6 natural food trends spotted at the Winter Fancy Food Show '16
![6 natural food trends spotted at the Winter Fancy Food Show '16 6 natural food trends spotted at the Winter Fancy Food Show '16](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt09e5e63517a16184/blt566985764ec405ef/64ff21e331cdbd5c4d0f2cda/fancy_20food.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
The verdict is in: Consumers are growing increasingly weary of super sugary snacks. Brands at Fancy Food accessed such sugar-fearing consumers by formulating foods that typically contain sugar (like oatmeal or beverages) into savory flavor combinations.
You know those tasty little Asian-style rice crackers you find in bulk bins and pubs? I love those! But I have no idea what’s in them, or why they are made with white rice. So kudos to Lotus Foods for using their supply of whole-grain, consciously sourced rice to make a cleaner cracker. Bonus: The multitude of rice varieties lends a beautiful, rainbow-hued color to this classic crunchy snack. lotusfoods.com
We’ve yet to see “snack” gazpacho take off in the beverage aisle, but this beet gazpacho may woo consumers away from thinking cold Spanish soup is just for the bowl. It’s well balanced, healthy and easy to consume.
Straw Propeller, makers of tasty, take-along breakfast muesli and oatmeal, will launch this spiced curry, made with Certified Gluten-Free rolled oats, in a few months. Also check out the brand’s currently available Hemp N’ Oats, Man!, which contains organic honey crystals, hulled hemp seeds and sea salt. strawpropellergourmetfoods.com
For the general American public, straight-up matcha is hard to handle. It’s beautifully verdant, but matcha’s grassy, earthy flavor is jarring to those familiar with overly sweetened beverages. That’s why the hottest vendors are incorporating matcha into existing products as added flavor and color.
By branding their signature matcha powder as culinary, Ito En's Matcha Love is helping educate potential consumers who want to use matcha but don’t necessarily like how it tastes plain in a beverage. An interesting way to present matcha to discerning foodie shoppers. itoen.com
This raw brand’s delicious treats use matcha to infuse color and flavor into a classic vegan treat. Ample coconut oil, coconut shreds and agave work especially well with matcha’s unique, distinct flavor. thelaughinggiraffe.com
While dozens of cheese purveyors were sampling at Fancy Food, we spotted a surprising amount of exhibitors showing dairy-free options like nut milk and cultured nut cheeses. These items stand out in the vegan category thanks to their clean-label formulations and unparalleled usability.
Is macadamia nut milk the next big thing in nondairy alternatives? If it tastes as good as Milkadamia, maybe. Subtly sweet and creamy, we also love the packaging of this brand. I wonder what the price point is, though. milkadamia.com
Some nondairy milk alternatives (soymilk, we’re looking at you) almost seem to curdle when they hit hot coffee. Where’s that beautiful swirl that melts seamlessly with our favorite caffeinated beverage? Califia Farm’s new BetterHalf creamer, made with coconut cream and almond milk, perfectly blends with coffee or tea. The coolest part? It’s free from carrageenan, an ingredient that natural consumers are more likely to avoid. califiafarms.com
This vegan butter is notable because it contains ultra-clean ingredients—no hydrogenated oils here. Rather, cultured coconut oil and cashews make up the bulk of this salty-sweet spread that we sampled smeared on a piece of bread … and then sampled again because it’s so tasty. Also check out Miyoko’s fresh vegan mozzarella, a category first. miyokoskitchen.com
Brands at Fancy Food were obsessed with getting consumers to eat more vegetables by providing innovative, on-the-go ways to incorporate these important foods into your diet. Whether via tasty add-ins (like bone broth), or unique delivery systems (like snackable onion chips), such flavor-first products are primed to woo health-conscious foodies.
A new energy shot from Kuli Kuli, makers of moringa-filled bars and smoothie powders. We adore this new energy beverage. While most of Kuli Kuli’s moringa for the bars hails from Africa, for the energy shots the brand recently partnered with the Clinton Foundation to establish a moringa supply in Haiti. kulikulifoods.com
Dang branches into the veggie chip space with these addictive onion chips. A way to tap into the whole-food snacking category, Dang’s crispy, melt-in-your mouth chips are lower in fat than fried potatoes, and offer tasty flavors including Chipotle Garlic, Applewood BBQ, Sea Salt and Salt-N-Pepper. dangfoods.com
This small brand crafts delicious kale chips—some may say the best kale chips I’ve ever had—with cool and interesting add-ins, such as bone broth (which we’ve rarely seen as a flavoring) and umami-spiked miso boosted taste. We like how Kaleidoscope Living Foods sources organic, local ingredient, too, although their distribution is limited. kaleidoscopelivingfoods.com
Given the plethora of products that contained seaweed at Fancy Food, we expect this briny, tangy ingredient to soon skyrocket in popularity. A few forces factor into this trend—one being the unsustainability of industrial agriculture, and increased pressure to feed a global population of 7+ billion. Seaweed is particularly primed to grow in the natural channel because it contains vitamins A, C and minerals like iodine, and growing it is a low-intensive practice.
Founder Kevin Nho perfectly roasts seaweed the way his grandmother used to—with love, but with a twist. To make seaweed snacks even more on-trend, this new product incorporates nutrient-dense matcha green tea, too. We love how Nho’s dad handpicks the South Korean-grown seaweed himself. A true family-run business. seaweedlove.com
Possibly the most innovative product at Fancy Food, this marinara sauce was packed with sea lettuce grown by the brand founders—Blue Evolution Foods is both the supplier and manufacturer of this seaweed-centric food brand. Why? A lot of seaweed is imported from Asia. Blue Evolution’s goal is to provide seaweed grown off the coast of North America, to help regenerate the ocean ecology and also to inspire more people to eat this green superfood. The coolest part: you can’t even taste the seaweed—a boon for consumers (like yours truly) who dislike the taste. We expect big things for this brand. blueevolution.com
DearNorth makes minimally processed, real products featuring salmon sustainably caught off the coast of Alaska. This Wild Alaska Coho salmon snack—a slightly dried, softer-than-jerky treat—is flavored with kelp, Mirin, sake, tamari, salt and smoke from a blend of hardwoods. DearNorth’s packaging is pretty spot-on, too. dearnorth.com
Mexican food has long been bastardized by the United States. Case in point: When was the last time you went to a standard Mexican restaurant, ate something smothered in cheese and didn’t end up with a stomachache? But authentic Mexican is packed with unique spice combinations, fresh fruits and vegetables, and cooking methods that coax out super flavor. The one downside: Making authentic Mexican requires a lot of work and know-how. That’s why the best brands are making this popular cuisine more tangible to make in your home kitchen.
Rather than being a direct translation of traditional Mexican recipes, Salsaology’s chef-founder reinterprets classic sauces with unexpected add-ins that totally work. We particularly loved this robust sauce, made with chile negro, roasted nuts, cinnamon, cacao and hibiscus flower. It's vegetarian and gluten free, too. salsa-ology.com
This UK brand recently launched in the U.S. Each thick culinary paste uses the Pasilla Oazaca chilli, a special ingredient that is harvested and then smoked for 12 hours over oak fires. Blended with balsamic vinegar, agave syrup and caramelized onions. Yum! granluchito.com
Meaning “connection” in Aztec, this new brand sells authentic sauces from various regions in Mexico, including Veracruz, Morelos, Yucatan, Oaxaca and our favorite, the Culiacan Chamoy Sauce, a sweet-spicy blend of apricots, lime juice, orange juice, guajillo pepper and more. Spread atop chicken, fish or vegetables and bake. mollisauces.com
Meaning “connection” in Aztec, this new brand sells authentic sauces from various regions in Mexico, including Veracruz, Morelos, Yucatan, Oaxaca and our favorite, the Culiacan Chamoy Sauce, a sweet-spicy blend of apricots, lime juice, orange juice, guajillo pepper and more. Spread atop chicken, fish or vegetables and bake. mollisauces.com
The Winter Fancy Food Show was packed with vendors hawking grass-fed cheese, olives, wines, gourmet oils and more. But amid these specialty foods were brands that exhibited a solid understanding of popular ingredients, emerging flavors and what consumers look for when shopping not just in gourmet groceries, but also in natural channels.
These following food trends, and the brands that represent them, made a strong appearance at Fancy Food, and have high growth potential in the natural industry.
Check ‘em out, and let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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