zansibei’s Fibalance®, a low-FODMAP certified high-molecular-weight galactomannan, offers multiple benefits—optimizing gut microbiota, increasing beneficial bacteria, suppressing pathogens, and restoring microbiome balance in obesity.

 

Absorption efficiency is becoming a key determinant of market value. Dalian Yinuo’s DuraLipo™ Liposome Series uses dual-layer design to enhance stability and bioavailability of both water- and fat-soluble nutrients. Huaxi Bio’s ACTIVENAG® N-Acetylglucosamine delivers superior joint support at lower doses, reflecting a shift from quantity to efficacy in nutrient delivery.

 

Integrated & energy-efficient design drives high-performance production lines

As the beverage and liquid food sectors demand greater flexibility, energy efficiency, and spatial optimization, packaging equipment is evolving toward high integration, intelligent coordination, and green design. The “Packaging Technology” category winners exemplify this trend.

 

Jiangsu Newamstar’s 108,000 BPH Blow-Fill-Cap Monoblock integrates three core processes—blow molding, filling, and capping—into one unit, achieving 3,000 bottles/hour per cavity and 108,000 bottles/hour overall, breaking foreign monopolies in this field. Guangzhou Tech-Long’s 72,000 BPH Blow-Label-Fill-Cap Monoblock combines four processes in one machine, minimizing energy use and labor. Guangzhou Ruiyang’s Fully Automatic Rotary Servo Labeling Machine uses intelligent modular design to support high-speed production, diverse label formats, and sustainability goals.

 

Digitalization transforms process efficiency and collaborative management

The wave of smart manufacturing is accelerating across the food and beverage industry. From process control to data integration, the entire value chain is shifting from “equipment intelligence” to “system intelligence.” The “Processing & Automation / Smart Manufacturing” category reveals three key trends: energy-efficient upgrades, AI-powered quality control, and full-process collaboration via PLM systems.

 

In production, GEA’s Plug&Win i Series Centrifuge Module—used for beverage clarification—features energy-saving direct-drive motors, dual-liquid seals, and automatic slag discharge, enhancing flavor retention and safety while improving energy efficiency. For quality control, Cognex’s In-Sight 8900 Vision System uses advanced AI and imaging to deliver precise automated inspection, reducing costly recalls. In management, Yiban Technology’s PLM System integrates data across product design to delivery, enabling collaborative R&D, unified data, and intelligent decision-making.

 

From end products to ingredient solutions, from packaging equipment to smart systems, this year’s Innovation Awards showcase not just isolated breakthroughs, but a synergistic ecosystem of innovation. Shifting consumer demands are influencing upstream supply chains, while manufacturers’ pursuit of efficiency and sustainability is driving equipment innovation. This multidimensional resonance will continue to empower China’s food and beverage industry toward high-quality, resilient growth.

 

2025 Panel of Judges

 

 

CHEN Guangxue

Professor of South China University of Technology

Chief expert of Yutong Technology & President of Yutong Research Institute

 

 

CHEN Junjiang

Chief Director of Research and Development Centre

Want-Want Group
 

 

CHEN Yourong

Member of Expert Committee of Shanghai Food Association

Executive Director of Probiotics Branch of Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology

Advisor of Microecology Division of Chinese Preventive Medical Association (CPMA)

 

 

Dr. Eric DU

Chief Scientist, R&D Director

Amway (China) R&D Centre

 

DING Shaohui

Deputy Secretary-General of China Food and Packaging Machinery Industry Association (CFPMA)

Secretary-General of Technical Committee on Standardization of CFPMA

 

 

YU Peng

Director of Dairy Nutrition and Health Research Center

Bright Dairy Research Institute

 

 

Dr. YUAN Peng

Deputy Director of Food Engineering R&D Department, China National Research Institute of Food and Fermentation Industries

Academic Leader of Beijing Key Laboratory of Functional Staple Food Creation and Chronic Disease Nutrition Intervention