It's an Exciting Time For Natural Products

I hadn’t attended the Natural Products Expo West trade show in a couple of years, so I drove over to the Anaheim Convention Center last weekend to check out what’s new in the world of natural foods, supplements, skincare, health care, and pet products.

I hadn’t anticipated the more than 3,000 exhibitors, and I was in awe of the variety and creativity around me. I decided to start with the Hot Products Pavilion where the newest products were displayed in a special basement space that took a while to find.

I quickly noticed that these new folks tended to take a lighthearted approach to their new businesses, giving them catchy names like Perky Jerky, Caveman Foods, Gluten Freeda, Hail Merry Snacks, Wild Squirrel Peanut Butter, and Mamma Chia “vitality beverage” (“Fun for Your Mouth – Great for Your Body!”).

When most people think of “chia” they think of the terra cotta “chia pets” that are covered with chia seeds and sprout into grassy green“fur” once they’re watered. But, historically, the seeds themselves have been the most important part of the plant.

In pre-Columbian times they were a main component of the Aztec and Mayan diets and were the basic survival ration of Aztec warriors.  Rich in
Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber, they come from Salvia hispanica, a flowering plant in the mint family, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala.

Now that they’re the Next Big Thing in health foods, they’re being grown throughout South America and Australia and added to lots of products. New York Superfoods, Inc. exhibited its Chia Charger, “The Superfood Energy Bite,” along with Chia Nut Butter spreads and Chia Granola. California-based Chia Stuff, Inc., also at the Expo, produces an energy drink powder, Iskiate (also known as Chia Fresca), Chia Brownie Mix, and Chia Amaranth Cereal. Trust me, with all of the health benefits of chia, you’ll be stocking your cupboards with chia products before this year is over.

The main floor of the Expo contained four humongous halls filled with exhibitors from established businesses large and small. There were several “better” products, like Better Beans, Better Life, and Better Nutrition, and 36 companies whose names started with Natural or Nature. I especially liked the names Natural Chemistry, Natural Pet Pharmaceuticals, and Nature’s Guru. Interestingly, while many people told me their products were available in Whole Foods Markets, Bristol Farms, or Gelson’s (in L.A.), plenty of them reported that theirs were in Target and WalMart. But, believe it or not, some of the Big Boys were there, too. International behemoth Cargill, with $119.5 billion of revenue in fiscal
2011, seemed a bit out of place.

There’s an ongoing debate about what “natural” means.  People tend to believe it means products that are minimally processed and don’t contain manufactured ingredients, but there are no standards for “natural” in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration offers a vague definition  of natural ingredients as being extracted directly from plants or animal products (as opposed to being produced
synthetically), but, except for meat, “natural” on a label is essentially
meaningless, and certainly shouldn’t be confused with the tightly controlled
term “organic.”