Natural Bites: Expo East

The world of natural and organic food products continues to expand as witnessed by the amount of interest in the Natural Products Expo East October 14–17. Nearly 1,174 exhibitors filled the aisles with product for the 23,000 buyers at the expo who were in search of new products in a range of categories from gourmet foods to healthy supplements.
Consumers are increasingly seeking healthy, sustainable choices for their foods. Healthier lifestyles don't necessarily mean low-fat or low-carb foods and though natural and organic products allow consumers to understand better where their food is produced, it still remains in the hands of specialty retailers to educate them about the choices available in the market. With that in mind, we walked the aisles to help you discover new innovations for your stores.


Beverage Aisles
Plenty of new products filled the beverage aisles, from innovative tea selections to tasty new juice blends, each of which offers their own healthy benefit. Montmorency Cherries (www.usacherries.com) promoted the antioxidant-rich attribute of tart cherries, as well as the fruit's melatonin properties, which may lend a pain-relieving benefit. Montmorency offers frozen, canned, and dried tart cherries, as well as 100-percent ready-to-drink tart cherry juice and juice concentrates and accompanying printed literature and recipes for your customers.
More antioxidant power is packed into Sambazon Rainforest Fruits that were first introduced to the U.S. market a few years ago in frozen smoothie packs. New this year are their 7-ounce ready-to-drink smoothie blenders called Acai Energy or Amazon Cherry blends (www.sambazon.com).
Kagome added to its juicy lineup of tomato and vegetable juices that maintain high levels of lycopene and beta-carotene, rich antioxidants. The refreshing Purple Roots and Fruits is an exciting blend of black grapes, wild blueberries, purple carrots, and beets. To learn more about the full line, visit www.kagome.us.
Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products, makers of Guayaki Yerba Mate, continues its organic, rainforest-grown, sustainable mission with a new product -- Java Mate. This unique new line of yerba mate made with organic ingredients combines the energy and flavor from two powerful rainforest trees -- yerba mate and ramon. Java Mate is a caffeinated coffee alternative that brews in any standard coffee maker, French press, or espresso machine. The brew allows coffee lovers to sip up the energy and flavor they usually derive from coffee without the side effects -- 65 milligrams of caffeine are present per 8-ounce serving compared to 135 mg for a comparable serving of coffee. Check out their products at www.guayaki.com.
Zhena's Gypsy Tea debuted their new Food Service Rack, a counter-top display filled with your favorite certified organic and Fair Trade Gypsy Tea selections. It is ideal for cafes, delis, or foodservice located in health food stores and groceries. For more information, visit www.gypsytea.com.
Honest Tea launched its first tea bag line with USDA Organic certification in individually overwrapped packaging. Honest Tea (www.honesttea.com) packs larger leaves in its bags instead of dust and fannings for a more flavorable infusion.
Revolution Tea's new White-T Ready to Drink is made from premium white tea and a splash of fresh fruit; importantly, it contains no carbohydrates, calories, sugars, sweeteners, or preservatives. White-T provides three times as many antioxidants as green tea. Revolution's (www.revolutiontea.com) new compact 10-ounce bottled teas are available in Raspberry, Key Lime, Blackberry, and Tangerine flavors.
Steaz brings tea to an effervescent pitch with its new certified organic diet drink -- Diet Steaz Sparkling Green Tea. Microbrewed from organic Ceylon green tea, Diet Steaz is not only certified organic but also contains vitamins A and C and the Hawaiian stevia plant. Lightly sweetened with 5 grams per serving of organic cane sugar, Diet Steaz (www.healthybeverage.com) is available in Black Cherry, LemonLime, and Cola flavors.
Logic Juice 4 Joints is a premixed offering from The Health Company USA. The 24-percent juice drink is the first natural, ready-to-drink glucosamine and chondrotin noncarbonated supplement in a can. Available in orange/mandarin and cranberry/apple flavors, this new beverage might appeal to your aging (and aching) Baby Boomer market (www.juice4joints.com).
More bubbling news came from The Switch via its newest flavor -- Tropical Punch. Switch beverages (www.switchbev.com) are 100-percent juice and provide more than 100 percent of daily vitamin C requirements. Switch is available in 12-ounce bottles or cans.
Sanfaustino, an Italian mineral water new to the U.S., is the only bottled water deemed a "Good Source of Calcium" by the FDA. Drinking eight glasses of all-natural Sanfaustino provides up to 80 percent of the adult calcium RDA. Sanfaustino comes directly from a one-of-a-kind mountain spring in Umbria, Italy, that generates a lightly effervescent water high in calcium. Sanfaustino (www.sanfaustino.com) also provides a fat-free, calorie-free, carb-free, and sodium-free alternative to other calcium sources.
Beverages would not be complete without discussing soy or organic milk. News in this category is also strong as Organic Valley introduced Organic Soymilk available in Vanilla, Chocolate, and Original with 30 percent of the FDA's recommended calcium intake. When consumers visit www.organicvalley.coop/soy and input the expiration date on their carton, they will see photos and read the stories of the organic farmer who grew the beans in that carton. Also new from Organic Valley is a Lactose Free Single Serve Milk option made from organic 1-percent milk that is ultra-pasteurized by flash heating and cooling. A natural enzyme called "lactase" is added to convert lactose into glucose and galactose, easily digested simple sugars.

Baked Goods
Rudi's Organic Bakery, a founding member of The Whole Grains Council, is introducing two new breads under a newly created Whole Grains & Fiber label. The twin varieties, 7 Grain with Flax and Wheat and Oat, both provide four grams of fiber with each slice. Three slices of Rudi's Organic Bakery's Whole Grains & Fiber each day meets the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's new recommended number of servings of whole grains. In addition to added fiber, each 1.4-ounce slice of the new breads also provides 3–4 grams of protein and just 90–100 calories (Wheat and Oat, 7 Grain with Flax, respectively). Rudi's Organic breads and buns are made in small batches using the finest certified organic ingredients produced without the use of pesticides or artificial ingredients. All of Rudi's Organic breads carry the USDA organic seal. For more information, visit www.rudisbakery.com
For those looking to shed carbs from their diets without losing taste, Tumaro's Gourmet Tortillas (www.tumaros.com) introduced a 6-inch multi-grain low-carb tortilla with only three grams of net carbs per tortilla. Tumaro's tortillas contain no trans fats, are certified kosher, are 94 percent fat free, and come packaged in a resealable zip-lock. The new tortillas also come in a 10-inch wrap version for making delicious wraps or family-sized quesadillas. The 10-inch Wraps come in Multi-Grain, Salsa, Garden Vegetable, and Green Onion flavors.

Deli & Dairy
Delicious news from the deli -- consumers continue to be concerned with the origin of meat products and those are significantly drawn to organic or naturally processed products. Feeding those desires is a range of producers from beef to poultry to sausage.
Murray's (www.murrayschicken.com) introduced its All-Natural, Antibiotic-Free Brined Fresh Turkey raised on 100-percent vegetable grains. The turkeys, like Murray's chickens, are never caged and feed at their leisure. The new turkeys in sizes ranging from 10–15 pounds are marinated in a secret Murray family recipe of sea salt, spices, turbonado sugar, and purified water.
Another sweet turkey deal comes from Plainville Farms with a deli-icious Cherry Smoked Turkey off the bone that's ready to slice for your customers. Plainville at www.plainvillefarms.com has a full range of all-natural turkey products, including turkey breast, cured deli products, and antibiotic-free turkey breast varieties.
Coleman Natural Beef showcased its in-store and consumer support programs, including a consumer web site, www.colemannatural.com; eye-catching on-pack stickers; POS materials; consumer education pieces; ad feature promotions; and product demonstrations. All of these efforts help support sales of the company's USDA natural label, which they were the first to receive in the 1980's, for a full range of antibiotic- and growth hormone-free beef product. Coleman also introduced its new all-natural Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon.
Grass-fed, all-natural extra-lean beef from Baldwin Charolais Beef (www.baldwincharlolaisbeef.com) is produced on a family-operated farm in Casewell County, N.C. The beef is dry-aged and minimally processed for a higher Omega-3 and CLA fatty acid content than commercially raised product. Wholesome Harvest Organic Meats, an organic selection showing its stuff at the expo, offers a complete range of USDA Organic chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, duck, goose, and pork products produced by a group of small farmers who supply the company. Fair Trade organization Wholesome Harvest (www.wholesomeharvest.com) also donates a percentage of its profits to environmental stewardship and rural revitalization projects.
After your customers purchase the best products to take home, offer them a natural way to cook it with Natural Cooking Woods from Maine. Maine Cooking Woods brings native wild apple, black cherry, sugar maple, white cedar, and golden birch chips, chunks, and planks to the barbecue and smoking enthusiast. New to the retail market, Maine Cooking Woods (www.mainecookingwoods.com) harvests wood on sustainable lands and provides kiln-dried, pesticide-free products.
Milk-producing farms also received top billing at the expo, with a wide range of cheese, butter, and yogurts vying for attention. Straus Family Creamery (www.strausmilk.com) showed their organic stuffs with new Organic European-Style Butter in both sweet and salted varieties. The kosher and organic offering with an 85–86-percent butterfat content is a creamy delight.
Springfield Creamery unveiled its innovative new packaging for Nancy's Fruit on Top yogurt (www.nancysyogurt.com). The new 8-ounce two-part combo pack maintains the integrity of the fully cultured yogurt by separating the contents and also eliminating waste. The design of the two-part container eliminates the need for plastic wrap and two plastic lids, and makes it resealable, reusable, and recyclable.
A selection of mild goat cheese from Holland also tempted buyers. Hekking Kaas (e-mail at info@hekkingkaas.nl) produces a wide range of goat, sheep, and cow milk cheeses within European organic rules and with HACCP certification. Some interesting selections include a medium-hard Ziegenbutterkase goat milk cheese that's firm with a mild taste and light herbal intricacies.

Freezer Aisle
Manufacturers continue to rush to feed Americans' demand for convenient, healthy products with an abundance of frozen meals and prep shortcuts designed for today's fast-paced lifestyle. In an effort to reduce Americans' waistlines and satisfy their demands, CedarLane (www.cedarlanefoods.com) showcased its Carb Buster range of frozen entrees. From Spinach Artichoke Quiche to Chili Relleno Pie, the brand promotes net carbs ranging from five to 11 grams.
StarLite Cuisine introduced Lean Carb Wraps and Casseroles at the expo. Ingredients include fire-roasted vegetables, high-protein pastas, a variety of cheese, and authentic sauces and seasonings. StarLite Cuisine (www.starlitecuisine.com) produces everything from Spinach Florentine (10 grams net carbs) to Mu Shu Wraps (nine grams net carbs). The company also offers meatless rolled tacos and taquitos.
More south of the border treats came from Matthew's Specialty Foods with their new all-vegetarian frozen natural burritos. Created by California wine country chef Matthew Nagan, the five-SKU line features individually wrapped burritos with low-fat, no-preservative attributes. With eye-catching packaging and a POS display, the burritos come in flavors such as Smashed Potato, Cheddar Chipotle, and Veggie Vegan.
Celentano Vegetarian brings organic frozen meals to the table with new packaging that creates brand awareness via appealing photography. Celentano pasta and eggplant entrees (www.rosina.com) are USDA certified and feature vegan, non-dairy, low-fat, and no-cholesterol characteristics.
On the sweet side, Sweetdee Pies is an ice cream alternative that's both kosher and GMO free. The single-serving FreeZees Nutcreem (www.freezees.com) pie-shaped frozen treats are available in Crispee Cashew, Crispee Fudge, and Crispee Pecan varieties. More creamy, sweet news emerged from Straus Family Creamery who offered its new Organic Super Premium Ice Cream with 17-percent butterfat in three decadent flavors -- Dutch Chocolate, Raspberry, and Vanilla Bean. Now, there is hope for those lactose-intolerant ice cream junkies in the form of Purely Decadent Soy Delicious nondairy frozen desserts. With seven flavors -- Mocha Almond Fudge, Rocky Road, and Swinging Anna Banana, to name just a few, the soy treat has no cholesterol, little to no saturated fat, no hydrogenated oils, less than half the unsaturated fat, and 37 percent fewer calories than super-premium dairy ice cream. Purely Decadent Soy Delicious (www.turtlemountain.com) is complemented by a family of products that includes Organic Soy Delicious, Sweet Nothings, and Carb Escapes.
Another tempting soy ice cream comes from The Chicago Soy Dairy. Aptly named Temptation and packaged in a 50-ounce handled plastic pail, this tasty treat even comes in Organic Fair Trade Chocolate. The young company (e-mail info@welovesoy.com) also just launched a fat-free, 100-percent vegan meat substitute called Seitan Lover's with an Italian-style flavor that begs for a pizza crust.

Condiments
From oils to spices to spreads, many notable temptations were present at the expo. Nut butters are gaining wide appeal among health-conscious consumers. Accordingly, Manitoba Harvest (www.manitobaharvest.com) is hoping to turn them on to Hemp Seed Nut Butter made from 100-percent non-GMO hemp seed nut grown sustainably on the prairies of Manitoba, Canada. One of nature's riches sources of complete protein (35 percent) and Omega 3/Omega 6 Essential Fatty Acids (40 percent), Manitoba Harvest Hemp Seed Nut Butter is also devoid of hydrogenated oil, cholesterol, added sugar, gluten, preservatives, and artificial flavors or colors.
More spreadable news comes from Deborah's Kitchen (e-mail debfruit@ziplink.net) whose beautiful line of jams and preserves possesses two-thirds fruit and no preservatives. Deborah's blends of fruits are not only wonderful spreads but are also perfect as ingredients for glazes, marinades, and salad dressings, or even for mixing into yogurt. Varieties include Massachusetts Rubies with cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries, as well as Sweet Pepper Relish and Fig-Ginger.
Mediterranean Organic brings artisan-crafted preserves and marmalades to the table with USDA Organic imported products from the Calabria region of Italy. Imported by Global Organic Brands (www.mediterraneanorganic.com), the collection includes Organic Strawberry, Raspberry, Wild Berries, and Peach-Apricot Preserves.
Organic spreads from Au Printemps Gourmet (www.printempsgourmet.com) shine brilliantly from store shelves behind eye-catching "Be Organic" labels. The 8.8-ounce jars contain organic fruits and berries simmered with a touch of organic sugar to create varieties such as Bountiful Blackberry and Classic Strawberry. The Be Organic line also comprises salsas, tapenades, vinegars, and oils.
Appalachian Naturals (www.appalachianaturals.com) brings an all-natural line of dressings and sauces to retail with tempting taste sensations, such as Ginger Miso and Chipotle Ranch. More dressing news comes from Milton's Spicy Gourmet (www.miltonsspicygourmet.com) and the introduction of two all-natural spicy tropical sauces. These habañero-kissed dressings come in Sumi-Sumi and Mandya Mango flavors and are made with 100-percent olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, and habañero pepper. Low in fat, calories, and saturated fat, they are are all 100-percent vegan, offer a six-month shelf life, and have no preservatives.
For the gourmet and kosher marketplace comes Wild Thymes' (www.wildthymes.com) two new vinaigrettes. Tuscan Tomato Basil and Green Goddess are both in 11-ounce bottles and can be used as dressings or marinades. They are free of gluten, saturated fat, and cholesterol. One last dressy note is Annie's Naturals (www.anniesnaturals.com) new Lemon & Chive Dressing -- a vinegar-free variety with fresh flavors of lemon, chive, and garlic. It's also gluten and dairy free and has an iridescent, light, and lemony flavor that's buttery on the palate. New from Crème de la Crème comes Orphee's Organic Mustards that are kosher and certified organic. The European-styled gourmet mustards are available in six varieties, including traditional yellow, Dijon, and old-fashioned whole mustard.
In the spice trade there's new packaging for Arora Creations' (www.aroracreations.com) Indian spice blends. All natural, the authentic blends contain no MSG, and now feature the completed entree on the label, along with clear text and recipe indication inside. Simply Organic (www.frontiercoop.com) spices things up with its new all-organic line of 35 spices and blends available in smaller "mini" containers. The spices are offered in recyclable clear canisters that hold about one-third of the volume of the full-sized Simply Organic glass bottles. And finally, The Spice Hunter (www.spicehunter.com) has expanded their product line to include Vanilla, Lemon, and Almond Extracts. Known for their all-natural gourmet foods and 160 premium spices, The Spice Hunter's extracts -- available in 2-ounce bottles -- are created using a century-old cold-processing formula.

Packaged Goods
Finally, for the grocery aisles there is much to report on, from organic soybean pasta to new confectionery treats to cereals everyone can agree on. New from Seitenbacher (www.seitenbacher.com) are three new wheat-free organic cereals available in Cashew & Almond, Raspberry & Almonds, and Seed & Raisin blends. More breakfast ideas came from Coombs Family Farms who launched their new Organic Buttermilk Pancake Mix, the perfect complement to the company's seven-generation-old Vermont maple syrup business. Certified Organic, the mix is created with organic wheat flour, organic corn flour, organic sugar, leavening, sea salt, organic buttermilk powder, and organic skim milk powder. Coombs (www.coombsfamilyfarms.com) serves it up in a 24-ounce sack or pairs it with a classic Organic Maple Syrup for the perfect gift.
For those avoiding wheat in their diets, Nutrition Kitchen (www.nutrikitchen.com) introduces 100-percent Certified Organic Whole Soybean Pasta in Green, Golden, and Black varieties. This pasta stands the test of the kitchen as the delicate angel hair pasta cooks up evenly. Toss it with Sacla's Basil Pesto Sauce and you have the perfect meal. Sacla's line (www.sacla.com) of preserved vegetables and pasta sauces brings a taste of Piedmont to the U.S. table, as it uses the finest all-natural ingredients.
For customers who need even more simplistic food preparation, Mrs. Leeper's (www.mrsleeperspasta.com) wheat- and gluten-free line of pasta and sauce mixes whips up in 15 minutes. The gourmet pasta dishes made with brown rice or corn come in flavor profiles such as Beef Lasagna or Chicken Alfredo.
Thai Kitchen brings single-serve meals to the table easily with its new Noodle Cart, a quick, convenient way to get a taste of a Thai stir-fry style noodle dish at home. Just add boiling water or microwave, drain the water, toss with enclosed seasonings, and it's ready to eat -- all in less than four minutes. Learn more at www.thaikitchen.com.
Another fast and healthy gourmet solution is FungusAmongUs's new Organic Mushroom Soup Mixes, including Organic Smoked Oyster Mushroom Chowder, Organic Moroccan Porcini & Green Lentil Soup, and Organic Spicy Shiitake & Vegetable Soup. FungusAmongUs (www.fungusamongus.com) also carries five dried organic mushroom varieties and six dried wild-crafted varieties, which include Black Truffle and Chanterelle.
Several new crackers on the market are the perfect choice to accompany your soup, starting with Authentic New England Oyster Crackers from Olde Cape Cod Company, which are trans fat free. Mary's Gone Crackers, a wheat- and gluten-free organic delight, is filled with whole-grain brown rice, organic quinoa, organic flaxseed, and organic sesame seeds. The combination creates a surprisingly delicious cracker available in five flavors, from Original to Curry. Check out the other tempting attributes of this cracker at www.marysgonecrackers.com.
A cracker meal in itself, Late July Organic Snacks'new USDA Organic Cheddar Cheese and Classic Rich Sandwich Crackers or USDA Organic Peanut Butter and Classic Rich Sandwich Crackers are home-styled snacks worth waiting for. The first organic sandwich cracker combination on the market, Late July's trans fat-free product (e-mail tradesupport@latejuly.com) is offered in 6-ounce boxes and 6/1.75-ounce individual serving tray packs (6/1.5-ounce for the cheddar cheese variety).
For a salty sensation, try Sea Chips (www.seaveg.com), a unique seaweed-flavored tortilla chip made from 100-percent organic ingredients (corn, dulse, kelp, onion, and garlic) that are baked before frying to reduce oil/fats. Kelp and dulse add protein, fiber, and minerals that other chips don't have, plus the product has a 180-day shelf life.
And finally some sweet treats. From Pearl River Chocolates comes all-natural Pearls in a new mix of flavors, including Peanut Butter. New World Marketing Group is bringing Swiss Army Chocolate to retail, combining premium Swiss chocolate and cornflakes with guarana for an instant energy boost. For the little ones, there is new Healthy Handfuls (www.healthhandfuls.com), a certified organic snack for kids. The new 2.5- to 3-ounce snack cups include flavors such as Oatmeal Raisin Crocodile Cookies or cheesy Little Duckies. The crux of the product is the fact no hydrogenated oils, no trans fats, little sodium, no preservatives, and no GMOs are in it, plus it comes in a crush-resistant package that fits in a cup holder. Another newcomer to the marketplace is Cherrybrook Kitchen (www.cherrybrookkitchen.com), a maker of peanut-free desserts that are also dairy free, egg free, kosher, and vegan. This all-natural baking mix line comprises cookies, cakes, and frosting mixes. Cherrybrook makes it possible for even the most allergy-prone consumer to bake their Chocolate Cake, frost it with Vanilla Frosting, and eat it, too.