Naturally positioned for growth

Natural Products Expo East will deliver the top natural trends and innovations to retailers. The Natural Products Expo East show returns to the Baltimore Convention Center September 17-20, uniting industry members across the natural food and beverage, supplements, beauty, household and pet products categories. Keynote speaker Doug Tompkins, founder of The North Face and co-founder of the Espirit clothing company, will share his natural retail expertise with attendees. Tompkins is an American environmentalist, conservationist and entrepreneur who will speak to a variety of the show’s education themes for 2014, which include big data, digital strategies, consumer trends and specialty diets. Natural products have rapidly outgrown specialty and niche retailers, and the industry is gearing up for the shift toward conventional and mass retail channels. Earlier this year, retailers like Target and Walmart staked their claim on the natural territory by announcing a widespread commitment to natural products. Walmart announced that it would be relaunching the Wild Oats organic food brand with more affordable price points on products covering a broad variety of categories across the center store. With Target’s introduction of its Made to Matter—Handpicked by Target collection, the retailer is making 17 natural, organic and sustainable brands more accessible to its customers. Spanning Target’s baby, beauty and personal care, grocery, healthcare and household product categories, Made to Matter brands include EVOL, Hyland’s, Plum Organics and Seventh Generation, all of which will be exhibiting at Natural Products Expo East 2014. “Natural Products Expo East will showcase more new exhibitors and more new products than ever before,” says Adam Andersen, Natural Products Expos show director. “The Expo show is nearly sold out and reception to our conference program is tremendous. With the focus on healthier lifestyles we are looking forward to celebrating the natural, organic and healthy products industry this fall.” Industry observers say the natural products industry is poised to reach about  $226 billion by 2018, with an annual growth rate of 8.6%. Many of the products accountable for that growth can bee seen at Expo East. Here is a preview. Luvo Booth #462 www.luvoinc.com Luvo will be not packing light for its first visit to Natural Products Expo East. The Vancouver, B.C., Canada-based company has plans to showcase its very broad range of nutrient dense frozen items which includes new entrée flavors like Kale Ricotta Ravioli; Turkey Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts; and Red Wine Braised Beef with Polenta. The brand will also introduce a new line of burritos made from 100% organic, non-GMO ingredients. Unique flavors such as Apple Coconut Curry, Roasted Eggplant & Quinoa, and Cajun Style Brown Rice & Bean will be available for show attendees to sample. Luvo will also launch two burritos made with antibiotic-free chicken, the Chicken Poblano Verde and Chicken Coconut Curry. “Luvo crosses many subcategory segments within the freezer door, from breakfast, lunch and dinner entrées to flatbread pizzas, burritos and desserts,” says Ryan Bennett, director of category management. “Retailers have the greatest potential to maximize sales by supporting our brand in all sub categories because consumers are looking for great tasting, nutrient dense meals for all dinning occasions.” Partners, A Tasteful Choice Co. Booth #656 www.partnerscrackers.com Following last year’s launch of the Free For All Kitchen line of crackers, Partners, A Tasteful Choice Co., will be introducing new items to the gluten-free brand. In an indulgent twist, the Kent, Wash.-based company will unveil its Double Chocolate Brownie Thin, a gluten-free version of chocolate cookie crisps. Featuring the same ingredient deck as the Free For All Kitchen line of crackers, which excludes rice, corn and soy, the Double Chocolate Brownie Thins are made with Dutch-processed cocoa powder and dark chocolate. “The Free For All Kitchen brand is a true innovation in the gluten-free cracker category because the products do not contain any rice, corn or soy,” says Cara Figgins, executive vice president. “In addition to being gluten-free, it is a non-GMO cracker which is not an easy thing to come by in this space. By eliminating rice, corn and soy, all of which commonly contain GMOs, we’re able to offer our retail partners and consumers a uniquely better-for-you cracker.” The Double Chocolate Brownie Thins will be available in a 4-ounce and a 0.75-ounce single-serve bag. NOW Foods Booth #1140/#6024 www.nowfoods.com Expo East 2014 will mark the debut of Ellyndale Foods entry to the natural products market. The new brand from Bloomingdale, Ill.-based NOW Foods will launch with seven varieties of gourmet oils as well as several ideas for growth and innovation. The debut products include organic olive oil, organic canola oil, organic macademia nut oil, rice bran oil, organic sunflower oil, avocado oil and almond oil. “These are some very different and unique oils, with a focus on organic offerings. We wanted to give consumers healthier options and new alternatives to cook and challenge their taste buds with,” says Dave Rosenberg, food category manager. All of Ellyndale Foods’ new oils will be available in half-liter bottles with a suggested retail price between $7.99 and $13.99. This is NOW Foods’ second brand launch in 2014. The first came at the beginning of the year with the introduction of the Living Now gluten-free banner. In addition to being wheat- and gluten-free, the new brand is also allergy friendly. “Most consumers who have a wheat allergy usually have other food allergies, too. The Living Now brand addresses all those concerns so consumers know they can trust the product for themselves and their families,” says Rosenberg. The Living Now brand includes an Organic Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix, Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Mix, an All-Purpose Flour and a Baking & Pancake Mix. Three varieties of organic quinoa will be launched from the Expo East show floor. Mamma Chia Booth #1417 |www.mammachia.com Mamma Chia will be launching its new line of Organic Clean Energy beverages in four flavors: Blackberry Blast, Raspberry Razz, Grape Power and Cherry Charge. The Carlsbad, Calif.-based company’s new products combine the nutrients of chia, the clean energy of Guayusa and a combination of fruit juices for “a great tasting beverage that provides an energizing lift to a consumer’s day,” says Janie Hoffman, CEO and founder. “Our new Clean Energy line was created to meet the needs of a changing consumer base that is looking for that quick pick me up, but doesn’t want the traditional energy beverage,” she adds. Today’s consumer is changing the way manufacturers are producing food and beverages, as they are demanding transparency in the products they consume and are looking for healthier options, “which our new Clean Energy line delivers on all fronts,” Hoffman says. By adding the Clean Energy line to the existing Mamma Chia beverages and Chia Squeezes, retailers can maximize sales performance by bringing in new consumers and providing them with different usage occasions to drive total overall sales, add company officials. Bakery on Main Booth #2313 www.bakeryonmain.com Bakery on Main will showcase its Gluten Free Granola Bars. Along with the brand’s Soft & Chewy Bars and Truebars, the granola bars are certified gluten-free, Non-GMO Project Verified, dairy- and casein-free. “Through our intensive research and development process, we develop products that consumers want: gluten-free products that are convenient to eat and great tasting. Our R&D process, which includes a president’s taste test, is thorough and consumer based,” says Michael Smulders, president of the East Hartford, Conn.-based company. “If we love it, we know our customers will too which will result in the retailer having higher grocery basket rings at the register.” Hodgson Mill Booth #2513 www.hodgsonmill.com For Hodgson Mill, Expo East 2014 is all about fortifying retail partnerships, says Brian Prechtl, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing. The Effingham, Ill.-based manufacturer of whole grain products is placing a premium on account-specific marketing strategies as it closes out 2014 and looks ahead to the new year. “As a company, we’re taking a much different approach from what we’ve done in the past. We want to become stronger partners with our retailers and be aggressive in our strategies in order to win with key retailers and trade channels,” Prechtl says. Hodgson Mill is focused on creating account-specific marketing strategies with each of its retail partners and has plans to utilize all available resources. Such approaches include social media campaigns, print advertising and cross merchandising opportunities. In addition to its newly personalized approach, Hodgson Mill remains committed to helping retailers create a unique assortment of their products in the aisle in order to gain a competitive edge in their community, Prechtl adds. Harvest Snaps Booth #2907 www.harvestsnaps.com Building on the success of its Snapea Crisps and Lentil Snaps, Harvest Snacks is bringing a whole new variety of its popular snack line to Expo East. Harvest Snaps’ new black bean-based snack will make its debut in Baltimore with an on-trend Mango Chili Lime flavor. “We always want our products to have a transparent ingredient deck and to us that means that the base ingredient must make up 60% or more of the resulting product. Our new Black Bean variety is no exception,” says Steve Kneepkens, vice president of sales and marketing for Calbee North America, Harvest Snaps’ Fairfield, Calif.-based parent company. “Like the rest of Harvest Snaps’ snacks, the new Black Bean variety is inherently gluten-free, are non-GMO, contain no sugar and are low in fat and sodium.” The brand will also be unveiling convenience-sized packages of its Snapea Crisps. Now available in a 1.75-ounce single serve pouch in addition to the 3.3-ounce package, the Snapea Crisps are available in Lightly Salted, Black Pepper, Caesar and Wasabi Ranch flavors. Beech-Nut Nutrtion Booth #3113 www.beechnut.com Beech-Nut Nutrition will introduce its new line of real food for babies. It is 100% natural and inspired by the homemade recipes that have been regaining popularity with moms. Available in 40 new flavors like Honeycrisp Apple and Beets, Pear & Pomegranate, Beech-Nut’s honeypot-style jars feature whole fruits and vegetables with no additives or preservatives. “The new line from Beech-Nut endorses the closest to homemade trend,” says Andy Dahlen, vice president of sales and marketing. “More and more moms are leaving the grocery aisle to make their food at home. Beech-Nut wanted to produce an alternative for moms who didn’t have the time or resources, but still want to feed their baby fresh, wholesome food.” Beech-Nut surveyed moms across the country who helped co-create and inspire the new line. These same moms helped the Amsterdam, N.Y.-based company create its new logo and jar design, seeking their input at all phases of the design process. “We wanted a clear glass jar with a transparent label to reflect what mom is looking for today—honesty and transparency,” Dahlen adds. derma e Booth #3318 www.dermae.com Based in Simi Valley, Calif., derma e will return to Expo East to meet with retailers to communicate the overall depth of the facial care brand and its marketing message. “Consumer confidence in natural continues to grow and as consumers become more aware of the harmful ingredients in many mainstream brands, derma e and the category are well positioned,” says Jeff Carducci, vice president sales, North America. “With confidence comes the ability to innovate and bring higher priced, more profitable products that grow the category.” Company officials say derma e strives to maintain its position in the category as a top facial care brand as well as a leader in education and training. The skincare manufacturer provides retail partners with webinars hosted by licensed estheticians to educate store employees on the appropriate products to drive traffic to the aisle. Dave’s Killer Bread Booth #8313 www.daveskillerbread.com Now that Dave’s Killer Bread has successfully spread its seed across the Northwest, the Milwaukie, Ore.-based company ready for entry into East Coast markets and nationwide distribution. “To some degree, for many of the attendees at Expo East, Dave’s Killer Bread will be a new product and we can’t wait to see and hear what people think,” says Michelle Hunt, vice president of marketing. “First, we are introducing new additions to our incredibly successful Thin-Slice lineup. Our Thin-Sliced varieties have all the taste and nutrition of our regular deli-sliced breads with half the calories.” New flavors include Thin-Sliced Powerseed and Thin-Sliced 100% Whole Wheat. The company will also launch its new Rock ‘N’ Rolls at the show. “The dinner rolls promise to turn the notch up on flavor with all the great taste and texture of our Good Seed Bread,” Hunt adds. All Dave’s Killer Bread recipes include ancient grains ranging from blue cornmeal and quinoa to KAMUT khorasan wheat and pumpkin seeds. In addition to being loaded with whole and ancient grains, all Dave’s Killer Breads are certified organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. “Our bread stands apart for a few reasons: our killer taste and texture, the fact that it’s power-packed with nutrition and that we are a company committed to creating lasting change” says Hunt.