NEXTY nominees: 61 companies elevating natural & organic to a new level
March 13, 2013
![NEXTY nominees: 61 companies elevating natural & organic to a new level NEXTY nominees: 61 companies elevating natural & organic to a new level](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt09e5e63517a16184/blt7c62dbe499a4fe03/64f1e1e347a6e3de3ce348c1/IMG_0728_0.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
These 100 percent certified-organic and certified-gluten-free vegan burgers might just turn the frozen veggie burger category on its head. Free of the top 10 common food allergens, including gluten, eggs, corn, sesame, soy and dairy, these patties—in original and chipotle flavors—rock the taste buds with a brilliant combo of quinoa, sweet potato, carrots, onion and spices. With "free from" and vegan eating in ascendance, Asherah's makes "you won't miss the meat" a reality.
Nestled in Expo West's Hall E, Baca embodied the best of natural personal care with unique bioactive ingredients from across the globe. Think African marula oil, Australian kakadu plum extract and argan oil from Morocco. Add to that its simple packaging that focuses on these key ingredients and a selection of beauty ingestibles to complement the topical lotions, serums and creams and you've got yourself a next-gen beauty brand.
This entrepreneurial company was made famous by its homegrown mushroom kits (and the co-founder’s stint on The Bachelor, ahem). Now, Back to the Roots debuts its home aquaponics garden. Described as a “self-cleaning fish tank that also grows food,” the kit has a close-loop system that uses fish waste to fertilize the plants above. Apart from being an exceptional tool to teach kids about sustainable gardening, the kit confirms that food can be grown nearly anywhere—even on your kitchen countertop. Fresh herbs, lettuce, beans, and a new pet? Count me in.
For a company to truly be successful, it has to fill a void. Enter: Bamboobies. Void: Brands with "boobies" in the name? Well, yes, but the flagship product type is what make truly makes this Boulder, Colo.-based company stand out. The first of its kind (that I've seen), this company manufacturers eco nursing pads made from soft, absorptive, sustainable bamboo. At Expo West, the company launched yet another first-of-its kind product. Pairing with Bead for Life—another Boulder-based organization, which has helped African women generate income through its paper bead program since 2004 and its Shea Initiative since 2010—Bamboobies came out with the Bell-ease 100 percent Organic Belly and Baby Butter.
Saving the environment is serious business, but sometimes humor is the best way to convince people that doing so is important. Bambooee, makers of reusable, organically sourced bamboo towels, clearly gets this. The company goes for the funny bone—as seen in this "Secret Meeting" commercial—to educate shoppers on how easy and impactful it is to be green. One Bambooee roll replaces up to 286 paper towel rolls. Plus, for every roll of Bambooee sold, the company plants a tree in a much needed area of the world.
File this under "surprised we haven't seen this before": vegan honey! Though it has the exact viscosity of bee honey, this plant-based version is made from non-GMO apples, a squeeze of lemon and a bit of natural cane sugar to achieve a hint-of-tart taste with honey's sticky texture. It looks and cooks exactly like honey, in equal proportions. But unlike regular honey, no bees are used, and it's also safe for kids under 2—no risk of botulism.
Ten years in the making, Beyond Meat is branching beyond its food service debut last year at Whole Foods Market. Their chicken-free coming out Expo West included three gluten-free, refrigerated styles (Lightly Seasoned, Grilled, Southwest) made with non-GMO soy. The fibrous texture of the meat substitute, unlike any other on the market, is set to win over vegetarians and meat eaters alike. We can't help but also be impressed by their values of bettering health, impacting climate change, conserving natural resources and respecting animal welfare.
Science and education: These two factors will be responsible for beauty-from-within's breakout moment, and BioCell excels in both. When it comes to the emerging nutricosmetics category, BioCell is definitely raising the bar. The ingredient manufacturer clearly knows the ins and outs of this biz and has invested research that supports the beauty-boosting benefits of nutricosmetics' all-star ingredient, collagen. BioCell’s partnership with Reserveage on its Ultra Collagen Booster is one example of how a branded ingredient and well-known supplement manufacturer can join together to educate consumers and bring a powerhouse product to the market.
We love almond milk as a nondairy, vegan option, and this one is the cream of the crop. Launched by CEO and Odwalla founder Greg Steltenpohl, this ultra-creamy beverage (in three flavors: unsweetened, coconut and vanilla) even steams up like regular milk for perfect vegan cappuccinos. And the new Iced Coffee with Almondmilk line tastes ridiculously luxurious. We're calling it: Califia has made nondairy milk sexy.
Taste and nutritional quality weren't the only reason Portland-based Chez Marie stood out at Natural Products Expo West with its growing line of vegetarian and now vegan burger patties. The company also turned heads with its new branding and recyclable and biodegradable packaging, which weighs less and leaves a smaller footprint than its original packaging. If you're looking for a resealable zipper on the Chez Marie bags, look again. The company opted to leave the resealable top out of the design because it couldn't find any resealable packaging options that were recyclable. If it will help keep trash out of our landfills, we're happy to reseal our Chez Marie bags with an old-fashioned bag clip or clothes pin.
Clearly Kombucha seems to be on the right track to bringing the health benefits of kombucha to the masses. Their bright, colorful and simply designed labels paired with their yummy flavors like chai cola and filtering process that takes the often intimidating culture out of kombucha is a fun and approachable interpretation.
Ice Cream University's Malcolm Stogo (and inventor of the chocolate dipped waffle cone) teamed up with health expert Steve Hirschhorn to create the most creamy non-dairy frozen dessert we've ever tasted. Sophisticated flavor profiles, such as Key Lime Creme, are made with soy or coconut bases and are setting the bar for non-dairy ice cream everywhere. Currently seeking greater distribution, the company is set to live up to its "finest dairy-free ice cream in the world" promise.
This family-owned line of organic, non-GMO nut-free butters was co-founded by a 12-year-old now-and-future natural products entrepreneur: Lily Pinto, who has a severe nut allergy. Lily is also the force behind "Field to Fingers," a first-of-its kind protocol that vigilantly ensures nut-free processing, including a built-from-scratch nut-free facility. Best of all, the products are delish: creamy and full of flavor. Five varieties: Cinnamon Sugar, Lightly Salted, Slightly Sweet, Pure Unsalted and Chocolate.
Who said baby food had to be serious? At Ella's Kitchen, they've made baby food so fun we even wanted to try it. Bright, simple packaging with amusing names like Baby Brekkie (breakfast) and Nibbly Fingers paired with more adventurous flavors like Totally Cool Caribbean Chicken with mangoes should make every kid and parent giggle with glee.
You know when you just feel like spooning the Nutella straight from the jar? Ek Chok is for those days. The organic chocolate nut butter squeeze packs are made for eating as is. By using a flavorful high quality cacao (the company supports rainforest regeneration in order to produce it), these confections need less added sugar to taste truly decadent. Ayurvedic flavors such as Rose and my favorite, Cardamom, promote well being.
A digestion innovation from Enzymedica just launched at Expo West, the Digest Gold enzyme product is now being offered with ATP or adenosine triphosphate. Foods broken down and assimilated efficiently release energy stored in the form of ATP, the essential energy currency in every cell of the body, according to the company. The new ATPro technology is a blend of critical nutrients that provide ATP and enhance ATP production in order to enhanced digestion, assimilation and energy production.
I've tried a handful of meat "snacks" since Paleo eating went mainstream, but this is the first product to get it right. Dubious? I was as well, until the 100 percent grass-fed beef, turkey and bison bars won me over with tasty gourmet flavors including my favorite, Bison Cranberry Bacon. What's more, each offers between 11 and 14 grams of clean protein from whole food ingredients.
The idea that just a few potent plant-based ingredients can cater to skin's multifaceted needs has never seemed more relevant, as women become increasingly attuned to what's really in their beauty products—yet still want skin care that works. That's why evanhealy's concept of radical simplicity really spoke to me at the show. Esthetician and founder, Evan Healy created an entire beauty brand on these words (and a lot of passion). Products including moisturizers, tonics, cleansers and serums source organic ingredients, ranging from lavender and rose to green tea and lemongrass, from small farms in Washington and France. By combining homeopathic and Ayurvedic philosophies, regarding skin as a living, breathing part of the body, and sourcing organic ingredients, this company succeeds in creating a line that ties beauty to overall health and wellness.
Riding the fermented foods craze, these raw, organic, local-ingredient krauts and kimchis use an old-school process to create kicky flavors like Ginger Beet and Spicy Wakame Ginger. Even cooler: These living foods are packaged in a BPA-free pouch that has a small valve to let out the naturally occurring gases without introducing oxygen—the first such fermented-food package innovation in the U.S. Because they're lightweight, the pouches also cut two-thirds of carbon emissions compared with heavy glass jars.
Not all omega fatty acids are created by fish oil, and Flora proves it with its just-released 7 sources—a complete, all-in-one omega fatty acid product derived from seven land and sea plants. Containing EPA and DHA from algae instead of fish, the company lowers its eco footprint while also offering up a gluten, soy and GMO-free product with clever advertising to boot. This vegan oil can also be incorporated into salads and recipes for a more interesting and lifestyle-friendly way to get your daily value.
Founder Robin Gentry Mcgee created Functional Formularies' Liquid Hope while watching her father linger near death on a feeding tube after suffering a serious brain injury. After deciding to change his food to an organic whole-food formula and realizing that one did not exist, she created this shelf-stable, real meal replacement and enteral formula. With 99.9 percent whole food ingredients, this product is vegan and free from dairy, gluten, GMOs and BPA packaging. It's also diabetic friendly, with no added sugar.
One of the taglines at Harmless Harvest says it all—"Hard to make & easy to get." The company began life with a popular line of coconut water, sourced directly from small farms in Thailand in close stewardship of an untamed native palm species. From there to a new line of raw teas about to hit the market, still in synch with the harmless mission. Everything about this company reeks of authenticity: Products are 100 percent organic with no additives. There’s full transparency in the supply chain. The bottles are high-pressure processed to avoid pasteurization and degradation of nutrient content. It's raw and real and what's next for natural products.
At Natural Products Expo West, this homeopathic pharmaceutical company unveiled its Reboost cold and flu product line, bringing together four of the company's cold, cough and flu products under a single brand. The Reboost brand's suite of medicines have been specifically designed for the retail market with visually-compelling, recognizable branding and packaging that includes consumer-friendly information. With a nasal spray, throat spray, tablets and cough syrup, this line of products will replace previous Heel products Nectadyn, Sinusin and Vinceel for the retail marketplace, with changes set to debut on store shelves beginning September 2013.
Based in Oakland, Calif., Hodo Soy Beanery is bringing new life to soy and proving to even those who have never been big soy fans that tofu can be artisanal and delicious. One standout Hodo Soy product from Natural Products Expo West was the Sesame Yuba Strips. The company's founder, Minh Tsai, makes the yuba by hand, lifting the delicate skin that forms on the top of steaming soy milk and cutting it into noodle-like strips and then marinating it in the most delicious sesame sauce. Hodo Soy's products are all made from non-GMO soybeans, and the company's fare is soon to turn up inside Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. Starting in February, Bay Area Chipotle restaurants began testing burritos, tacos, burrito bowls and salads made with Hodo Soy sofritas, which is made from tofu braised with chipotle chilis, roasted poblanos and spices. Based on the quality and taste of Hodo Soy's other offerings, we have a feeling the Chipotle test will go well, and we'll see Hodo Soy sofritas take the country by storm.
Up until Expo West, we had a big case of water bottle fatigue. While reusable bottles are great—they banish bottled water, they’re durable, they look good—we thought we had seen it all. Then we met the folks at Hydro Flask. Made from food grade stainless steel, Hydro Flasks have a double wall vacuum to insulate the liquid inside: in-between the two layers of steel there's, well, nothing. It's a space empty of matter, which means liquids stay cold up to 24 hours and hot up to 12 hours. Hydro Flask recently added a 64-ounce growler-sized jug to its line, all the better to keep local craft beer chilly. Hydro Flask is also a great example of a crossover natural product—it's especially popular with the outdoor-minded crowd.
Industry veteran Brendan Synnott, formerly of Bear Naked granola, started this complete natural pet care brand, seeking to be sold only in the natural channel. Holistic vet-formulated products include raw dehydrated food with raw meat, pet treats, grooming care, supplements and flea and tick protection. What really makes the brand pop is its packaging and clever, quirky messaging that keeps consumers engaged in the healthy relationship with their furry friends. Bonus: The company is co-founder of the Pet Industry Sustainability Coalition—a collaborative playground for advancing sustainability. The Coalition debuted its collaborative approach in Feb. and has been picking up serious momentum with more than 30 committed pet companies. To find out more about the Coalition, their Pet Industry Sustainability Toolkit and the Sustainability Leader Award, check out the website.
Most meal replacements rely on whey or soy for accessible, concentrated protein. This vegan version—the first of its kind—was created by two parents for their daughter (who has cerebral palsy), in consultation with Art Eggertsen, founder of PROBAR. GMO-free, hypoallergenic, made with organic brown rice protein (17 grams per serving) and containing 21 "superfoods," such as acai, chia and green tea extract, it's a plant-only, nutritional powerhouse in a carton. Vanilla Bliss (our fave), Cocoa Fudge, and Jav'a Latte flavors.
We love Kishu for its simplicity. Sourced from Japanese artisans, oak branches are slowly carbonized in special kilns over five days until they grow glasslike and filled with superabsorbent microcavities. Drop Kishu into your water pitcher, and it removes impurities like lead, mercury and copper and imparts healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium. One piece of charcoal lasts six months—afterwards, bury it in your garden to fortify the soil. Compostable packaging makes us love this minimalist water purifier even more.
It doesn't get much better than flavor, nutrition and innovation. Almonds and omega-3-rich walnuts combine to deliver 6 grams of protein per serving in this nutty spread. Dates, rather than sugar, offer a touch of sweetness. Most impressive, though, is the addition of 50 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamins (you can't taste them at all), making life just a little easier.
Maison Le Grand's raw sauces are wonderfully complex and packed with warm, rich flavor. Their pouch packaging remains cutting edge, and they prove to be a wonderful, consistently excellent brand.
These pouches offer nutrition and convenience. Chia seeds combine with fruits and vegetables for a delicious, 70-calorie, no sugar added anytime snack. Available in great flavors—Apple Cinnamon, Blackberry Bliss, Strawberry Banana and Green Magic—each is USDA-certified organic, non-GMO verified, vegan and gluten-free. They're also packed with 1,200 mg of essential omega-3, as well as complete protein and fiber.
As the world's largest vertically integrated hemp food manufacturer and the company that helped to legalize industrial hemp in Canada, Manitoba Harvest knows hemp and is dedicated to educating retailers, consumers, governments and anyone else who will listen about the nutritional and environmental benefits of hemp. Manitoba Harvest also makes high-quality, delicious hemp hearts, hemp oils and other products that make it easy to incorporate the healthy ingredient into any busy lifestyle. The company debuted its evolved branding and packaging design at Natural Products Expo West 2013, and the new contemporary look and feel is likely to make Manitoba Harvest and its hemp products more accessible to a broader range of consumers. Watch out, chia! Thanks to the efforts of companies such as Manitoba Harvest and its founder, Mike Fata, we believe hemp is positioned to break down the legal barriers that have historically hindered its growth to become the next breakthrough nutritional ingredient in natural and organic products.
We love Maple Hill Creamery because they are leading the charge of grass-fed dairy and insisting that this category should mean 100 percent grass fed (in contrast to the commonly labeled 80 percent). Kudos to a wonderful product and a brave stance.
Even the most dedicated chocoholic won't know what's missing from these truly decadent truffle-like treats. Available in eight gourmet flavors, including our favorite—Mint, Lime, Sea Salt—each is gluten or dairy free, free from refined sugar and made with carob—yes, carob. Wonderfully smooth and creamy with a surprisingly rich chocolaty flavor, the three-per-pack squares just taste like a guilty pleasure.
Makes cleaning a little more personal and fun. The packaging highlights why we need to clean things in the first place with playful black and white pictures, like kids smashing their face against glass, paired with a simple, clean design that communicates the company's eco-friendly mission.
When celebrating innovation, it's common to overlook companies that have been doing it right for decades. Nature's Path continues to push the envelope with new product launches—this year's tasty Q'ia cereal nails the chia craze. But behind the retail scene, this family-owned company continues to set the standard for organic and non-GMO activism, most recently by sponsoring the world premier of GMO OMG, a new documentary film by Jeremy Seifert.
Formerly called Real Simple Delicious under the Cook!SF banner, Nonalim is the eponymous new branding for Singapore-native Nona Lim's vegan, gluten- and dairy-free frozen soups. With incredible, fresh flavor and filled with wholesome, identifiable ingredients, these soups make healthy, ready-in-minutes eating as good as homemade. They're also much lower in sodium that typical premade soups. The Zucchini and Carrot Ginger flavors are especially good.
Tea is so ubiquitous in the natural products world that coming up with an entirely new approach borders on impossible. So kudos to Numi Tea for busting open the category with Savory Tea, delicious vegetable-based combos made with organic vegetables, herbs, decaf tea and spices. As a snack, cleansing beverage or meal accompaniment, they're a delightfully innovative way to enjoy a hot cup. Every flavor is terrific, but we especially love Carrot Curry and Tomato Mint.
We saw quite a bit of maqui berry, a rediscovered superfruit with sky-high antioxidant levels, at Expo West. This tasty, certified-organic maqui powder blend also contains green tea and acai for a superhealthy boost for smoothies, cereal, yogurt, you name it. And we love the grabby, clean packaging. Bravo to OMG! for bringing this powerfully healthy ingredient to market in an easy-to-use form.
Oregon Cherry Growers is the largest producer and processor of sweet cherries in the world. As a grower-owned cooperative, Oregon Cherry Growers is focused on protecting the land and the quality of life for its producers, who have faced some volatile recent years in the cherry business. Along with its member farmers and their Pacific Northwest orchards, the cooperative makes its own line of cherry products and provides for a number of private-label brands. The company's natural maraschino cherries were a standout at Natural Products Expo West for their crunch and not-too-sweet taste.
Taking the next step in responsibility. Organic Essence first started creating lip balms, creams and soaps that were made from sustainable, organic ingredients but felt a disconnect as they poured them into ordinary, landfill-destined plastic containers. That's why they invented their eco-friendly, biodegradable packages that can go into anyone's compost. Their innovative lip balm packaging was definitely a step in the right direction!
This beauty brand is doing so much right, starting with its focus on results. Noticing the trend, yet? Regardless of the natural factor, a product has to work to get a loyal following. Own has also invested in clinical research to show that when used topically, its featured ingredient, Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), can improve skin firmness, evenness of tone and softness. Plus, it's tapping technology with its My Own App that takes a photo of your skin, pairs you with the right products and tracks results.
We all need chic essentials like underwear, socks and T-shirts. But could our underthings be doing more? PACT Organics thinks so. Each season, this innovative company partners with worthy philanthropies to create collections centered on specific causes. PACT's Spring 2013 line teams up with Whole Kids foundation and Indiegogo to build 100 urban gardens across the United States, featuring organic-cotton designs celebrating this initiative. Think tomato-hued bandana-print leggings, blossom socks and zig-zag camisoles reminiscent of vintage horse blankets. Yea, we dig these altruistic undies.
Prometheus' refreshing, new packaging design captures the fiery essence of their beverages. We love how their bold graphics complement their sweet and spicy flavors, like Mango Chili, Citrus Cayenne and Spicy Pear.
A revolution in microwave popcorn that ditches plastic and Teflon-patched bags, hydrogenated oils and artificial flavorings for organic, non-GMO corn and compostable bags. We also love the gourmet flavors using simple ingredients that you add after the corn is popped. Brilliant!
Raw food has come a long way, but it's companies like RawFoodz that are pushing it even farther. The Canadian duo of Michelle Cass and Sher Kopman has been making nutrient-dense organic, raw, vegan salad dressings and buttery spreads since 2010. These absolutely delicious and healthy products made their U.S. debut at Expo West; we have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of them nationwide.
Since 2009, Rooibee (pronounced Ruby) Red Tea has charted a path from Louisville, Ky., farmers markets to 1,500 stores nationwide. From 2010 to 2012 alone, sales of their USDA Organic bottled South African rooibos tea have increased more than 330 percent. We're impressed by "CTeaO" and mother of two Heather Howell (pictured at left) and the team heading up this better-for-you beverage company, which is now Women's Business Enterprise National Council certified. Did we mention this bev tastes delicious?
Any parent struggling to get their kid to eat veggies will appreciate these frozen pops. While they come in kid-friendly fruit flavors like Strawberry (Rock-It Red), Orbit Orange and Kiwi (Galaxy Green), these sugar-free pops also sneak in a healthy serving of vegetables, including beets, sweet potatoes and spinach. Add a dose of probiotics and this is a treat that can be enjoyed again and again.
The Spindrift story is one that is probably familiar to many natural products consumers. The company's founder grew up in a household where no soda was allowed unless it was made with natural ingredients. Today, Spindrift's sodas go several steps further by showcasing only fresh-squeezed fruit, crushed berries and triple-filtered water in its refreshing and not-too-sweet flavors. Spindrift is also a 1% for the Planet member and shows its support for conservation groups by printing info about their organizations on its bottle caps.
Thanks to its blends of high-performance natural ingredients, such as yeast extract collagen and polypeptides, Suki is leading the way in proving that natural products can perform. Though its price point is high, with clinical research and salon-quality branding, Suki will carve out a niche in the natural products industry, gaining the attention of women accustomed to spending dinero on skin care at department stores and spas.
Forget those ubiquitous red landfill-bound party cups. Savvy gals and guys choose Susty Party’s certified home-compostable plates, cups, straws, and cutlery. Made from rapidly growing plant materials like tapioca starch and grass fiber, Susty Party’s starch plates are dyed with festive mineral pigments and baked, so they have a super-durable feel. (They're even oven-proof!) We love this company because it renders eco-friendly living accessible and trendy. Plus, Susty Party cups are manufactured in collaboration with a nonprofit dedicated to empower visually impaired people. Party on!
Tired of ready-to-bake cookies that taste store bought and come out flat as pancakes? I didn't know there was another option until trying Sweet Loren's. Cookies in mouth-watering flavors like Bold Espresso Chunk, Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry, Nutty Peanut Butter Oatmeal and Heavenly Chocolate Chunk cook up dense and chewy. Perhaps that's because they're free from the preservatives and artificial ingredients found in many store brands and instead use whole grains and sucanat as the sweetener. They're also dairy free.
By adding coconut milk to chia seeds, these cups have a tapioca-like consistency that's just as fun to eat as it is nutritious. Rich in omega-3s and fiber, swap the Snack Packs for one of four kid-friendly flavors: Blueberry, Mango, Banana and my favorite, Vanilla Bean.
The Honest Kitchen has exemplified transparency in ingredient sourcing for 11 years. The company's now 26 human employees and eight four-legged executives have pioneered human-grade, dehydrated food for pets that sources organic whenever possible and chooses sustainability over cost (CEO and Founder Lucy Postin's own words!) Fair trade, cage-free and improving pet health are also part of the lexicon and DNA of The Honest Kitchen, and it's clear that pets love them for it.
These unique noodles are nothing short of a revelation. They're made with—wait for it—a single ingredient (plus water): either red lentils or black beans. That not only makes them completely vegan, gluten- and allergen-free, but also full of healthy, plant-based protein. They're also organic, non-GMO and made with U.S.-grown crops. And the taste and texture are fantastic, not heavy, gritty, slimy or overly dense like some gluten-free noodles. How do they do it?
Who'dathunk that apple juice could be so exciting? These completely raw, pressure-pasteurized juices are love at first sip: Each flavor (at Expo West, we tried Granny Smith, Honeycrisp and Fuji) tastes exactly like the unpeeled apples that were pressed to make it. Tart-sweet, incredibly refreshing and charmingly real—even the juice color corresponds to whichever apple is inside. No more supersweet apple juice concentrate for us!
Tumeric was a hot spice at the show, but no food or beverage company leveraged it's anti-inflammatory properties better than Tumeric Alive. Dubbed "yoga in a bottle," Tumeric Alive combines tumeric with Ayurvedic ingredients, such as ginger, cardamom, lemon and spearmint. Sweetened only with honey, agave or coconut nectar, depending on the flavor. The result is a spicy sipper that invigorates—worthy for a post-Bikram refresh. We're loving the front-of-package ingredient list as well.
Twinlab's new Clean Series deftly embraces the fastest-growing trend in sports nutrition—clean, third-party-certified, worry-free products. To appease coaches and regulators, the Clean Series range is HFL Informed Sport certified for banned substances and every ingredient is identity-tested through Twinlab’s in-house TwinID program. And to appease Mom, the products are gluten-free, non-GMO certified and formulated without artificial dyes, flavors or sweeteners. As sports nutrition goes mainstream, Twinlab is well-positioned to capture new enthusiasts.
Upton's packaging may get graphic inspiration from old-town butcher shops, but their products are far from meaty. Their delicious varieties of sietan stand out from the rest, just like their packaging. We love their brown butcher paper and hand drawn graphics paired with the quirky mustaches.
When it comes to research, product development and consumer and retailer education, you'd be hard pressed to find a company doing it better than New Hampshire-based Badger. Beyond its dedication to bringing effective, nontoxic sunscreens to the market, Badger develops comprehensive education programs to ensure retailers are armed with all the information they need to answer consumers' burning questions. Plus, the brand seems light years ahead of the game when it comes to nano testing. Badger conducts various complex scientific tests to substantiate its non-nano zinc oxide claims. And there's more: Badger continues innovating to make the best product possible. At West, it introduced several new SKUs that feature the company's same non-nano zinc oxide but apply with a lightweight, sheer consistency that remains a priority to consumers (and is not easy to accomplish with a larger zinc oxide particle size).
It's not just about the hummus. Founded by two Wall Street refugees, Zilks Foods brings all-natural ingredients and financial savvy to the dips business. The team partnered early with The Butler Bros—a celebrated branding agency with a soft spot for social entrepreneurship—in an equity-for-services arrangement that aligns interests far beyond any one marketing campaign or paycheck. Plus, these good folks are keeping things local. Zilks refers to the popular Zilker Park in Austin, a nod to the community in which this business was born and bred.
It's not just about the hummus. Founded by two Wall Street refugees, Zilks Foods brings all-natural ingredients and financial savvy to the dips business. The team partnered early with The Butler Bros—a celebrated branding agency with a soft spot for social entrepreneurship—in an equity-for-services arrangement that aligns interests far beyond any one marketing campaign or paycheck. Plus, these good folks are keeping things local. Zilks refers to the popular Zilker Park in Austin, a nod to the community in which this business was born and bred.
Meet the NEXTY nominee class of 2013. Selected at Natural Products Expo West 2013, this crop of natural businesses is poised to bring change to industry with innovative ideas and strong leadership.
Our NEXTY Editors' Choice winners were announced in June 2013. Learn more about the winners and why we chose them.
These three forward-thinking companies were the NEXTY People's Choice winners in 2013.
NEXTY award nominees are recognized as thought leaders and innovators at Natural Products Expo West by the NEXT Forecast research team. More NEXTY nominees will be chosen at Natural Products Expo West 2014.
The NEXT Forecast is a joint venture between New Hope Natural Media and Sterling-Rice Group. NEXT Forecast 2015 will publish in June 2014.
You May Also Like