Jute Fresh

A Snapshot of the Biggest Healthy Show on the Planet

Last week I traveled 3,000 miles to Anaheim, CA for three days at the Natural Products Expo West trade show which hosted over 3,000 exhibitors. Promoted as the “biggest and best, natural, organic and healthy products trade shows on the planet”, Expo West brings together founders, retailers, activists, and individuals with a shared interest in healthier products and environmental choices.

Time flies at Expo West. It’s packed with presentations, networking events, and meetings. While I did not have a chance to cover the entire show (heck, it’s more than 1 million square feet), the thrill of discovering new products is always a highlight. I was primarily strolling the exhibit hall where the first time exhibitors are located. In between the celebrities and warriors, there were a few product trends that caught my attention.

Nuts & Seeds – Simple, healthy nuts and seeds often seasoned and toasted, then packed in resealable plastic pouches. (Here’s a marketing tip: be an innovator and put your products in non-plastic/petrochemical alternative packaging. More on that later in this post.) There were Yumnuts, Saviseed, and the many nut bars such as Kind.

Single Serve Frozen Entrees – Open, heat, and eat; the convenience of fresh, all natural frozen meals. Some come in wraps, such as TaDah!, a flavorful falafel wrap with non-profit partnerships. While many frozen foods have high salt content that’s not so healthy, a few are hitting the mark for healthy, frozen food choices.

Indian Cuisine – There were a number of Indian sauces to help you make interesting, healthy quick meals that your Indian friends would approve of, as well as, desserts and ready-to-eat entrees. To name a few I saw at the show, there was Stonehouse 27, Kaurina’s Kulfi - Indian Ice Cream Bars, and Saffron Road.

Skin Care for Girls and Guys – From the UK, the guys at Bulldog are launching a line of skin care just for the men. With fresh, white packaging and a lovable looking mascot dog, this is a standout among black and dark colored packaging that’s typical of men’s personal care products. As Brits say, “it’s brilliant”.

Mom alert! Another skin care category that’s emerging is skin care products for girls. Launched by a mom-entrepreneur, Joon for girls looks playful and fun. Just like their painted corrugated booth display. 

According to the web site, Joon is an affordable product line. Clean ingredient list and affordable, that’s a good combo. And Good for you Girls is also in this girls skin care category.

With over 3,000 exhibits competing for attention, how do you stand out? Bring in a little humor?

Star power? (TV fame fitness trainer Jillian Michaels) 

Big inflatables?

The answer: no me-too products or subtle variations, distinctive packaging, clean ingredients that are minimally processed, and new ideas for healthy living.

On a final note, let’s talk about packaging. It’s an unfortunate coincidence that the natural products industry creates lots of packaging waste through its consumer packaged goods. Few companies take this into consideration, so when Seventh Generation introduced its liquid detergent at Expo West in a cardboard based package, it becomes the shining star at the show. Liquid ingredients and paper packages are not a common duo. You wonder won’t the liquid soak through the packaging. They seemed to have figured this out with an inner bag.

Overall, Expo West is about ideas and people with a passion for the natural products industry. Glad to be a part of it and connect with others who share the same vision.

The Sites, Sound Bites, and Secrets Learned in 2010

In my search for what’s fresh in the world of healthy, natural living, this past year I hosted events, met industry leaders, participated in seminars, and traveled in Europe for 17 days. As a recap of these adventures, I invite you to read about  highlights from the sites I visited, sound bites heard, and lessons learned.  

Sound Bites

 

The Sustainable Cosmetics Summit,  an international gathering of senior executives focused on sustainability, fair trade, and ecology in the natural and organic cosmetics industry, was held in New York City from March 24-26, 2010. This three-day event organized by Organic Monitor from the UK was a powerhouse of leading natural brands with a common vision and a commitment to raise the bar on practices within the beauty industry. It could have been called Sustainable Innovation Cosmetics Summit with its open exchange of ideas and dialog on “How do we do this better?” whether the challenges is production, packaging or sourcing.

Lessons Learned 

• Team up with your suppliers to be co-developers/partners to develop new solutions. Challenge the current way of doing things. As one presenter commented, “you are only as green as your suppliers.” As a manufacturer, you ensure your credibility if you are involved in the process. 

• Look to nature for solutions. One example cited is the use of natural preservatives.

• Marketers watch for sustainability washing, the next fallout of green washing. Sustainability is not a buzz word, but a full company commitment.

• As marketers, we need to be aware of the common mindset that natural products do not work. Prove that they do.

The Natural Products Expo East trade show came to Boston in mid-October, and while it is a much smaller show that its companion Expo West show in March, it still had all the makings of a great trade show ― up and coming brands, lots of networking, and inspiring speakers. With a smaller show floor (38% fewer exhibit than Expo West) and fewer attendees, larger companies downsized their multiple booths and towering displays in favor of simple booths. This created a more equal playing field to discover the newer, smaller companies just launching, the types of companies that many attendees seek out to discover what’s new.

The new product trends I spotted: rise in coconut-based products, raw foods, tastier and new gluten-free options, and an increase in certified organic and fair trade food and personal care products. The Natural Products Expo shows are a feast for tasting foods, and thankfully some exhibitors opted for eco-friendly sampling spoons such as the smiley EcoTaster from EcoTensil and Bambu’s bamboo spork to reduce plastic waste.

The BostonEco community and tweetup event series I started last year continued to grow with two well-attended events. In April, BostonEco celebrated the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day bringing together a diverse group of individuals committed to healthy, sustainable living. Attendees included leaders from the food scene (Slow Food Boston, Vegetarian Times), green entrepreneurs (all puns intended), and eco-fashionistas (Ecolissa). We enjoyed an evening of organic food, relaxed networking, and interesting conversations about what’s happening in the green scene locally and globally.

To celebrate BostonEco’s one year anniversary in July, I hosted a video launch party with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and held a screening of The Story of Cosmetics. In addition, there was a showcase of locally based natural cosmetic/body care companies and leading natural companies, as well as BostonEco sponsor’s Whole Foods Market to showcase brands that are beautiful inside and out. BostInnovation  did a nice recap of the event.

 

Secrets Learned: Backed by my belief that we are not only what we eat, but also what we use on our body, I put my knowledge to an ultimate beauty test, and after 15+ years I stopped coloring hair because even natural permanent hair colors contain the chemical p-Phenylenediamine (PPD). It’s been an interesting journey to acquaint myself with my new, natural look while discovering what a rarity non-colored hair is in a world where 75% of women use hair dyes.

The Sites

Europe is often cited for its higher level of commitment to natural products and eco-friendly lifestyles, and in September I hopped over the big pond to check out the European green scene. As a consumer of plant based, biodynamic products I decided to take a closer look at the source and process from garden to bottle so I took a tour of the biodynamic gardens at Weleda, a global natural skin care company, in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. From the insect hotel and working greenhouse with an amazing array of plants for wellness and healing, it was impressive to see Weleda’s commitment to purity and nature.

To find out what’s happening in the “greenest city of Germany” with sustainable living, environmental consciousness initiatives, and green design, I visited Vauban and Sonnenschiff (sun ship) solar city in Freiburg, Germany.

It was an eye-opener with its bold colors, creative architecture, and urban design. To learn more about how this contemporary living model and thriving community addresses the issue of low-impact transportation, alternative energy, and embraces community space, check out this Inhabitat article.

I loved the European bike scene ― the large community of year-round bike commuters and sea of bike racks at the train stops, and even enclosed bike lockers for more expensive bikes. Unfortunately, in cities there is a still a fight to share the road and accidents do happen.

Moving onto the food scene, I checked out Alnatura, a German natural food store chain, and discovered lots of new brands including nicely designed private label brands. And while vacationing in Lugano, Switzerland, I visited the Migros supermarket and sampled fair trade and Swiss made natural products. Surrounded by majestic nature and healthy, natural foods, it was a delight for all senses.

Secrets Learned: Europe has an abundance of glass packaging and most everyone carries a reusable tote, yet there is plenty of plastic everywhere ― from the popular plastic water bottles to bulk grains sold in plastic packages at natural food stores. Reduce, reuse, and recycle is a work-in-progress.  

Here’s to new healthy, natural living ideas and conversations in 2011. What’s on your calendar for the coming year? New adventures? Where will you be in 2011?

Wishing everyone a very healthy, Happy New Year.

Cheers,

Janet

Hot Trends from Natural Products Expo East 2009

The natural products Expo East trade show was held in Boston from September 24-26, 2009 with over 1,500 exhibitors displaying food, personal care, and household brands promoting healthy, natural living. After tasting lots of samples and talking with exhibitors at the show, a number of trends emerged. Here’s a quick overview of what I observed during the show.

Here Come the Good Gut Bugs – Probiotics

Probiotics have branched out from the supplement aisle to a showcase of new foods and beverages. You can drink them, eat them, or mix them up. In addition to kefir brands, probiotics are now available in pre-mixed powder packets, fruit waters, fruit drinks, and frozen yogurts.

It’s All Greek To Me

FAGE Greek yogurt is no longer the solo Greek goddess. A number of Greek/Mediterranean style yogurts, including a couple from large dairy manufacturers, are hitting store shelves and will likely grow the category.

Watered Down

The decreased popularity of portable plastic water bottles has prompted an increase in the number of ways to stay hydrated. In addition to reusable water bottles and filtered water systems, water is now available in alternative packages  including biodegradable boxes.

ReNew

Recycled materials are now sporting a contemporary and colorful look. Beautifully designed dinnerware from fallen leaves, stylish bowls made from bamboo, and reusable bags in every imaginable color and design from plastic bottles.

Straight from the Coconut

The health benefits of coconuts are shaking things up in the kitchen and bath. Look for coconut waters, coconut cooking oils, and coconut oils in personal care.  

Sweeteners

Move over organic sugar cane, there’s an increase in the use of stevia and acouple of other plant-based sweeteners, including yacon syrup which is diabetics-friendly, and maguey syrup, a fairly new ingredient in the United States, as alternative natural sweeteners.

It’s Organic

Look left, look right, and there is the USDA Organic label. More and more natural products, both grocery and body care, are now touting the USDA Organic label.

Kids’ Foods

All things small and mighty for the little ones from mini juice boxes with grain ingredients and frozen veggie fries, to all-natural, brightly colored sugar-free candies that bring out the kid in all of us.