From 6 to 8 October 2026, I will be in Milan for CPHI Europe, at Fiera Milano. It is the largest European meeting point for the pharmaceutical value chain, with more than 2,900 exhibiting companies and around 62,000 visitors expected.
A pharma show, not yet a nutra show
Let us be blunt about it, CPHI is not a food supplement show. The organiser has in fact announced a Nutraceuticals zone for the 2027 edition, which confirms that nutraceuticals do not yet have a dedicated space there.
So why go? Because the border between the two worlds is far thinner than people think. The active ingredient suppliers, the dosage form specialists, the equipment makers and a good share of the contract manufacturers present in Milan already work for nutraceuticals, often on the same lines and to the same standards. The technologies that end up in our products, microencapsulation, orodispersible forms, taste masking, extended release, almost all come from pharma.
A consultant who only watches nutra shows is always one train behind on these subjects.
What I am going there to find
I am not going to Milan to collect brochures. I go with client briefs in mind and a list of meetings.
- Contract manufacturers able to hold low MOQs on technical dosage forms
- Encapsulation and taste masking technologies that transfer to sensory formats
- Active ingredient suppliers with analytical files that hold up, not just a sales sheet
- Partners for projects that are already framed and need a specific industrial capability
Every serious contact goes into my network, and my clients get access to it without having to work the show themselves. That is exactly what I describe in the role of the consultant.
Meeting up in Milan
If you are exhibiting, or simply passing through, write to me beforehand. Slots fill up fast, and twenty minutes standing on a stand is often worth more than three rounds of email.
Book 30 minutes before the show. We frame what you are looking for, and I tell you honestly whether I can be useful to you on site.
