Welcome to this week's edition of our food innovation newsletter!
This week, I had the pleasure of attending the Natural & Organic Products Expo in London, a great lens into the future of eco-friendly and sustainable products in the food industry. The expo served as an exceptional platform for innovators to showcase their latest creations while allowing buyers to stay ahead of the curve on emerging trends. Among the myriad of exciting innovations, a few key trends caught my eye:
1. Functional Hydration and Innovative Beverages:
From mushroom-infused elixirs to protein and collagen-packed drinks, the expo was buzzing with ground breaking beverages designed to do more than just quench your thirst. These innovative concoctions offer unique health benefits and cater to consumers seeking functional beverages that support their well-being in novel ways
2. Convenient Wellness: In today's fast-paced world, consumers are increasingly turning to convenient solutions for their wellness needs. At the expo, I discovered a plethora of on-the-go options, including vitamin strips and targeted support for various ailments.
3. There was a notable emphasis on "clean indulgence," with brands offering guilt-free treats boasting super clean labels, sustainable packaging and no compromise on taste.
4. Targeted products for Menopause was quite noticeable, with new innovations in the form of teas, drinks and snack bars.
Read on for the 5 brands I felt stood out and demonstrated the above trends.
Enjoy the read
Annie x
REFIX HYDRATING DRINK
I was really surprised at how good this product tasted. Made with 20% seawater, and containing 78 electrolytes, this is the perfect drink for pre or post workout. It was the Winner of the New Innovation Award at the show. According to the team, REFIX is the only 100% natural isotonic drink, designed to hydrate and replenish lost minerals during training or a long night. Ocean water contains the same proportion of mineral salts as blood plasma: magnesium, chloride, calcium and potassium are some of these minerals found in our seawater drink. It's definitely a healthy alternative to any sugary soft drink.
MUSHROOM COFFEE
Tree mushrooms like chaga have been used for thousands of years to support immune health and inflammation systems and continue to be an area of study for researchers. Innovative Beverages using mushrooms included RÅ HYGGE a low acid coffee with functional mushrooms, it's been around a while as a brand but it's having its moment and leading the way on the growing demand for unique and health-focused beverages.
VITAMIN STRIPS
Convenient wellness was very evident at the show, from powders to tablets to supplement bars but it was the vitamin strips from DISO that stood out. They have introduced a hassle-free way to consume vitamins, reflecting the ongoing trend towards convenient health solutions. They have successfully masked the bitterness of nutra actives with delicious flavours sourced from all over the world. Range Includes B12, Vit C, & M-Vit, as Well as Collagen, Energy, and Sleepy, Among Others.
CLEAN INDULGENCE FROM NU
A new brand in the world of snack bars, NU have a vision of changing how people snack, because they believe that eating better shouldn’t come at cost to your wallet or your taste buds. They've been manufacturing products for brands and businesses for many years and decided in 2024 that they wanted to do their own version, a premium cacao bar that tasted great and was packed with nutrition. The range tasted fantastic and are made using a gentle cold press process. Unlike other methods, this unique technique preserves the nutrient integrity of the ingredients by preventing protein denaturation caused by high temperatures - no fillers, no binders, just simple and natural ingredients.
MENOMOCKTAIL
Menopause Support was very evident at the show but it was KOO KOO's Menomocktail, a perimenopause and menopause supplement drink, packed with vitamins, minerals, nootropics, and adaptogens that stood out for its tongue and cheek branding and delicious tasting drink. Designed and developed by a trained nutritionist and PT, Meg is passionate about helping the straight-talking hot-flash lasses and the midlife divas of this world survive and thrive the menopause years by creating innovative products that help alleviate specific symptoms.
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