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GOURMET NEWS APRIL 2015 www.gourmetnews.com Naturally Healthy NATURALLY HEALTHY 1 2 Drink, Spread and Bite: Better-for-You Products Launch Across Several Categories at Expo West BY LORRIE BAUMANN This year's Natural Products Expo West of- fered a host of introductions for products that will appeal to the nutrition-conscious consumer. Among those are the bottled teas offered by Blu-Dot Beverage Company. This Canadian company offers five flavors of protein teas that contain 12 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per 473ml bottle and are targeted at the active, nutrition-con- scious woman in her 30s to 50s. With protein content derived from 100 percent New Zealand whey, the teas contain no GMOs or artificial ingredients, are gluten free and made with organic green tea. The five flavors are Cranberry Pome- granate Green Tea, Honey Lemon Green Tea, Orange Pineapple Green Tea, Blue- berry Acai Green Tea and Apple Pear White Tea. Three of them are sweetened with ste- via and have no added sugars, while the other two are sweetened with organic cane sugar. With suggested retail prices of $2.99 to $3.49, the Blu-Dot teas are launching na- tionally with KeHE in April. For further in- formation, visit www.bludotbeverages.com. New Zealand whey also provides the protein for a line of shake mixes targeted at children and their nutrition-conscious parents. KidzShake is a mix that blends with water, nut milks, or dairy milk to make a beverage that offers no- compromise nu- trition for children, includ- ing a full supple- ment of vitamins, probiotics, digestive enzymes and Omega-3s. It comes in four flavors: Vanilla Cream, Orange Cream, Chocolate Cream and Strawberry Cream. It's sugar free, non-GMO, lactose free, gluten free and casein free, and it's so tasty that a clever mom can hide a cup of kale in the chocolate flavor. It's sold in 22.75- ounce containers that will make up to 60 servings (Serving size varies ac- cording to the age of the child.) and retails for $44, and a 12.13-ounce size that will make up to 32 servings and retails for $24.90. The product is cur- rently offered online through Amazon and on the company's website at www.kidzshake.com. Biosanare is a Spanish company that's of- fering a variety of products from Spain and the Mediterranean region. The company is introducing Olive Tea in silk tea bags. The tea is made from olive leaves. It tastes like green tea, but it helps regulate blood sugar and blood pressure and offers anti-aging and cardiovascular benefits, according to the company. This is an organic product made from olive leaves that come from trees that have been grown in the Cordoba region of Spain for centuries. The tea bags are packaged in a tin of 20 and are also available in bulk for private labeling. The tin of 20 has a suggested retail price of $7.99. For further information, visit www.biosanare.com. Martha Stewart is a partner in ULIVjava, which is launching two flavors of bottled iced coffees – vanilla and mocha – with three flavors of almond drinks debuting soon. With just 80 calories per bottle, these are focused on being a healthier alternative to other bottled iced coffees, and at a sug- gested retail price of just $2.49 per bot- tle, they may appeal to the cost-con- scious as well. The almond drink prod- ucts are expected to appeal to Millennial consumers. They're currently distributed in Whole Foods stores on the East Coast, and the company is seeking a West Coast dis- tributor. They're also being served in the Martha Stewart Cafe in New York. For fur- ther information, visit www.ulivjava.com. TuMe is a line of turmeric-infused water in three flavors: Citrus, Mango and Berry. They're sweetened with ste- via and 1g of sugar to pro- duce a drink with just five calories per serving. They offer antioxidants and anti- aging properties, and a 16.9 fluid ounce bottle retails for a suggested $3.00 price. The beverage is bottled in Watsonville, California and is targeted at athletes and other health-conscious con- sumers who want the benefits of turmeric. This is the company's first year in produc- tion, and the drink is currently being car- ried in 25 northern California stores; and TuMe is partnering with LA Fit- ness to offer the drink in its fitness centers. For more information, visit www.drinktume.com. Bliss Nut-Butters has been in busi- ness for 3.5 years in the northwest- ern U.S. with a range of nut butters made with honey and sea salt that appeal to athletes that need to bal- ance their carbohydrates and pro- teins. The nut butters are made with a fresh-ground process that pre- serves the integrity of the ingre- dients. The peanut butters retail for $6.99 to $8.99 and the hazel- nut butters retail for $9.99 to $12.99. Almond butter is coming out this year. The products are currently sold in the Pacific Northwest and just launched on Amazon. "We're ready to grow," says President and Founder Daniell Bliss. For further information, visit www.blissnutbutters.com. World Soups offers natural, authentic recipes in three flavors: Chicken Pho, Beef Pho and Chinese Style Egg Noodle Soup in convenient microwaveable bowls that are sold from the grocer's re- frigerated case. They contain no ar- tificial ingredients, no MSG and no preservatives. The pho soups have no gluten. They have a 30-day shelf life and they're currently dis- tributed only in northern Califor- nia, which is where they're made. The suggested retail prices are $5.99 for the egg noodle soup and $7.99 for the pho va- rieties. For further information, visit www.worldsoupsinc.com. Zippy's has figured out how to make a shelf-stable salad with Zippy's Salad Bites, which come in two flavors: Lemon Kale and Spinach Cranberry. Available in 3.2-ounce single-serving snack pouches, they contain fiber and protein but no GMOs, no trans fats and no cholesterol. They retail for $3.99, and the taste is as zippy as you'd expect. For more information, email kmullin@getzippys.com. GN The 35th annual Natural Products Expo West (NPEW), the world's largest natural, organic and healthy products event, took place March 4-8 at the Anaheim Conven- tion Center in California. The event grew 7.2 percent from the previous year, bring- ing together an inspired community of over 71,000 industry members, with more than 2,700 exhibiting companies, including 634 first-time exhibitors. The event is produced by New Hope Natural Media. Co-located with NPEW was Engredea, an event to source new ingredients, pack- aging, technologies, equipment, and serv- ices for cutting-edge products, and the Fresh Ideas Organic Marketplace, an inno- vative outdoor event that combines a tradi- tional farmers' market feel with the business-building power of a trade show. Due to a robustly growing market for natural food and products, NPEW included expanded exhibit space and an extra, fourth day of exhibits this year. NEXT Forecast estimates the natural and organic products industry is expected to grow to $252 billion by 2019. The conference included four days of ed- ucation sessions, highlighted by keynote presentations from Mark Bittman, food journalist at The New York Times, regular guest on the Today Show and author of the "How to Cook Everything" series and "VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00;" as well as Dr. David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM, board-cer- tified Neurologist, fellow of the American College of Nutrition and New York Times bestselling author of "Grain Brain." Of the many awards given at NPEW, highlights included: • The official Natural Products Expo West "Best of West: Press Award" to Justin's Mini Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. Runners up included: Noosa Yoghurt, LLC's Vanilla Yoghurt and Brandstorm Inc.'s Dark Chocolate Covered Chia Seeds • The winner of the NEXT Accelerator Natural Products Pitch Slam was Loliware, maker of exquisitely designed and delicious edible cups. New Hope's team of editors and analysts identified from the show five macro trends influencing the marketplace. They include: • Transparency advancements: Con- sumers are increasingly demanding to know what is in their food, and brands are responding. • Ancient Wisdom Gets Wiser: Brands continue to innovate by producing simple, delicious products that take minimal pro- cessing and include short lists of nutrient- dense ingredients. • Paleo 2.0: Paleo-positioned products were even more prevalent, including items in every product category, from English muffins to chocolate. • Packaging innovations, spearheaded by an edible cups invention, included ad- vancements in sustainability, consumer ed- ucation and shelf stability. • Protein Invasion: Responding to con- sumers' insatiable hunger for protein, natural and organic brands are packing new offerings with protein in every conceivable form. Natural Products Expo East 2015 returns to the Baltimore Convention Center, Sep- tember 16-19, 2015 in Baltimore, Mary- land; and Natural Products Expo West 2016 is scheduled to take place March 11- 13, 2016 at the Anaheim Convention Cen- ter in Anaheim, California. For more information, visit www.expo west.com or www.newhope360.com. GN Natural Products Expo West/Engredea Shatters Attendance Record

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