Ingredion and Shiru have announced a global research and development partnership aimed at discovering new functional ingredients using artificial intelligence. According to Food Ingredients First, the partnership focuses on creating next-generation prebiotics to support gut health and the development of functional foods.

AI is changing the approach to ingredients

Shiru’s Flourish platform analyses over 77 million natural protein sequences, enabling the identification of ingredients with the required functional properties — from improving texture to reducing sugar content or creating new product characteristics.

Through this partnership, Ingredion provides expertise in formulation, regulatory matters and scaling, as well as access to a network of over 18,000 customers in more than 120 countries.

“The use of artificial intelligence in the development process has the potential to radically transform our approach to creating recipes,” said Eric Weisser, head of ventures, open innovation, and customer innovation at Ingredion.

He emphasised that artificial intelligence makes it possible not only to work with a limited set of known ingredients, but also to explore a much wider range of proteins and peptides with potential functional properties.

From optimisation to discovery

AI is already widely used in the food industry today, but mainly as a tool for optimisation — for example, for selecting sweeteners or modelling flavour.

Ingredion is already using AI to develop solutions for reducing sugar content and speeding up product development, particularly in the dairy sector.

This new partnership marks a transition to the next stage — using AI to discover entirely new ingredients, rather than simply optimising existing ones.

A sharp reduction in R&D time

According to Shiru CEO Jasmin Hume, artificial intelligence drastically reduces the time taken to develop ingredients:

“Processes that previously took a team of 50 scientists a decade and a fair bit of luck to complete can now be implemented strategically and effectively in just a few months,” she emphasised.

The platform enables you to forecast:

  • the potential for large-scale production of the ingredient;
  • its solubility;
  • potential allergenicity;
  • effectiveness even before laboratory tests.

From discovery to commercialisation

One of the key challenges in the industry remains not the discovery of an ingredient, but its incorporation into actual products.

“The real test after discovering a new ingredient is to ensure that it lives up to expectations in real-world conditions and works on an industrial scale,” said Weisser.

As part of our collaboration:

  • Shiru is responsible for identifying and shortlisting proteins;
  • Ingredion — for formulation, scaling and market launch.

This creates a direct path from discovery to the commercial use of ingredients.

Prebiotics and gut health

The first area of collaboration was prebiotics for supporting the microbiome – one of the most dynamic segments of the market.

According to Innova Market Insights, 59% of consumers choose products containing functional ingredients, such as probiotics and prebiotics, to support their health.

“I am incredibly excited about our work on natural ingredients that can help people live healthier lives for longer,” said Jasmin Hume.

Clean label and natural ingredients

The use of AI is also in line with the global trend towards natural ingredients and clean label.

Companies aim to develop ingredients that:

  • of natural origin;
  • minimally processed;
  • functional and safe.

This is particularly important given the growing criticism of ultra-processed foods.

A new phase in the industry’s development

The partnership between Ingredion and Shiru reflects a broader market trend in which large companies are collaborating with start-ups to gain access to new technologies.

“By combining Shiru’s high-performance suite of forecasting and screening systems with our partners’ capabilities, we are creating a direct and rapid path from discovery to market entry,” emphasised Hume.

In the future, AI could become the norm in the development of ingredients — from proteins and sweeteners to preservatives and flavourings.

Artificial intelligence is gradually transforming the food industry — from optimising recipes to discovering new functional ingredients.

This opens up new opportunities for the dairy industry and the functional food sector, where consumer health, natural ingredients and product efficacy are becoming key drivers.

Source: Food Ingredients First