Highlights and Key Takeaways from Natural Products Expo East 2023

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Here are my takeaways, highlights and closing thoughts on last week’s Natural Products Expo East 2023 in Philadephia.

THE END OF AN ERA, THE ENTRANCE OF SOMETHING NEW

Whether it was talking my way into a press pass at Expo East 2009 — even though I had no website or business cards yet — or staying at the amazing organic boutique hotel Inn at the Black Olive, putting on GMO-labeling and regenerative ag fundraising dinners with Vani Hari in Baltimore, or eating at the outstanding restaurants P.S. & Co. and Vedge in Philadelphia, I have incredible memories of Natural Products Expo East.

But, sadly, these days have come to an end.

New Hope Network announced that this would be its final Expo East, and the organization said that it would be replacing Expo East with a new event called Newtopia Now, to be held in Savannah, Georgia from August 6-8, 2024.

Even though many of us wish that Expo East would continue, in hindsight, its cancellation should not come as an enormous surprise.

As a result of COVID, brands learned to operate without any in-person trade shows. Furthermore, inflationary pressure, supply chain disruptions and an extremely challenging fundraising environment have made it difficult for many organic brands to stay in business.

And one can only assume that all of this is having a significant trickle-down effect on New Hope, notably Expo East. The convention center in Philadelphia had plenty of extra space, including numerous large seating areas on the trade show floor itself.

So, a pivot does makes sense.

I believe there is a real opportunity to create a new type of show, one that involves building deeper connections in a more relaxed, less traditional setting, and the fact that New Hope selected Savannah as the host city was a savvy decision.

However, at the end of the day, Newtopia Now — just like every other trade show — will need to be seen as an ROI positive event for brands, especially in this economic climate.

It will be interesting to see what New Hope unveils and if it can create a truly differentiated experience than Expo East.

COMPELLING COFFEE

The new, regenerative organic coffee from GoodSAM Foods called Brave Day is grown by women in La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia, who collaborate and empower one another within their community.

These women survived the armed conflict, and many of them lost their husbands and sons, which meant they had to fight for the rights to their land. GoodSAM is amplifying these women’s stories through this product, and it will be available starting in October, with retail in November.

GoodSAM is having a serious impact on the world, as it sources everything directly from small organic farmers in Latin America and Africa — no easy feat.

Even though mixing mushrooms with coffee is not something new, Peak State has taken it a step further.

It sources U.S.-grown, full-spectrum organic mushrooms (mycelium and fruiting body) and extracts the compounds and nutrients from lion’s mane, chaga, reishi, cordyceps and turkey tail mushrooms.

Then, using its patented process, the company botanically infuses the organic coffee beans during the roasting process under conditions that allow the fresh beans to absorb the botanicals without denaturing the beneficial compounds. In compostable bags, the coffee is shipped to its customers.

Next level stuff!

COOL INNOVATION

Bay State Milling has developed HealthSense, a wheat flour with up to 10 times the fiber of traditional refined wheat flour, and Fast Company named it a “World Changing Idea.” It is available with both USDA certified organic and Non-GMO Project verified claims.

TeaVoila, the very first booth I saw upon entering the trade show floor, is solving two problems at once: the 50 billion takeaway cups added to U.S. landfills annually and a quarter of each tea bag is composed of plastic.

The solution from TeaVoila are cups made from biodegradable and compostable paper, and at the bottom of each cup, you will find organic loose-leaf tea with a tea infuser built inside, which offers 3 refills per cup. Very smart!

A DONUT OPPORTUNITY

Ever since Foodstirs closed a few years ago, the market for an organic, ready-to-eat donut still remains wide open, and for some reason, no national organic donut brand has emerged.

The better-for-you, non-GMO but non-organic donuts from Drumroll and Planet Bake are filling the void for a healthier option. From what I have been told, Drumroll has been absolutely flying off the shelves. I believe it.

MORE MUSHROOMS

Medicinal mushrooms are a trend that continues to flourish.

And Jay Shetty’s Juni is delivering them in a refreshing, sparkling, ready-to-drink format in four flavors — lemon, tropical, peach and raspberry — with zero sugar, 5 calories per can and 33mg of caffeine.

The Mycobotanicals Immune Powder from Host Defense takes a dual approach to strengthening the immune system by combining mushrooms and herbs, such as astragalus, goji, schizandra and acerola cherry.

NOTEWORTHY NEW DRINKS

It seems that consumers are on a constant quest for more and more protein, so brands are accommodating them.

Forager Project launched a new line of delicious Super Shake drinks — cocoa and vanilla — that offer 16g of protein per bottle. Dairy-free, stevia-free.

For years, I wondered why Milkadamia was not organic. But no longer.

At the show, the company unveiled its first line of USDA certified organic macadamia nut milks, available in five flavors — original, unsweetened, almond milk, coconut milk and oat milk. No gums, no fillers, no added flavors or oils, no soy, no carrageenan, vegan.

Colorado-based Sati Soda just obtained USDA organic certification for both its soda line and CBD soda line, and they are available in three flavors — berry energy, ginger chill and clarity lemon. According to the company, it is the first certified organic hemp CBD soda line in the world. 23mg of CBD, zero THC.

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FLOOR

I love what New Hope did on the trade show floor, and it created more amenities and interesting offerings than I had ever seen before. But by far, my favorite was the ping pong area, which was hosted by SPIN.

Hopefully, New Hope will arrange an industry-wide ping pong tournament at Newtopia Now.

Free massages in the Wellness Lounge.

The Organic Park showcased many benefits of organic farming.

It was fantastic to see the Real Organic Project (ROP) at Expo East, a farmer-led certification and one of the two most important add-on labels in the organic industry.

Earlier this year, I wrote about ROP’s partnership with Germany’s Naturland, and I expect to see ROP labels on more consumer packaged goods in 2024.

The non-alcoholic category is rapidly growing and had its own section on the floor. That being said, certified organic non-alc brands were noticeably underrepresented.

REGENERATIVE ORGANIC ALLIANCE EVENT — PRE-EXPO EAST

The day before Expo East began, the Regenerative Organic Alliance, which oversees Regenerative Organic Certified® label (ROC), held a community gathering at Pocono Organics in Pennsylvania.

With over 1.1 million acres now certified as ROC farmland, the level of collaboration and camaraderie among the ROC brands has never been stronger. In the coming months, some very high profile organic brands will soon be announcing their ROC certification.

MUCH APPRECIATION AND TOP 5

Many thanks to New Hope for hosting Expo East all of these years. We have had phenomenal shows, greatly contributing to the growth of the industry and fostering many valuable connections, both personal and professional.

Lastly, here are my Top 5 Organic Products of Natural Products Expo East 2023.

With gratitude, Max Goldberg, Founder