Expo West - in Anaheim CA - where you can see the latest in product development for the natural and organic trade.

Coming to Expo is like old home week for me. I have been in the natural & organic trade for over 12 years now, and love every minute of it, and absolutely love the people. Expo West is like a reunion for the trade – everyone is here: suppliers, bottlers, manufacturers, service firms, vendors, brokers, retailers, marketers, health practicioners, spa folks, health food stores, big grocers, importers, exporters, venture capitalists – you name it – it is busy!

I am aways watching for trends and new ideas, as well as the tone of the industry. This show has been reflecting the caution of the recession – I am not seeing too much innovation – which can be very expensive and a gamble, but am seeing a lot of tweaking of formulas, recipes and packaging. What that means is that there are a LOT of line extensions – new flavors of existing products, or new forms of existing formulations (gummies, powders, effervescents, chocolate coated supplements, etc). As far as the tone of the industry, there are a ton of people here. To me that says that people are getting ready for the recession to be over. The crowds are a wonderfu thing to see.

In the supplement world, as new science supports the need for higher and higher doses of Vitamin D3, it now comes in every consumable form, from liquids to gummie bears, in every potency level. To make 'taking your vitamins' a more pleasurable experience, nutrients now are cloaked in dark chocolate, or powdered for making a fizzy beverage in your water bottle, or in a chew like a Starburst.  Anything to make adults and children actually take them without being reminded.

Body care lines continue to improve their formulations and now that they have found alternative preservative methods, they are taking out all forms of parabens (suspected as a toxin). The studies, showing that the skin absorbs just about everything put on it, has stimulated formulators to find safer alternatives. Line extensions are adding economy sizes, colored sunblock for kids, and I saw a Badger double ended lip balms/lip tint.. Shea butter (from Africa) can be found now as a common ingredient in lotions and body butters – a wonderful moisturizer.

More to report later...gotta get back to the show. Anne