It was another amazing year at the 2019 Specialty Food Winter Fancy Food Show. With the renovation of the Moscone Center in San Francisco complete, it made walking the show a much more streamlined experience too.

Now in its 44th year, it continues to promote a dazzling selection of delicious foods and beverages. We have a lot to look forward to in 2019.

Here are some of the trends that stood out for me:

§ The redundancy between EXPO West and Fancy Food exhibitors continues to exist.  While it offers companies the opportunity to connect with buyers twice within 60 days, it also reflects the premium profile of the healthy shopper. This overlap was strongest in alternative grain and dairy products as well as the plethora of functional beverages.

§ Flavors from the East making a big splash. After years of salsas and Pan Latin offerings dominating the landscape, it seems innovative offerings this year came from Asia and Northern Africa. Complex sauces as well as heat and eat meals unlocked the mystery of both far and near eastern cuisines but with the added bonus of coveted convenience. 

§ A new type of crunch in snacks. Pops, crisps and freeze-dried products offered less greasy and lower salt variety in snacks. Many had international roots, both in sourcing and current use, but had been astutely tailored to the American palate. Move over chips and nuts, there are new types of crunch coming to grocery shelves.

§ Greek food is more than just firm yogurt. Having just vacationed in Greece this year, I was excited to see some of the things I loved most about Greek cuisine. Oregano spice blends sprinkled on popcorn (Oregano is a flavor of Lay’s potato chips in Greece), frozen bougatsa (luscious custard and phyllo dough pastry), layered Greek main dishes and real, extra creamy whole milk yogurt.

§ The squeeze bottle brought added convenience to new condiments and cooking products. Smart marketers took a page out of the ketchup playbook to make it easy for shoppers to add more interesting flavor to their food. 

§ It’s not a cup of noodles, it’s premium ramen. One of the most basic mainstays of teenagers has gone upscale.  Fresh as well as dried, wheat as well as gluten-free, with flavorings and without, for soup or as main meal – there were many wonderful choices.

§ Cheese and salumi categories are strong and growing.  There were a dizzying number of products in these categories. Cheese tasting could be a sport and definitely a thematic party idea. However, it is also a tough category to sample without getting filled up too quickly so I have little flavor insight to share in this area.

§ Desserts….yep, we all still love them.  Nicely packaged, single serve, premium ingredients and more sophisticated flavors continue to dominate the fancy dessert market.

§ Online only sellers. Despite the multitude of distributors attending the show, there were companies that were only interested in a future of selling products direct. They wanted to avoid the mosh pit of the retailers’ requirements and recognized their premium price points would require giving up a significant amount of margin in exchange for placement.

Now, let’s talk innovation. It’s the fun stuff, isn’t it? It’s tough to narrow it down to a few but here's my short list.
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Sweet PotaToasts
Frozen slices of sweet potatoes that go in your toaster.
 
As these smart marketers at Vegolutionary Foods (who launched CauliPower products) say on their sell sheets, “the Best Thing Since Sliced Bread.” Naturally flavorful and sturdy, it’s a ready substitute for bread and offers a similar level of versatility.

La Quercia Cured Meat Spreads
Adding to its first offering, Njuda Spicy Prosciutto Spread, they introduced 2 new interesting flavors – Pesto Bianco and Pancetta that are packed with flavor and versatile enough to use directly on a cracker or even as a pizza topping.

Oh So Healthy Fruit Crisps
Not fried. No oil. No added preservatives. Simply crispy and crunchy fruit crisps.   Available in interesting flavor blends – Guava Purple Yam Banana, Purple Yam Banana Coconut, Mango Sweet Potato Banana, and Jackfruit Pineapple Banana.

Paradise Green Jackfruit Chips
Jackfruit got my attention as a savory substitute for meat at last year’s EXPO so I was intrigued when I saw it freeze-dried as a snack. It's not new but I'm calling attention to it as jackfruit remains relatively unknown to the average consumer and it offers tremendous versatility for manufacturers.
This is one of the varieties in a line of crunchy freeze-dried products sold by this company.

Once again, the food show demonstrates how lucky we are to live in the specialty food heartland. Whether you shop in mainstream grocery, natural stores or specialty shops, you can be confident 2019 will be a year full of new and exciting choices! Bon Appetit!
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Joanne Haase is the Principal of the Haase Consulting Group, a strategy and research consultancy focused on consumer products. www.HCGMarketScope.com

The labeling changes planned for July 26, 2018 moved back to January 1, 2020.  A valuable respite for many companies.

​ ​https://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm606520.htm

It was a great year to be at the Natural Products EXPO West.   With 85,000 attendees, 3500+ companies and 600 new exhibitors, it was bigger and more interesting than ever.  

Last year, it seemed there were nutritional tribes vying for your dietary allegiance- e.g., paleo vs vegan vs gluten free.  This year, it felt like  better nutritional balance was driving product development and expansion.  Now don't get me wrong, these features were still paramount but they seldom were a sole benefit for any particular product. For me, this is an encouraging sign that food is becoming simply better fuel (www.culinaryfuel.net ) for our bodies.

It was exciting to see so many new products being debuted.  In some instances, there were no sales materials prepared or product information available on company websites yet.  You had to be there to see and taste the products.  It was a great way for marketers to get feedback and even more importantly, to encourage retailers to send their buyers to engage in dialogue with the sales staff at the conference. 

The show was so large that it's tough to boil it down to only a few trends but here are some themes that stood out to me.

Plant based protein was the mantra
As higher protein has become a major health trend, vegans and vegetarians are faced with how best to get the additional protein in their diet.  A multitude of companies have stepped up to solve this issue for them and the range of ingredients used to deliver against this goal was plentiful at the show (e.g., soy, nuts, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, whey and hemp).  There were surrogates for all types of meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy.  It has never been easier to be vegan or vegetarian.  

Natural Sweeteners
Sugar has always been a health issue but recent backlash against refined white sugar has opened up the door to a lot of other alternatives. Honey and maple syrup have been well known substitutes but now dates as well as coconut and monkfruit sugars were being touted as healthier choices.   Found to be low on the glycemic index, these alternatives provide slower metabolism of the sugar, a positive option for everyone but especially for diabetics.

Healthier Convenience Foods
Millennials are both busy and demanding of their food so it comes as no surprise they want convenience foods with a healthier bent.  The most basic of single serve meals - ramen and mac 'n cheese - were now available in healthier forms.  New ideas in heat and eat meals brought healthier choices for vegans and vegetarians too.

Korean and Indian cuisines
The influence of both Korean and Indian cooking was evident in flavors, ingredients and finished products.  Turmeric, curry and chickpeas have found their way across a wide range of categories from beverages to snacks to sauces and prepared foods.  Korean BBQ sauces and kimchi have become favorites and there were a number of offerings.

PRE and PRObiotics
Millennials have put better gut health on the map with their interest in kombucha and other fermented products.  The yogurt category is exploding and with it, an awareness of the role of 'live' cultures in your diet.  Enter 'prebiotics,' a necessary partner to making probiotics work.  What they are will remain as mysterious as probiotics but the goal is to help educate consumers they are necessary.  Communicating they are a one-two punch will be critical so no one thinks it's just a typo when they see the word.    Several bars and beverages were already touting this and it is likely to continue its rollout.

There were many fun and potentially big ideas.   But only time will tell which will be the start of a trend or simply flame out as a novelty. 

Here are a few that got my attention.  What do you think?    Trend or novelty?

Pan's Mushroom Jerky (#pansmushroomjerky) was a mushroom snack that delivers on taste and texture.  It is soft and flavorful, offering a nice blend of real shiitake mushroom flavor with the complementary seasoning.  

Available in 4 varieties - Original, Zesty Thai, Applewood BBQ and Sea Salt & Pepper. It promises to help mushrooms enjoy their growing healthful image.

All the refrigerated Remedy Smoothies (#remedysmoothies) were appealing in color and flavor but the natural beauty of the blue spirulina was exceptionally intriguing.    With a protein rich almond milk base, it delivers nutritionally as well.
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Annabella Water Buffalo Yogurts (#annabellayogurts) were deliciously smooth and creamy.  They also made a Dulce de Leche that was similarly over the top in its satiny texture.  

Green Chickpea Superfood Bowls from Vana Life Foods (#vanalifefoods) were a flavorful and convenient meatless meal solution.  Not only are the varieties interesting, they are packaged in an innovative heat & eat pouch that converts into a bowl. 

The 4 flavors include Chipotle Black Bean, Coconut Lime, Kale & Potato and Coconut Chimichurri.

For those looking for high protein dairy options without the tart taste of yogurt, there were several good creamy cheese options.  No Curd Lowfat Creamy Cottage Cheese (#nocurd) delivered the benefits of cottage cheese with a creamy texture,  making it easier to eat as a snack or to spread on a bagel or a sandwich.  It packs in 21 g of protein in just 130 calories.  Yooli Cheese Creme (#yoolicheesecreme #yoolifoods) was a farmer's cheese that also offered a lowfat and creamy alternative to yogurt or cream cheese.

It was a great show this year and I'm very excited to see these products hit the shelves.   While natural and clean labels remain important, the complexity of formulation this year made for both a more interesting and nutritionally robust set of products.  Whether you are a meat eater or not, gluten averse or not, lactose intolerant or not, there are a myriad of good tasting choices for you.  

Good marketing is needed to both educate and promote each of these benefit-driven products. The competition is not for the faint of heart – but all the entrepreneurs I met at the show demonstrated the commitment and passion to propel their businesses forward. I look forward to seeing all of them succeed.

​Joanne Haase is the Principal of the Haase Consulting Group, a strategy and research consultancy that specializes in consumer products. Learn more at www.HCGMarketScope.com

Culture Explosion
The yogurt business has grown tremendously and the plethora of new products reinforced that more upside remains.  This category delivers solutions for so many – high protein, probiotics and vegetarian as well as vegan and lactose-free for those made with coconut and nut milks.  Nearly all are tasty, some downright indulgent, with useful functional benefits.   Innovation has driven growth in this category - both product and packaging.  First it was creamy French-style, then Russian, Greek and now Icelandic (also known as skyr).  Yogurt based drinks, such as kefir and lassi, have also enjoyed growth and a rash of new entrants.

Premium Nut Butters
While the tree nut butters provide a useful alternative for households with peanut allergies (that have become increasingly more prevalent with kids), these premium products are really targeted at gourmand adults.  Made with every type of nut - peanut, cashew, almond, walnut and pistachio - they were sold plain and with mix-ins such as chia and chocolate.  Nut butters were also found in cookie and candy centers.   

Brooklyn was in the house
There was a noteworthy number of new companies hailing from Brooklyn, highlighting the new craft food hub on the East Coast.   The hipster vibe of the borough seems to have inspired millennials to launch new food businesses that match both their lifestyle and values.   They have executed well and if they can navigate the challenges of the food industry, they are going to grow quickly.   

Responsible & Beautiful Chocolate
Craft chocolate bars were more prevalent than I've seen in recent years.    Many promoted their fair trade and single origin sourcing but I was also struck by the elegance of the packaging as well as the use of distinctive molds for the chocolate bar underneath the exquisite outside wrapper.   

Innovative Crunch
Variety makes the snack world go around and there were a lot of interesting ideas, many of them coming from abroad.   Salty and sweet, there were new products made from seeds, ramen, seaweed and even insects!  Flavored or plain, they have the potential to open up whole new snacking categories.    

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​So here are just a few of the intriguing products I saw….the ones that garnered my interest but could either be the beginning of a trend or simply a novelty.  Please weigh in and let me know your thoughts. 
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Runamok Maple (#runamokmaple) takes syrup well beyond pancakes.  The liquor inspired bottle shape is intriguing, leveraging the barrel-aged production of the syrup.   The sophisticated flavors say adult but it is the Sugarmaker's Cut that establishes it as a premium Vermont syrup purveyor.  

Don Bugito (#donbugito), the 'prehistoric snackeria,' displayed their protein rich snacks on incubator alley at the show.  Made in San Francisco, they take snacking in a whole new direction.  They are beautifully packaged and deliciously flavored but they still are....well, bugs.    They embrace the hesitation and encourage the bold snacker to take the challenge.

Entube (#entube) is a convenient way to add sophisticated ethnic flavors to everyday cooking.  The squeezable tube lets you use as much as you'd like and in an era of fusion cuisine, the possibilities are endless.    Available in 4 flavors - Harissa, Curry, Mole and Umeboshi.

​Once again, the food show demonstrates how lucky we are to live in the specialty food heartland.  Whether you shop in mainstream grocery, natural stores or specialty shops, you can be confident 2018 will be a year full of new and exciting choices!  Bon Appetit!

​Joanne Haase is the Principal of the Haase Consulting Group, a strategy and research consultancy focused on consumer products. www.HCGMarketScope.com

EXPO West, the Natural Products trade show, has grown to be downright exceptional in both importance and scale.  With 80,000 attendees checking out 3100 exhibitors (including 500 newbies), this year’s show was the largest one ever.   In addition to filling the Anaheim Convention Center, it spilled over to ballrooms at the nearby Hilton and Marriott hotels.   Booths promoting foods, beverages, ingredients, supplements, HBA products, pet supplies, and cleaners were loosely organized across the rooms and distributors and packaging suppliers were there to intercept the CPG product developers too.  They pulled out all the stops – using entertainment, costumes, sampling and branded tchotchkes to entice attendees to stop.  Buyers from large chains like Whole Foods and Target were courted like rock stars yet the importance of the independent retailer can’t be counted out.  Everybody was a potential springboard for the ambitious entrepreneur.
After many years of attending the show, I know where to find the smaller, more innovative companies, and I enjoy catching up with folks I’ve met at past shows to hear how their business is progressing.   With so many exhibitors, it’s hard to boil it down to several key themes but here’s what seems to be trending in the food and beverage side of the industry.
 
Protein, protein, protein!   
As the carb aversion continues, consumer preference for higher protein products is being leveraged in many categories.  It’s not enough to just have a protein rich product, it’s the higher or highest in protein claim that garners attention.  This year there were yogurts and ice cream products dueling around protein claims.  Enlightened Good-for-You Ice Cream delivers twenty-one indulgent flavors in lower calorie formulations with higher protein claims (www.eatenlightened.com ).  Icelandic Provisions introduced Icelandic Skyr as a new category with more protein than yogurt.  It seems that the Icelanders outsmarted the Greeks with a unique culture that naturally delivers more protein (www.icelandicprovisions.com ).  Both are deliciously smooth, making delivery of a meaningful benefit easy to eat.
 
Healthy gut, happy person
For many years, gut health meant high fiber and a not-so-hip elderly association made it primarily valued by those interested in keeping their digestive track moving.  Enter Millennials – who embraced the power of probiotics for better gut health.  For years, the informed consumer appreciated the benefits of live cultures in yogurt but as many became dairy averse, new fermented products – pickled cabbage, kombucha and apple cider vinegar tonics entered the market.  My observation is that those under 30 seem to not mind the sour flavor prevalent in these beverages but as a boomer, I have a hard time getting over the taste hurdle to think of it as anything other than medicinal.  So I was really happy to taste chocolate Health-Ade Kombucha, a ‘bubbly probiotic super-tea,’ that tasted smooth without that sour flavor.  I didn’t really taste chocolate either and after more careful examination realized it was actually labeled Reishi-Chocolate.  And what is a Reishi you ask?  Well, it’s a type of mushroom!  So while there was no chocolate flavor, there also wasn’t a mushroom flavor but the taste was enjoyable   (www.health-ade.com ).
 
Vegan cheese without a compromise in taste
There were several delicious vegan cheese products exhibiting at the show.  Miyoko’s Kitchen sampled a very flavorful cashew-based Fresh VeganMozz which truly delivered on a creamy cheese (www.miyokoskitchen.com ).  Punk Rawk Labs also had a creamy fermented cashew milk cheese (www.punkrawklabs.net ).  Chao Creamery from Field Roast Grain Meat Company offers vegan choices for sandwich cheese slices and ready-to-eat mac ‘n cheese (www.fieldroast.com ).
 
Personalized nutrition
As we have seen ‘pan’ continental flavor lines, we now see ‘pan’ health benefit product lines.  Purely Elizabeth promoted a 5-flavor wellness bar line where flavor names were benefit specific (Immunity, Mind, Energy, Shine and Refresh).  In smaller type, you will find the actual flavors (Coconut+Amond Butter, Chocolate Sea Salt+Peanut Butter, Maple+Peanut Butter, Strawberry Dark Chocolate+Almond Butter and Blueberry Lemon+Almond Butter) and in even smaller type you will learn that the nutritional claims are delivered through ancient grain granola and 2 grams of superfood mushrooms (www.purelyelizabeth.com ).  Barlean’s Omega Swirled Fish Oils and Flax Oils had a line of squeeze-on flavored nutritional toppings that offered an easy way to boost nutrition in anything you’d like (www.barleans.com ).  I could imagine adding it to yogurt, ice cream or milk (FYI…no fishy flavor).   
 
 
The mighty legume
Beans of all varieties are growing in popularity.  Soy was the first one out of the gates but now we find green peas, chickpeas and fava beans being broadly used.  They’ve been popped, milked, creamed and chipped to deliver a natural protein boost over grains.   They now enjoy mainstream status across many American staples such as chips, burgers and milk.  Shout out to World Peas Snacks for the cleverly named Favarites Fava Crisps made with larger Peruvian Favas (www.worldpeassnacks.com) .   Bolthouse Farms debuted the launch of a 4-sku line of pea-based milks which deliver 10 grams of protein per 8 oz serving (www.bolthouse.com ). 
 
P.B., hold the J
Twenty years ago, my nut clients wondered whether they would ever be able to turn around their declining businesses.  Fortunately, the nutritionists came to their rescue as we see the continued growth of products offering the satisfying taste and crunch of nuts.   In addition to the popularity of tree nuts, traditional peanuts are enjoying renewed interest and a number of peanut powders are providing a family friendly way to add protein.  PB Fit Peanut Butter Powder is packaged in an easy to use canister coming from an innovative company looking to offer new products across a range of naturally robust ingredients – plant protein, superfood blend, cacao and baobab powders (www.betterbodyfoods.com ). 
 
 
Puff invasion
Move over chips, healthy puffs seem to be on the scene to capture the Cheetos fan.  Please don’t think chips disappeared from the show however, as there were many appealing options, but the entrance of many new puff products got my attention.
 
 
Bone broth
Wow, there was an amazing number of companies peddling different flavors of bone broth.  They were flavorful, offering a more robust flavor than the broths we normally consider as a soup base.   Beef, chicken and duck were standard bases and many were seasoned in appetizing flavors.  Claimed benefits included protein and gut health.  It seemed like an overnight explosion of products so let’s see how many are still standing next year.
 
Healthier meat snacks? 
Dried jerky products were the purview of cowboys and truck stops for many decades so it creates great irony to see it so prevalent at the natural products show.  The gourmet appeal was readily seen at the Winter Fancy Food Show but healthier products were seen here.   DNX Bars, a 5-flavor meat bar line that incorporates beef or bison with different organic fruits and vegetables in distinctive flavors (Jamaican Style Bison, Sweet Potato Pecan Beef, Mexican Spice Beef, Dark Chocolate Cherry Coconut Beef, Sweet Potato Fennel Beef) was new to the market.  Not only are the flavors unique but they are low in sodium, a powerful benefit in the meat snack category (www.dnxbar.com ).  There was also a 4 flavor vegan jerky line from Myrtle Greens (www.myrtlegreens.com ).
 

Trend or Novelty?
When I stop to inquire about a new product, it’s not unusual for the sales person to bombard me with the benefit spiel –  Gluten-free, no GMO, no added sugar, no dairy.  The ‘no’ list seems to be long and it simply makes me beg for a description that feels positive.  Please, I implore, tell me something about what it is and not what it lacks.  Tell me it will be a treat and not a trick.

​There’s no crystal ball to know what will be a trend or a novelty but the provocateur always gets attention.  Here are a few products that caught my attention.  Let me know if you think they will be a trend or a novelty.


P-nuff Crunch Baked Peanut Puffs was an intriguing idea to take the all family appeal of peanuts into the healthy chip aisle (www.pnuff.com ). While peanuts are on the ingredient list, the puffs are made from a gluten free base of navy beans and white rice that enables it to boast 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving.
 
​Hippeas was an extremely tasty organic chickpea puff that has been playfully marketed.  The bright yellow package, coupled with simple graphics and a fun name, make this the salty snack item to watch (www.hippeas.com ).  Available in 6 fun flavors – Far Out Fajita, Sriracha Sunshine, Vegan White Cheddar, Pepper Power, Happenin’ Hickory.

Chao Creamery Vegan Butter was superb.  The product, along with a Chao Creamery Vegan Mayo, were so new there were no materials yet available (or on their website).  But they were impressive in both flavor and texture.
 
Maple Water brought the best of Vermont to those of us on the West Coast (www.drinkmaple.com ).  I was bowled over by the naturally sweet flavor of the water simply tapped from a maple tree and equally surprised to find out it is a good source of calcium and potassium too. 
 
Coffee Bar from Eat Your Coffee is a 3 flavor product line (Coconut Mocha, Mocha Latte and Caramel Macchiato) that offers a new way to get your caffeine fix without needing a barista (www.eatyourcoffee.com ). 
 
Regrained Bars were an innovative reuse product, turning the used ‘supergrain from urban craft breweries’ into snack bars.  While they promote the bar as eating beer, the two interesting flavors – Coffee Chocolate Stout and Honey Cinnamon IPA – did not taste like suds to me (www.regrained.com ). 
 
Bakerly Crepes offered a full line of French baked goods but I was particularly intrigued by the crepe product (www.bakerly.com ).  It is shipped frozen to groceries and then defrosted in the store bakery to offer the freshest product for shoppers.  Filled with chocolate, strawberry or caramel, they offer a new idea in portable snacks.
 
Figgy Pops Supersnacks from Made in Nature were a very tasty alternative to some other date based snacks.  The flavors with nut butter (Mocha Almond and Nutter & Jelly) were the highlight for me, offering an interesting mix of textures as well as great taste   (www.madeinnature.com ).
 
Fodmapped Pouch Simmer Sauces and Soups,an Australian product line, made its American debut at the show.  The interesting name begs the question – what’s a FODMAP?  According to the website….”FODMAP is an abbreviation for a collection of short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols, naturally found in food or as food additives.”  Products that have been ‘Fodmapped for You’ have been carefully formulated to minimize typical food sensitivities that create bloating.  The Aussies cited that 1 in 7 adults deal with this and thus the importance of FODMAPS.  They weren’t sampling them so I can’t tell you what they taste like but the promise is powerful for those in need.
 
My/Mo delivers a hearty mochi product, taking this ice cream novelty in a new direction.  I was really impressed by the size and flavor of this product ( www.mymomochi.com ) and can imagine the My/Mo ice cream truck/cart being a tremendous hit at the beach or at an Off-the-Grid food truck event.
 
 
The promise of better health is a powerful motivator and we are lucky to have so many options available to fuel our bodies.  While it’s good for the consumer to have so many choices, it can be overwhelming.  Good marketing is needed to both educate and promote each of these benefit-driven products.  The competition is not for the faint of heart – but all the entrepreneurs I met at the show demonstrated the commitment and passion to propel their businesses forward.  I look forward to seeing all of them succeed.
 
Joanne Haase is the Principal of the Haase Consulting Group, a strategy and research consultancy that specializes in consumer products.  Learn more at www.HCGMarketScope.com