Natural Products Expo West Preview

There are a few things I look forward to every year, all year long. We all have our own lists, but at the top of mine are: my kids’ birthdays; Christmas; Easter; Halloween; spring break; and Natural Products Expo (not necessarily in that order). What’s “Expo?”, you might ask. Well let me tell you, it is something to behold.

Natural Products Expo West and East are, to someone who follows and writes about specialty food, what King Cake is to Mardi Gras and pancakes are to Shrove Tuesday (Happy Shrove Tuesday, by the way). They are the food and products meccas of the natural products world, where the latest and greatest products — many of which have not even been released yet – come out to shine. This week is Expo West, and I expect to see the newest flavors, the hottest ingredients, the healthiest products, the hippest trends … all come together, along with 60,000 of my closest industry friends, under one very large roof in Anaheim, California. And I look forward to it all year long.

My role at this products fest is to scout out all the new gluten-free and allergen-friendly products, sample them and write about the best ones for you, my dear readers. And this year I’ve been chosen for another role as well, as part of the Expo’s first-ever We.Blog Editorial Board, along with 11 other super-talented and vocal blogging voices in this space. I look forward to writing about education sessions like “Future Trends in Health & Wellness for Brand Marketers,” behind-the-scenes press briefings, and new product release spotlights. I’ve been speaking at and attending at these Expos for several years now, and I can tell you they just get better and better. As I prepare for this year’s amazing show, I have highlighted some of the craziest, but just-might-be-the-next-great-thing-est products I’m looking forward to hunting down this year:

Cactus Water
Been Puffs
Mole and Margarita flavored Hummuses
Cuban Mojo Ancient Grains
Fiery Sticks
Sriracha Chips
Haunted Ghost Pepper Chips
Kale Popcorn
Ginger-Beet Fermented Kraut
Cashew Ice Cream
Oh, and meeting Bugs Bunny and Tweetie at the Organic Little Crunchies Booth.

I think I will skip the Vegan Coconut Bacon, but that’s about all I’m not up for trying! Stay tuned for my new product features and social media updates from the show floor. You’ll want to get your shopping lists ready so you won’t miss out on any of the great new products I find for you! Let me know in the comments below if there is something you’d like me to search out for you, or particular products you want to see more of. I’ll do my best to seek and find!