Natural Products Expo West is the largest gathering of natural, organic, and wellbeing brands in the world. Each spring, nearly 70,000 food, beverage, supplement, and retail stakeholders attend to preview the latest innovations and discuss what’s on the horizon for the industry, discover the next up and coming brands, and taste exclusive new products before they hit grocery store shelves.
Here are the top takeaways from this year’s show, straight from our FoodMinds trendspotters.
- Flavor Forward – While much of the atmosphere of Expo focuses on health and wellbeing, many brands are meeting consumers’ #1 driver of food purchases – taste – leading with flavorful new products. From bold global flavors like Mexican, Korean, or Indian to flavorful fusions like maple masala and hot honey potato chips, to nostalgic flavors like Moon Pie protein donuts and “blue box” macaroni and cheese snack puffs.
- BFY Treats – In the ongoing pivot to flavor, brand booths touted maximalist messaging with headlines like “indulgent fruit-first treats” and “treat yourself.” Keying in to “little treat” culture, brands like Califia Farms, Vita Coco, and Fage debuted dessert-inspired lines of their popular products, while artisanal newcomers touted “better for you” versions of old favorites like candy bars, truffles, and ice cream.
- Protein Power – Just when you thought we had reached “peak protein,” the nutrient continues to dominate, with new protein-focused products flooding the floor. This includes snacks, such as puffs, donuts, and pretzels; and beverages, such as hydration drinks, energy drinks, soda, and coffees. Beyond fortification with whey and plant-based powders, companies are using agricultural innovation to boost the protein content in their products. Examples include using novel grains like chocho and einkorn, and breeding and processing for higher protein content in staple grains like oats.
- Beverage BOOM – Beverages are always in the spotlight at Expo, but this year was the first time the show featured a wellness beverage pavilion, showcasing a variety of non-alcoholic and functional drinks. The category is exploding with innovation, particularly in caffeine and energy beverages including several lower sugar yerba mate, sparkling protein energy drinks, and functional mushroom beverages. A few of our other favorites: adaptogenic, NA aperitifs, seabiotics, “living” soda, and sparkling birch water.