SUSTAINABILITY IS KING – SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING & COMMUNICATION
Sustainable messaging/materials stood out, creating value for consumers and awareness. Innovation of materials included paper packaging, vegetable inks, biodegradable packaging, bees wax paper, and friendly bamboo. Up cycling has also become a huge movement within the industry.
-Neutral Foods, Beyond the Equator, Matriark
BACK TO BASICS - REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
A large majority of consumers are still eating meat and fish, and now we’re seeing brands speaking about how to be regenerative while consuming legacy animal products. It is refreshing to see, and it's promising to see regenerative making headway into new categories such as beverages.
-Smootch, Alexander Family Farms, Atlantic Sea Farms
CONTINUED BEVERAGE INNOVATION
Functional health has been an industry theme for several years, however we continue to see innovation around; cognitive health, sleep, mental health, etc. Gut health seems to have leveled up to feature specific strains and benefits of pre/probiotics that are condition specific. In general, with the pandemic, inflation, products are having to work harder than ever!
-Sound, Wellies, Frescos
MOCKTAILS WITH BENEFITS
No or low ABV beverages have been trending largely with alpha, gen-z generations and many consumers are looking for ways to dial back their alcohol consumption post-pandemic. Many offerings at the show were clean, tasteful beverages that can be consumed on their own, used with alcohol or as a beverage mixer while consuming zero to low sugar. There was a bounty of botanicals!
-Three Spirit, Avec, Tost
PLANT-BASED MARCHES ON – BRAND FORWARD!
The EXPO and Natural Product industry continues to usher in plant-based products. This year we saw a proliferation of "brand" within the plant-based space. Brands that are setting the pace have moved on from conventional, bland "greenwashing" cues, to creating ownable brand visual expressions/experiences. Here were some of the highlights, including our client, Wicked Kitchen who just moved into hot selling items like Pizza and Ice Cream!
-Wicked Kitchen, Big Mountain Foods, VFC
MIGRATION INTO KID’S PRODUCTS – START ‘EM EARLY
Introducing our children the most whole, organic, natural products early on makes sense. The kid's space continues to grow through disruptive innovative offerings that celebrate diversity of food and recipes, sustainability, and just plain fun!
-Mighty Yum, Eat the Change – cosmic carrot chews, Chubby, Globowl