Productspotting at Natural Products Expo West

By Jacqueline Beckley and Leslie Herzog of The Understanding & Insight Group

To see Jacqueline and Leslie's companion story on trends at Expo West, click here. To see Dave Fusaro's main NPEW story, click here.

Natural Products Expo West is at its heart a new products expo and never disappoints in unveiling new foods and beverages coming down the pike. This year’s expo was March 5-7 in Anaheim, Calif. Here are some of the most interesting products we saw:

*Mosh: After seeing a loved one battle with Alzheimer's, mother-son Maria Shriver and Patrick Schwarzenegger created a bar to nourish the brain. The key ingredient is Cognizin, a patented brand of citicoline from Kyowa Hakko.

*Stoked Oatrice: Handles just like rice but it's oats - in pure and Herby Garlic flavored (the Herby Garlic flavor was a NEXTY Award Winner).

*Miso Eggplant Frozen Neapolitan Pizza: Another NEXTY Award Winner, this was a great tasting product from pi00a (that’s the company name), a Deaf & Child of Deaf Adult family-owned business.

*Milkadamia Flat Pack Oat Milk Sheets: To make your own plant-based milk, just blend with water and soak. Cuts packaging waste by 94% and shipping weight by 85%.

*Guinness Steak Cuts: The perfect pairing to the perfect pint! In Original, Coffee, Chocolate. Flavorful with a real meat (not dry) bite.

*Bonduelle’s Ready-to-Heat Lunch Bowls: In globally inspired fusion flavors Southwest, Mediterranean, Indian and Spanish. They claim to be the first shelf-stable, protein packed, plant-rich bowls and can be eaten cold or warm. Later in the year, Bonduelle will be launching a three-product line of warm bowls with 10-14g of protein in Zesty Fresh Mex, Ginger Teriyaki and Mediterranean Crunch.

*Stryve Protein Snacks: A thinly sliced steak line of air-dried beef in original, hickory seasoned and peppered.

*Impossible Steak Bites: The gold standard of plant-based analogues always has been the taste of real meat, and this execution delivered.

*Dixie Grace’s Artisanal Boiled Peanuts: A cultural (Southern) product can be eaten hot, out of the bag, with or without the shell; also part of the what was old is new again theme.

*Chili Crisp: Created as a condiment by and for Fly By Jing Chili Crisp Noodles and now in Lundberg’s Chili Crisp Rice.

*A2 Dairy: Now showing up in multiple categories: fluid milk, ice-cream, cheese and yogurt. Has it’s time finally come?

*Temole Snacks: Broccoli Puffs in Olive Oil & Salt, Cheese, Sweet Corn; Cauliflower Puffs in Sea Salt, Sour Cream, Chili Lime, Kale & Pepper; and Veggie Waves in Sea Salt, Cheese, Balsamic Vinegar.

*HardBite Chips: Eat Your Parsnips, 18 Carrot Gold, Drop’N Mad Beets.

Whole Harmony’s founder Stacey Wood was inspired by ancient herbal remedies and Traditional Chinese Medicine. The company’s drinks are based Buddhism’s seven chakras.

*Beverages from Whole Harmony: Based on Buddhism’s Seven Chakras: Root, Sacral, Solar, Heart, Throat, Third Eye and Crown. Using “crystal water,” the product claims to be a “vibrational functional beverage. $10 is expensive for a 12 oz. RTD beverage, but the line is beautiful to look at.

*Be Amazing Greens Beverages: In Pink Lemonade, Peach Mango, Mixed Berry.

*Numerous iterations of Boba and Bubble Tea: Including products from Orbitel International in frozen, ambient, RTD and popping variants, and Bub Luv’s Black Milk Tea, Matcha Soy Late and Passionfruit Oolong Guava.

*Pretty Taste Collagen Iced Tea: One of several products incorporating collagen, in Unsweetened, Lemon, Peach & Raspberry.

*True Dates Flavored Dates: In Sweet Peach, Sour Cola, Cookie Dough, Sour Watermelon, Sour Apple and Creamy Peanut Butter.

*Tatemada: A tasty snack chip that is messaging culture and unique taste/texture with yellow maize.

*Southern Recipe Small Batch Pork Rinds/Fried Chicharrónes: Another collagen story (7g per serving) with 8g of protein, no carbs and big taste (Hot Honey).

*Country Cravers Pet Treats: We can’t forget the pets - sausage bites that are totally human food grade.

Jacqueline Beckley is founder and owner of The Understanding & Insight Group LLC (www.uandicollaboration.com), a strategy and business development company; Leslie Herzog is vice president of operations & research services for The Understanding & Insight Group and a longtime member of Food Processing’s Editorial Advisory Board.