11 Things that Stood Out at Natural Products Expo West 2026

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Last week, the organic industry descended upon Anaheim for Natural Products Expo West 2026, which hosted approximately 60,000 attendees and featured 3,200 booths.

Here are 11 things that stood out at the show, ending with a roundup of notable organic products.

1) PURPOSE PLEDGE MOVES FROM PILOT TO MEASURABLE IMPACT AND UNPRECEDENTED TRANSPARENCY

Expo West marked the official launch of Purpose Pledge, arguably the most ambitious socially responsible business initiative on the planet.

The formal program now includes 16 participating brands, including Big Tree Farms, Dr. Bronner’s, Fat and the Moon, Gallant International, GoodSAM, Just Ice Tea, Kuli Kuli Foods, Magic Chocolate, Mountain Rose Herbs, Nana Joes Granola, Nature’s Path, Numi Organic Tea, Pacha, SIMPLi, Wild Orchard Tea Company and Yerba Madre.

What makes Purpose Pledge unique is its radical transparency.

Each participating company will publicly outline its commitments across 10 areas, such as supply web integrity, circularity for zero waste, community engagement, and fair and balanced compensation. Achievements are tracked through a progress bar on the organization’s website, and brands will also record videos explaining their commitments, creating an unprecedented level of public accountability.

2) REGENERATIVE ORGANIC CERTIFIED® PRODUCTS ARE MAKING SERIOUS INROADS WITH SHOPPERS

At the show, Lundberg Family Farms — which now has 100% of its organic farms and farm partners as Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) — revealed it has seen 14% year-over-year growth overall, with packaged rice seeing 19% year-over-year growth.

“Retailers and operators are looking for proof points that sustainability sells,” said Suzanne Sengelmann, chief growth officer of Lundberg Family Farms. “What we’re seeing is that when you pair rigorous regenerative organic standards with the right formats, pack sizes, and price points, you get strong repeat, higher velocities, and a healthier category.”

When you take this data point and combine it with what SPINS reported last year — that ROC products grew 22% year-over-year — the evidence is becoming clearer by the day: shoppers are seeking out the Regenerative Organic Certified® label, resulting in significant top-line growth for ROC brands.

3) WHEY PROTEIN AND BRAZIL NUTS ARE SEEING EXPLOSIVE DEMAND IN A TIGHT MARKET

Demand for whey protein and Brazil nuts is surging, while whey protein and Brazil nut shortages are a real issue.

4) WATERMELON JUICE IS HAVING A MOMENT

Organic watermelon juice is poised to expand as a beverage category.

Suja Organic debuted its new Watermelon Love, while Wild Oats and Recoup each showcased Regenerative Organic Certified® watermelon drinks.

Watermelon — with its abundance of citrulline, an amino acid that boosts nitric oxide and improves endurance — is emerging as a functional ingredient.

5) “REGENERATIVE” CONVERSATIONS ARE HEATING UP

While there is widespread agreement about the importance of reducing pesticide use and improving soil health, getting there is another issue. As such, the tension between “regenerative” and “regenerative organic” came into greater focus at the show.

It was discussed on a panel at the Regenerative Organic Alliance event at The Ecology Center and also at a well-attended private meeting held by Natural Grocers.

Retailers are coming at this from various angles, with Whole Foods Market allowing five regenerative certifications and only one — Regenerative Organic Certified® — has organic as a baseline.

Natural Grocers, with 168 stores across 21 states, takes a different approach.

“We do not have a policy that requires a third-party certification,” said Christie Pettys, food standards manager at the Colorado-based grocer. “Rather, we spend the time asking brands the hard questions about soil health and biodiversity, in addition to practices that we find counter to the ‘regenerative’ claim, such as the use of glyphosate or GMOs.”

If consumers still struggle to understand “organic,” asking them to decipher multiple regenerative labels will only deepen the confusion, exacerbated by the fact that there is no widely accepted definition of “regenerative.”

There is no easy answer to this debate, especially when retailers each have their own policy, but organic brands and farmers are not taking this lying down.

As we saw and heard at Expo West, they do not want to lose market share to “regenerative” — a label that does not prohibit glyphosate — and they also fear greenwashing from major chemical companies.

(From l. to r. at The Ecology Center, Christopher Gergen, CEO of the Regenerative Organic Alliance; Walter Robb, former co-CEO of Whole Foods Market; Ted Robb, co-founder of New Barn Organics.)

(Christie Pettys, food standards manager at Natural Grocers, leading the discussion about regenerative agriculture and standards.)

6) TROUBLE BREWING FOR REGENERATIVE ORGANIC CERTIFIED® FARMERS

A worrisome development surfaced during Expo West conversations around Regenerative Organic Certified® cacao from Sierra Leone.

According to ingredient supplier Tradin Organic, which won both the Regenerative Agriculture Leadership Award at Climate Day and Best Organic Supplier 2026 at “An Organic Night Out,” the government of Sierra Leone is interested in “taking control” of cocoa exports in the country. Exact details remain uncertain, and the situation is very fluid. However, the implications could be enormous.

Globally, there are roughly 60,000 Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) farmers, and an estimated 25,000 ROC-certified cacao farmers operate in Sierra Leone.

If export structures change abruptly, it could disrupt regenerative organic cacao supply chains and significantly reduce the number of ROC farmers worldwide.

7) COLLABORATIVE SUPPLY CHAINS ARE TAKING SHAPE

Another theme echoed across Expo West: collaboration is slowly replacing competition in supply chains, something we noted in our 2026 trends report.

Purpose Pledge companies are increasingly collaborating on supply chains, and the Collaborative Integrated Value Chain (CIVC) continues to gain traction as brands explore shared sourcing and testing infrastructure.

Nature’s Path received the Climate Collaborative Collective Action Leadership Award for helping to spearhead the Regenerative Organic Oats Program, alongside its partners Riverside Natural Foods Ltd. (Home of MadeGood), Bay State Milling Company and Canadian Organic Growers.

Lastly, during Expo West, it was announced that Organic Valley, Stonyfield, UNFI and Whole Foods Market are collaborating on a value chain initiative for the U.S. organic dairy industry.

8) NON-UPF VERIFICATION ARRIVES

With ultra-processed foods (UPFs) commanding a prominent role in the cultural zeitgeist, two organizations seeking to help consumers identify these foods debuted at Expo West.

Non-UPF Verified, which announced its first seven certified brands at the show — including Simple Mills, Amy’s Kitchen and Olyra Foods —  obtains from each company the level of processing used for each ingredient, processing methods, formulation intent and how foods are structurally altered before they reach store shelves. The group says these are things not available on the package.

Through its mobile scanning app, WISEcode is an AI food-data platform that analyzes more than 840,000 packaged foods across thousands of ingredient attributes to determine how processed a product is. Brands can also apply for the Non-UPF Shield verification to demonstrate that their products meet the organization’s non-ultra-processed standard.

Interest in both platforms at the show was very strong.

9) BREADFRUIT BREAKS THROUGH

Breadfruit was one of the most promising ingredients that I saw at the show.

Naturally gluten-free, grain-free, fiber-rich and highly sustainable, it is proving to be a versatile ingredient in snacks and baking.

Barbados-based Ulu Foods won the Expo West Pitch Slam for its breadfruit crackers, and Amasar, a Puerto Rico-based company, showcased breadfruit waffles and carrot cake.

10) FREE THE SEED IS RAISING THE ALARM

On the Wednesday night of Expo West, Free the Seed, a global campaign launched by A Growing Culture and The Non-GMO Project, held a launch event to defend farmers’ right to save, exchange and steward seeds.

“Across the world, new seed privatization laws are criminalizing seed saving,” said Loren Cardeli, founder of A Growing Culture. “In Ghana, farmers can face up to 10 years in prison simply for sharing seeds that their communities have stewarded for generations. Free the Seed is a call to action and an invitation for companies, consumers and non-profits to stand with the world’s farmers to defend seed sovereignty and recognize seed and biodiversity as our shared ancestry.”

11) ORGANIC PRODUCTS THAT STOOD OUT

At Expo West, Ocean’s Halo had a food truck outside of the North Hall, and its Fried Rice Spicy Korean BBQ Kimbap drew rave reviews. Its sister product, Fried Rice Kimbap, was named Best New Organic Food Product 2026 at “An Organic Night Out.”

The Multivitamin and Digestion Shot Line from Suja Organic — Strawberry Citrus, Raspberry Ginger, Mango Turmeric and Goldenberry — is incredibly impressive, both in taste and nutrition. It further confirms that Bryan Riblett, vice president of commercialization and chief innovation officer at Suja Life, is one of the best in the industry.

If you’ve been wanting to enjoy your pasta with Regenerative Organic Certified® tomatoes, now you can — thanks to one of the newest offerings from Bionaturae. USDA certified organic, Glyphosate Residue Free certified, Non-GMO Project verified, gluten-free and grown in Italy.

Matt McLean, CEO of Uncle Matt’s Organic, has delivered some standout innovation with Orange Hydrate — by combining coconut water with orange juice. For sure, his partners at the NBA’s Orlando Magic are going to want this for their players.

The Pear + Banana + Raspberry + Vanilla Puree from White Leaf Provisions may be its best-tasting product ever. It’s so good that adults will want it as well. USDA certified organic, Demeter-certified, Glyphosate Residue Free certified and regenerative.

In the new Double Green Match Lavender Tea, The Republic of Tea has blended organic Japanese matcha powder with fine, organic green tea leaves and fragrant lavender. Calming, delicious, smooth.

Sports icon Novak Djokovic has certainly made a name for himself on the tennis court, and as the co-founder of Cob, alongside founder Jessica Davidoff, he is poised to make a huge splash in the CPG world as well. This gluten-free and allergy-friendly popcorn made from sorghum is very addictive, and I can easily see how it did $400,000 in sales in its first month. The company is currently purchasing sorghum from transitional organic farms, and USDA organic certification is imminent.

This plant-based Chia + Olive Superseed Spread from Avafina Organics is a phenomenal accompaniment to crackers, and I could have eaten the whole container. USDA certified organic, Non-GMO Project verified and vegan.

A collaboration between Nourish Cold Pressed Juice and Wild Orchard, this black matcha lemonade wowed people at the show and has massive potential. I have been told that it is a matter of weeks before it will be carrying the Regenerative Organic Certified® label.

Some serious product development from PURIS, with its organic ClearP™ protein — an organic protein source that delivers solubility for beverages.

In the Fresh Ideas Tent, Imlak’esh Organics served its organic blue spirulina along with coconut water, and it left me pretty speechless.

The craft fermented organic soda from Biotic Ferments delivers excellent prebiotic and postbiotic benefits, not to mention terrific flavors and taste. Great packaging, too.

I love how much third-party testing, including for mycotoxins, that Hiker Coffee does.

Hanamaruki Foods, a Japanese miso and fermented foods manufacturer with over 100 years of history, was the first company to introduce Liquid Shio Koji, a fermented seasoning made from rice koji, salt and water. Fascinating.

With gratitude, Max Goldberg, Founder