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The Natural List - Expo West 2025 updates, plant-based protein trends, $795M Simple Mills acquisitionThe Natural List - Expo West 2025 updates, plant-based protein trends, $795M Simple Mills acquisition
Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith dive into more top trends for the year, from clean-label plant-based innovation to major CPG moves. See what they have to say.
22 Min View
New Hope Network
Co-hosts Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith are back with a jam-packed episode exploring the key trends shaping the natural and organic products industry as we gear up for Natural Products Expo West 2025 in Anaheim, California.
Adrienne kicks things off with highlights from her recent trip to Spain, home to the world’s second-largest fish market, before offering a sneak peek at Expo West’s must-see sessions. Don’t miss the State of Natural and Organic keynote on March 5, featuring exclusive insights from Whipstitch Capital and SPINS, and AI Unleashed with Mitch Mitchem on March 6, diving into how AI is transforming the natural products industry.
Jessica and Adrienne also break down the latest trends and opportunities in alternative proteins, discussing Doug Brown’s column on plant-based meat’s clean-label comeback and alternative dairy’s shift to unsweetened mainstream options. Plus, they unpack major industry moves, like Flowers Foods’ $795 million acquisition of Simple Mills, signaling robust growth in the CPG sector.
The episode wraps with a preview of next week’s Dry January non-alcoholic beverage taste test, spotlighting innovative flavor profiles and trends in the booming NA category. Tune in for a masterclass on what’s driving growth and innovation in 2025!
In this episode:
1:00 – Adrienne’s Spanish adventure and market insights.
2:35 – The countdown to Expo West 2025.
8:25 – Alternative meat’s clean-label evolution.
12:40 – Alternative dairy goes unsweetened.
15:05 – $795 million Simple Mills acquisition.
17:40 – UNFI’s big business split.
19:45 – Dry January trends and taste test preview.
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Your hosts
About Jessica Rubino
Jessica Rubino is a natural products industry expert and content strategist with more than 15 years experience in media, events and natural products. As New Hope Network’s vice president of content, Jessica oversees digital and print content, conference programming and branded content for CPGs, retailers, investors and service providers. Jessica is passionate about using innovation as a force for good and leveraging content to spark the changes we want to see in the world.
About Adrienne Smith
Adrienne Smith is the director of content for newhope.com and the editor-in-chief of Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine where she helps ideate and produce content for natural products retailers, brands and entrepreneurs. She also runs the NEXTY Awards, an annual program held in conjunction with Natural Products Expo West that recognizes emerging and established natural CPG brands for their innovation, inspiration and integrity.
Before coming to New Hope Network, Adrienne spent two decades writing about food and beverage products and trends for the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Trade in Madrid, Spain, as well as for publications including the International Herald Tribune/New York Times and El País. A former restaurant owner, chef and sommelier, Adrienne is passionate about food in all its forms.
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The Natural ListAbout the Author
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Mar 4 - Mar 7, 2025
Mar 4 - Mar 7, 2025
Natural Products Expo West is the unmissable gathering of the conscious CPG and retail ecosystem. Join us March 4-7 in Anaheim, California, for Climate Day, Fresh Ideas Marketplace, Natural Products Business School, Natural Products Pitch Slam and more!
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