10 Trends and Insights from Expo West

One

Regenerative Agriculture is just starting to break the surface of our cultural conversation, entering into this show in a variety of moments, two of which we noted. As this wave comes through in the next few years we’ll all have to be asking detailed questions on the “how”.

Brands: Seven Sundays, Moonshot Snacks and Pasture Bird

Two

Oh the shrooms are everywhere and not the hallucinogenic types (at least not yet). The mushrooms showed up in jerky, chips, vertical farming and even coffee. Yes, coffee. And, if your current face has one eyebrow raised with skepticism, you have to these brands, they will have you shrooming all the way home.

Brands: Moku Foods and Four Sigmatic

Three

Upcycled ingredients are currently having a moment on the big stage. They come in the form of the remnant “ugly” veggies and fruits that get a brand upcycle into the Uglies world or the parts of unused crops used for a new sweetener in Supplants. We love this idea, though upcycled foods don't really sound appealing, the idea is right.

Brands: Uglies and Supplants

Four

Fermentation is one of our “love language” words. Seeing it show up at a venue for retailers and an abundance of natural product consumers is good for all of us. The connection to gut health and better ingredients coming from a managed fermentation process is oldy romantic.

Brands: De La Calle and, our client, Verse Chocolate

Five

Beans, beans, the musical fruit. Yes, we mean it that way. The chickpeas, lentils, lupini, fava, macambo beans, and black beans were abundant. The focus on these beauties in photography, packaging and all things health was good to see and music to our ears.

Brands: Fillo’s, Cool Beans, and Banza

Six

Mission forward has upgraded from trendy to standard operation procedure. The more memorable moments came from water, salt and soap. Source water made from sun and air, bad name, great water; Saltverk, icelandic ocean derived salts and Pacha Soap Co taking the radical, long term approach to global business practices.

Brands: Source Water, Saltverk and Pacha Soap Co

Seven

Guts and brains, the parts getting most of the new product development attention, and for good reason. The gut and brain are the last frontier in the human body, equally unknown and having a profound impact on our longevity, lifestyle and function as humans. It is no wonder they are a big part of the natural and organic products conversation.

Brands: Mayawell, Forage Kombucha, BellyBrain, Ellenos and Brew Dr.

EIGHT

Go anywhere and eat your spoon. The “on-the-go” consumer certainly isn’t going anywhere (pun intended). It might come in the form of ready to eat oats for breakfast or a great bar from Kodiak Cakes. Wherever you find yourself needing a few calories, you can now also eat your spoon (Incredible Eats), just wait until you finish the yogurt.

Brands: Kodiak Cakes, Incredible Eats, Frooze Balls and Yofiit

Nine

Naaaa, yeah, the non-alcoholic movement is in full swing. You’ve noticed and perhaps even took a swig of an NA beer in the distant past, but the game is now going up a level. From spirits to mixed drinks to traditional beers, the non-alcoholic conversations were abundant.

Brands: HOP WTR, Partake Brewing, AF Drinks and Liquid Death

Ten

Natural indulgence, sounds like a run through the pine trees in nothing but your skivvies. It could also be much better ways to indulge, like Trufru (most of nature’s fruit in chocolate). Or ice cream sandwiches in flavors you never knew you could love so much, from Ruby Jewel. We are going to indulge, thank you for inventing better ways.

Brands: Lovo Chocolate and Joyride Sweets