INFORM February 2026

32 INFORM FEBRUARY 2026 , VOL. 37, NO. 2

• advanced walnut oil processing technologies • enzyme-enabled refining systems for high-quality functional lipids Speakers emphasized that China and ASEAN nations share common challenges— from sustainability to nutritional security and called for deeper cross-border partnerships in technology co-development, regulatory collaboration, and talent cultivation. INDUSTRY FORUM: INTELLIGENT, GREEN, AND PRECISION LIPID INNOVATION The industry forum gathered leaders from major companies, including Yihai Kerry Group, Cabio Biotech, Myande Group, and analytical technology providers. The message was clear: The lipid industry is undergoing dramatic transformation.

toward precision nutrition, sustainable processing, functional design, and industrial-scale innovation. CHINA–ASEAN FORUM: REGIONAL COOPERATION FOR GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY A core highlight of the meeting was the China–Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Forum on Future Oil & Fat Technology, reflecting the rising strategic importance of the Asia-Pacific region in global lipid supply, health, and sustainability. Presentations explored: • mitigating contaminants in palm oil • novel peptide-based strategies for malnutrition • the influence of microwave frying on palm olein stability

Key industrial themes included: • precision nutrition and the rise of customized lipid formulations • AI-driven intelligent biomanufacturing, including cell-factory systems for specialty lipids • energy-efficient and moderate processing approaches • advanced mass spectrometry and multi omics platforms for high-resolution lipid characterization • new routes for structured lipid production, yeast based protein solutions • the contribution of functional lipids to early-life brain development The forum demonstrated how scientific advances are being translated into green, intelligent, and value-added applications, accelerating modernization of the lipid value chain. FRONTIER RESEARCH THEMES: MULTISCALE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY, MULTIDIMENSIONAL Across 11 frontier scientific themes, 66 invited experts discussed emerging challenges and opportunities spanning: • lipid resource evaluation, processing, and utilization • structural and

physicochemical characterization