February 17, 2016
![57 NEXTY Awards nominees display the innovation, inspiration and integrity of the natural products industry 57 NEXTY Awards nominees display the innovation, inspiration and integrity of the natural products industry](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt09e5e63517a16184/blt59bb93ff62112734/64ff215ea8b7cd6730d71a99/NEXTY-logo-promo_16.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
EatPops EatPops takes the popular juicing trend and puts it on a stick. Developed by law student Sophie Milrom, EatPops makes fresh juices more accessible to the masses because of the extended shelf life and lower cost of freezing the nutritious juices. This better-for-you frozen dessert comes in flavors such as Green Detox, featuring kale, spinach, apple, pineapple, lemon, ginger and cayenne, or Activate with beet, apple and carrot. We also love the simple packaging that displays the ingredients right on the front of the box. Salty Girl Seafood Coho Salmon with Lemon Pepper & Garlic Sustainability and transparency are more than just buzzwords at Salty Girl Seafood, a company that packages ready-to-eat and frozen fish. The founders believe everyone has the right to accurate information about their seafood products, which is commendable in a world where popular fish, such as snapper and tuna, are mislabeled at retail and restaurants a whopping 87 percent and 59 percent of the time, respectively. Innovators
EPIC Provisions Turkey Cranberry Sage Bone Broth EPIC continues to advance its animal ethic by debuting broth. But don’t think this is just the latest in the broth craze. EPIC upped the game, as it is known to do. This broth is sippable; ready for the retail grab-and-go, ready-to-drink case. Further, the company offers flavor profiles grandma wasn’t using in the kitchen. Think Beef Jalapeno Sea Salt and Turkey Cranberry Sage. This modern take has 18 grams protein, collagen and gelatin. It is gluten free and, of course, paleo friendly. Follow Your Heart VeganEgg Follow Your Heart recently launched the groundbreaking “VeganEgg,” a 100 percent plant-based whole egg replacer that has the texture and functional properties of eggs. It meets the need of many special diet eaters—egg free, dairy free, allergen free, gluten free, non-GMO and cholesterol free—while also boosting calcium (10 percent of the daily value) and fiber (16 percent DV). VeganEgg also contains omega-3s, 1g of complete protein
Global Family Farms Sherpa Power A trio of tasty, not-too-sweet teas from Sherpa Power feature Nepalese green or black teas sweetened with yacon—a high mountain tuber providing a low-glycemic syrup—and boosted with the ayurvedic herbs amla and ashwagandha. Sherpa Power hits, in their words, “key industry trends in the RTD beverage category, such as ancient wisdom, use of whole leaf brewed tea, alternative sweeteners and adaptogenic herbs,” backed with charitable works supporting a Nepalese women’s group and local sustainable farming coops and served up in flavors like mango, pomegranate and peach ginger. Global Gardens Group Inc. Veggemo Breaking news on the nut-free side of dairy-free “milks”: Global Gardens Veggemo harnesses the protein power of peas to produce a tasty beverage. Available in unsweetened—the only one that has any discernible pea flavor—original and vanilla, each sporting, respectively, 7 and 10 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving, all served up in a unique asceptic container.
Mother Dirt AO+ Mist The idea of bacteria as friend rather than a foe is a hot topic in the health community, with more food and supplement companies using prebiotics and probiotics to address our microbiomes and support overall wellness. But Mother Dirt is the first beauty brand of its kind to look at the skin biome and the important role bacteria may play in combating our overly “clean” approach to skin care. Kudos to a company investing in research (AOBiome is the name of its research partner) and helping us rethink healthy skin in a way that connects to macro industry forces. Radico Colour Me Organic Earning organic certification is difficult for beauty manufacturers, especially in categories like hair and nail care. But this brand has achieved it: The EcoCert and USDA Organic line includes 23 plant-based colors made with ingredients such as coffee, henna and hibiscus. The company does an excellent job maintaining its commitment to transparency, including educating consumers
Back to the Roots Water Garden Not just an aquarium. Not just an herb garden. The Back to the Roots Water Garden is a tiny, educational (and functional!) aquaponics system. Just add water, fish (and fish food) and let the symbiosis begin as the fish poop feeds the plants above. The harvests are small—and no protein harvest from this aquaponics system—but educational opportunities are big. bamboobies Bamboo Reusable Nursing Pads “Breastfeeding is beautiful, but not always easy,” the ladies at bamboobies like to say. “Leaks are not fun!” Their solution? Reusable bamboo nursing pads that provide both more leak-proofing and less bulky show-through than all-cotton alternatives—all with a rayon velour surface soft enough to create nursing envy. Products come in various thicknesses (including overnight pads) and even disposable bamboo pads. And who doesn’t love the name?
Joyful Bath Co. Bathday Natural Dog Soap Trendy organic beauty ingredients aren’t just for people. This vegan, cruelty-free dog soap bar—made with organic olive oil, organic coconut oil, organic oats and non-GMO vitamin E—does more than just clean and condition a pooch’s coat: It’s also formulated to hydrate and nourish itchy, sensitive skin, with lavender essential oil to keep Sparky calm during his bath. The ultra-clean cleansing bar strikes us as a logical evolution in pet products. The Honest Kitchen Bone Broth with Turmeric For pets a bit down in the appetite department, this functional liquid treat—sold in dehydrated form—couldn’t be simpler or more appealing. Beef bone broth, parsley, pumpkin and turmeric extract combine with warm water to make a tasty, nourishing drink that you can offer on its own, or pour over kibble for extra moisture. The turmeric isn’t just added spice, either: With 95 percent curcuminoids, it’s potent enough to pack a welcome anti-inflammatory punch.
Dear North Alaska Salmon Bites These wild-caught Ocean-Bright Coho Salmon bites offer a fresh (and fresh tasting) take on jerky. The small and chewy shreds satisfy a snack attack or two, as the package reseals for later. They could just as easily add flavor to rice, salads or other dishes to boost protein. Sustainably caught in the glacial waters of Alaska, Dear North’s Coho Salmon is infused with decisively Alaskan flavors such as fireweed honey, rhubarb and raspberries, sea kelp and spruce. Dear North focuses on sustainability and traceability, including following the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s Traceability Standard. But it is Dear North’s local economy focus that impresses. Alaskan Natives own the company and focus on building skills, jobs and a future for their people. Good Seed Patties A Paleo-friendly veggie burger? Can you say Pegan? Good Seed did it with its latest products, and it did it well. The company might have the special diets covered, but what excited us the most was the clean
NeoCell Joint Bursts NeoCell is no stranger to innovation when it comes to unique supplement delivery formats. Following in the footsteps of Beauty Bursts and Biotin Bursts—which provide high-potency nutrients in a gourmet, flavored soft chew—Joint Bursts combine collagen 2, hyaluronic acid and turmeric for the market's first joint-specific collagen chew. Low-sugar and naturally flavored, these chews are bound to make regular joint supplementation less of a chore for consumers weary of adding yet another pill to their regimen. Premama Fertility Reproductive Support Powdered Supplement Moms-to-be who are tired of swallowing horse pills will no doubt jump at the opportunity to take their prenatals using Premama’s dissolvable drink packets, which blend seamlessly with water, beverages and soft foods. The Fertility Reproductive Support SKU is formulated with myo-inositol for healthy ovulatory function and egg quality, along with folic acid to support prenatal health. Premama keeps their drink mixes gluten free
DDW, The Color House Purple Corn Concentrate for Color DDW, The Color House brings new possibilities to product formulators in search non-GMO vibrant red color with its new Purple Corn Color Concentrate. With a neutral flavor and a novel anthocyanin color, Purple Corn Concentrate is gently produced without the use of solvents. Domestically grown using traditional breeding practices, controlled from seed to sale, DDW’s supply chain is abundant, transparent and vertically integrated. Glanbia Nutritionals HarvestPro Pea Protein 83E Clean label and plant-based are the operatives for the 2016 NEXTY Best New Ingredient finalists. Glanbia Nutritionals offers a new plant-based protein solution that looks and tastes great, delivering a neutral flavor profile without any flavor maskers. Sioux Natural Veggan A plant-based egg replacement ingredient formulation that matches the functional and nutritional properties for eggs in industrial bakery applications.
Alter Eco Quinoa Pouch Made From Compostable Materials Pouch packages are hugely popular—but they’re not recyclable, meaning they go straight to the landfill. Alter Eco has taken a step in the right direction by making one from compostable materials. The patent-pending packaging is made from birch and eucalyptus wood pulp, non-GMO corn and non-toxic ink. Back to the Roots Organic Stoneground Flakes It looks more like a carton of milk than a box of cereal, but Back to the Roots’ clever packaging stands out on the shelf and uses 18 percent less paper than traditional bag-in-box cereals, plus it omits the plastic bag, making it completely recyclable. The three-ingredient cereal on the inside is just as impressive. Dear North Alaska Smoked Sockeye Salmon Is fish from a can really all that appetizing? Dear North gives this smoked salmon an artisanal feel by packing it in cute, re-usable jars that showcase the beautiful red color of its wild-caught fish.
Kamut International Kracklin' KAMUT Usually when you hear about ancient grains, you think about a cereal, a bread or maybe a pasta product. Kracklin’ Kamut gives an intriguing mix of taste and texture to eat on the go. Kamut is an ancient grain with higher protein and a lower risk for people with grain sensitivities. That’s interesting, but the taste and satisfaction is what make Kracklin’ Kamut stand out. Ancient wheats as a snack will be new for most people, but it’s a product we could see sticking around for a long time. Maple Hill Creamery 100% Grass-Fed Whole Milk Kefir Made with organic milk from Maple Hill Creamery’s 100 percent grass-fed cows, this tart and tasty kefir is free from stabilizers, gums, thickeners and “natural flavors.” Plus, the company works with farmers who use rotational grazing and other dairy farming practices that ensure health of their cows and the land.
Bitty Foods Chiridos Cricket Flour Snack Chips Cricket protein is all the rage—but for quesy consumers unschooled in entomophagy (the act of eating insects), biting into a six-legged critter is a big ask. But cricket protein is far more sustainable than beef, chicken, pork or fish—crickets use a fraction of the water and land to grow. Bitty Foods' new snack product can bridge the mental gap between wanting to eat cricket protein and actually doing so. These (really good!) spicy, crunchy puffs contain a blend of lentil flour and cricket flour, and come in Tex-Mex flavors including Spicy Mole, Baja Ranchero and Salsa Verde. Karma Nuts Wrapped Cashews You’ve heard of cashews before. But have you heard of wrapped cashews? Karma’s new product delivers tasty, salty cashews that are wrapped in their tawny-brown natural skin. The result is a robust, fiber-boosted snack that satiates. As chronic cashew overeaters, testers said just a handful of these interesting nuts would quell their 3 p.m. hunger pangs.
Heavenly Organics Chocolate Honey Patties These are remarkable in their simplicity (all flavors contain only four ingredients or less, such as 100 percent cocoa and 100 percent organic raw white honey) but offer a creamy bite of goodness owing to their high-quality, organic and sustainably farmed ingredients. Those ingredients are produced by a cooperative of hundreds of organic farms in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and throughout Northern and Central India. The company works to preserve the traditional lifestyle of these small family-owned farms that work according to ancient, natural methods that preserve the rich fertile soil and ensure the maximum health-promoting qualities of the food they produce. Plus, they use raw honey to ensure that all the delicate enzymes and health-promoting qualities are preserved.
Burma Superstar Burma Love Laphet From the kitchen of San Francisco’s Burma Superstar restaurant comes a whole new kind of condiment for adventurous foodies: fermented tea leaves. In Burma, tea is eaten as well as drank—famously as part of tea leaf salads—as it is thought to be the way to get the most nutritional benefits from the leaves. The restaurant’s owners have packaged savory, energizing organic fermented tea leaves picked and fermented by farmers in Burma to create a unique topping packed with antioxidants. EPIC Provisions Duck Fat Cooking Oil New to EPIC’s line of animal fats is cage-free duck fat—a versatile, flavorful cooking fat that’s stable at high temperatures and rich in saturated and monounsaturated fats. In addition to making an ingredient used often in commercial kitchens more accessible to everyday consumers, it also demonstrates EPIC’s noteworthy nose-to-tail commitment of using and appreciating all parts of an animal, thus minimizing waste.
Ethical Bean Coffee Ground Sweet Espresso Most people would probably prefer to start their morning knowing their coffee was grown, harvested, roasted and transported cleanly and consciously. A Fair Trade designation will ease your conscience with every sip, but B Corp status is a step up. Ethical Bean Coffee is 100 percent organic. The roasting facility is carbon neutral. The company also makes educational efforts and does other projects in Guatemala. On top off all those careful and conscientious steps, the company layers transparency with a phone app to let consumers know where their coffee was grown and how it was harvested. You also get to see where some of the money goes. Gaia Herbs Maca Powder Gaia Herbs is a true leader in transparency. Many of the herbs it sells are grown on its own farms. The supply chain on every other product is entirely transparent, too, but maca is a special product with special challenges. Popularity has exploded, and brokers are cutting corners.
Natural Factors Whole Earth & Sea Whole food, sustainable and bioenergetic (roughly, the chi of food) supplements are quite the winning combination. Many of the nutrients are grown on Natural Factors’ certified organic farms, then gently processed. The Whole Earth & Sea line includes age- and gender-specific multis, protein bars, aquaceuticals, mushrooms and more. The Star Trek crew wishes it had food delivered like this. Nature's Dynamics Vegan Garden Gummy Line Gummies get going in this 100 percent vegan, pectin-based line, which includes vitamin D3, as well as both kids and adult multivitamins. The company tells us that a prenatal multi and a probiotic gummy are on tap in the near future. The company is also sending out organic heirloom seeds so you can start your own garden from the fruits, vegetables and spices found in the gummies.
Back to the Roots Organic Stoneground Flakes Back to the Roots awakens the sleepy cereal category with an ultra-clean product made with just three USDA Organic ingredients: locally grown corn, cane sugar and sea salt. That’s it! We love how BTTR is dedicated to educating kids on the importance of knowing where food comes from and eating simply. The brand accomplishes this by including playful sourcing information on the back of package, and even a recipe to make the flakes in your home kitchen. The lesson: eating well doesn’t have to be hard. Frontier Co-op Saffron For this delicate, hand-harvested spice, Frontier partnered with U.S. veteran-owned spice company Rumi Spice, which aims to help stabilize Afghanistan by providing farming families a mode of income besides selling poppy to the Taliban—growing saffron. Frontier helped Rumi establish an innovative pricing structure, provide transparency, and is now converting its entire saffron line to Afghan sources, which doubles the volume that Rumi
Best New Supplement Gaia Herbs Daily Wellbeing This once-daily blend of potent herbal extracts and plant-sourced vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, calcium and vitamin D3 helps women maintain the foundations of optimal vitality. Four unique herbal combinations—inflammatory response, immune support, stress management and women’s health—deliver support in key areas of wellness. The Gaia “Meet Your Herbs” program allows consumers to find out everything about the plant, from where exactly it was grown to lab tests validating its authenticity. Natural Factors BioSil On Your Game BioSil On Your Game is specially designed for men because a double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trial on men showed the product actually increased collagen content in joints. This measurable change validated the subjects reporting significant joint discomfort relief, increased range of motion and increased flexibility. That allows the company to say the choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid (ch-OSA) supplement support
California Kids #superclear Zit Balm Breakouts aren’t just for hormonal teenagers and stressed-out young adults. Kids today are experiencing acne as early as 7 years old, and although they’re no longer babies, they still have very delicate and sensitive skin. While many of the acne products on the market are too harsh for kids’ skin, this zit balm is a preservative-free ointment powered by the purifying properties of activated charcoal, French clay and organic tea tree to draw out impurities. We think kids wouldn’t mind dabbing on the charcoal gray ointment that dries clear, and we love the company's focus on "how to take care of your skin" education via an easy 1-2-3 skincare regimen.
California Kids #superclear Zit Balm Breakouts aren’t just for hormonal teenagers and stressed-out young adults. Kids today are experiencing acne as early as 7 years old, and although they’re no longer babies, they still have very delicate and sensitive skin. While many of the acne products on the market are too harsh for kids’ skin, this zit balm is a preservative-free ointment powered by the purifying properties of activated charcoal, French clay and organic tea tree to draw out impurities. We think kids wouldn’t mind dabbing on the charcoal gray ointment that dries clear, and we love the company's focus on "how to take care of your skin" education via an easy 1-2-3 skincare regimen.
What will tomorrow’s healthy living landscape look like? These products and companies offer a glimpse.
In the first year of the new New Hope NEXTY Awards process, more than 500 products were nominated in 19 categories. In early February, our team of editors and trend researchers whittled down the nominees to three finalists in each category based on the NEXTY criteria centered around innovation, inspiration and integrity. Then our team of industry judges tasted, scrutinized and debated the products to choose the winners.
Those winners will be announced at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. Awards will be delivered to the booths of the winners between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 12. Check back for coverage at newhope.com after the show.
To see all past nominees and winners, visit the NEXTY site.
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