9 trends finds and so much more from the Natural Products Expo East floor9 trends finds and so much more from the Natural Products Expo East floor

Ongoing COVID-19 challenges can’t mask natural products industry innovation. The New Hope Network content team and trend spotters from SPINS found plenty of products worthy of note at Natural Products Expo East.

Watch the recap in the Natural Products Expo Virtual platform to get commentary and SPINS data insights. Discover even more brands, too, while there.

Here are some of the callouts from the Expo East Post-Show Wrap: Top Trends and Takeaways from Philly with links to their Natural Products Expo Virtual show booths.

Innovation in healthy beverages

The healthy beverage space is drenched in innovation; functional, clean, low-sugar and botanical-infused trends were on display in a range of beverage delivery formats. From wellness shots to botanical boosts, here are some of our top picks.   

Sub trend: Functional coffee

Ready-to-drink coffees, especially cold brews, were accented with plant-based milk, a favorite appearing to be rich and creamy oat. Plus, botanical boosts, gave these picks more focus (literally!) as the latest offerings touted brain benefits and much more.

Trending coffees at Expo East include:          

Laird Superfood Focus Coffee

Odyssey Wellness Focus Coffee

Oaza – Electrolyte-enhanced coffee

Kitu Super Coffee (new plant-based options)

Sub trend: Alcohol-free 

Clean ingredient lists, supercool branding and a message of inclusion. Yes, you can relax and be social without alcohol and these companies prove it. Consumers are making the shift to an alcohol-free or alcohol-reduced lifestyle as they strive to thrive every day. And the marketplace is delivering some crave-worthy options.

Trending alcohol-free products at Expo East include:          

Gruvi 

Mingle Mocktails

Ritual Zero Proof

Mood and immunity

With the increasingly blurred lines between foods and beverages and supplements, more and more sippers are targeting specific concerns, including immune support, balanced mood and increased focus. Biohacker language is entering the herbal products space, where functional ingredients are appearing in higher concentrations than ever before. Ingredient integrity and accurate labeling will be particularly important here, as consumers navigate this new world.

Products we spotted at Expo East include:

Leilo

Wyld CBD RTD 

Shaka Tea immune shots 

R.W. Knudsen Shots 

The scaling of regenerative 

Regenerative practices across the food and beverage, supplements and personal care industries. The focus of the future will be successfully telling the regenerative story at retail and clearly measuring and communicating impact.

Some leading regenerative products spotted at Expo East include:

Alexandre Family Farm

Simply Tera’s

White Leaf Provisions

Tackling food waste

When it comes to food waste, we’re seeing unique business models that not only eliminate or significantly reduce waste but also create employment opportunities across the supply chain. Partnerships and creativity really shine here. Seriously cool.

Some Expo East brands tackling food waste:

Pazzy Pets. Catch them in the Pitch Slam.

Brewers foods

Grain4grain

Hawthorne Valley Ferments 

Agricycle

Global and regional influence

These picks are packed with flavor. New takes on traditional foods, the mainstreaming of exotic flavors and ingredients, and terroir as a differentiator all show up as trends here. Not only do these products deliver unique flavors and ingredients, they also focus on social impact and accessibility of natural and organic. Bringing these products to U.S. consumers creates major employment and supply chain growth opportunities, and also helps the natural products industry connect with often underserved or underrepresented populations.

Global influences at Natural Products Expo East include:

Ziba Foods 

Yishi Foods

Fila Manila

Ayo Foods

The Tomato Head Hummus

Plant-based has evolved into plant-forward

More innovation, unique technologies, exotic flavors, creative formats. Plant based isn’t new, but the ways in which these brands celebrate fruits and veggies are. Organic is important here, as is convenience. Products focus on packing more produce into every diet, reducing sugar and sodium and boosting flavor with herbs, spices and unique fruits and veggies from across the globe.

These are some Expo East brands that put plants front and center:

Sweet Nothings

Simply Good Jars

Sow Good

Actual Veggies

Poshi

The next generation of snacks

Snackers rejoice!! Low sugar, truly clean label, VERY few ingredients, taste amazing. The category is simultaneously sophisticated and exciting, catering to kids and adults with stellar sweet and savory offerings.

Here are some standout snack brands spotted at Natural Products Expo East:

Solely

Sahale Snacks

Speka

Outstanding Foods

Rind Snacks

That’s.It Nutrition

Bon AppeSweet

Lakanto

Watch the replay

The Natural Products Expo East 2021 session Expo East Post-Show Wrap: Top Trends and Takeaways from Philly is available for replay in the Natural Products Expo Virtual community platform.