360PR Blog

Last weekend 47,000 people showed up in Anaheim, CA for Expo West , the world’s largest natural products show. Amid current economic instability and questions regarding the value of organics, the industry seemed to answer any skepticism with a resoundingly impressive show that included 10% attendance growth over last year’s event.

Going into Expo West, this turnout certainly wasn’t a guarantee. With consumers watching their grocery dollars more than ever and food safety scares resulting from the salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds and may be involved in nine deaths, organic and natural food products seemed especially vulnerable.

On March 3 The New York Times published It’s Organic, but Does That Mean It’s Safer? , reporting that the organics space is not immune to food insecurities since several organic products were part of the massive food recalls.

In response to concerns and to reaffirm the value of organics, The Organic Agriculture and Products Education Institute (Organic Institute) launched “Organic. It’s worth it.” – the non-profit’s first national consumer education and marketing campaign.

The campaign includes the launch of a great new micro site that teaches consumers about organic agriculture and products, highlights the benefits, worth and availability of organic products and specifically addresses topics of concern to families. Organics are especially important for children, so it’s great that the Organics Institute has created such a user-friendly space where families can learn more.

So back to Expo West…the aisles were packed to the brim in all show areas – from vitamins/supplements to beauty products to the food halls where the sounds, smells and tastes were overwhelming. The exhibitors I spoke with felt great about the showing – plenty of buyers showing true interest in the many new and innovative products.

Many products were featuring some emerging health ingredients, including prebiotics (the indigestible part of food that helps grow probiotics; good for calcium and magnesium absorption), super fruits like Acai and Goji, and, believe it or not, hemp (it’s high in Omega 3s). The CBS Early Show had a great piece on Monday that talked about a lot of the hot new trends coming out of Expo West.

The Immaculate Baking Company , a 360PR client, was a favorite stop for show attendees. The company introduced a variety of new products including, ready-to-bake brownie dough, limited edition seasonal flavors Chocolate Peppermint and Gingerbread Spice, and dark chocolate covered biscotti crunch!

Filed under: Food Industry, Industry Organizations |