2019 Natural Products Expo East

Zygote Nation was there! … At the 2019 Natural Products Expo East on Sept. 12-13, 2019, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore.

East Expo is the largest annual industry gathering of natural products vendors on the U.S. East Coast. Here, you will find them shilling their new natural and organic foods and beverages, supplements, body-care products, and household items.

This truly is a feeding frenzy for those like me who relish in seeing new healthy products for the body and home. During my time walking the vast main hall and ancillary vendor areas, I came across dozens of intriguing products, both those new on the market and those already available for a short while, but new to me.

Here is my list of the show’s notable vendors and products:

Natura Nectars

Natura Nectars of Sunrise, Florida, sells bee propolis from Brazil, including varieties that it asserts are only possible due to that country's rich bio-diversity. Propolis is the sticky substance bees use to protect their beehives that contains compounds that research has shown are beneficial to humans. In addition to offering brown propolis, which is the world's most-common type and supports the immune system and respiratory health, the company also markets less-known green and red varieties, states Natura Nectars' website. The company claims it was the first to introduce red propolis to the U.S. market. This variety, sourced in the state of Alagoas on Brazil's Atlantic coast, is the world's "most exotic and premium" type and has the "highest diversity of flavonoids" of any propolis, according to the website and company educational videos. Among their benefits, these flavonoids support hormonal balance and the cardiovascular, immune, respiratory, and reproductive systems, states the website. Natura Nectars' green propolis comes from the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil, states the website. That's right above Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero. The green variety has different compounds than its red and brown counterparts, including one called Artepillin-C, and promotes brain and reproductive health and helps to regulate blood sugar levels, according to the website and a video. The three propolis types each come in bottles of 60 capsules. The red also comes in liquid form. Natura Nectars also sells Ultimate capsules that contain all three types of propolis; Gastro Guardian capsules for digestive health; Immune Guardian capsules to boost immune function; throat and nasal sprays; and a red propolis skin lotion. The packaging for every Natura Nectars product has a "My Wellness Zone" chart that identifies the cells and systems of the body that the product supports. The company uses a proprietary, water-only extraction method that results in high yields of the propolis's beneficial compounds; while eliminating nearly all the impurities and beeswax, states the website.

Ion Gut Health

Ion Biome of Charlottesville, Virginia, sells Ion Gut Health, a liquid mineral supplement to strengthen the gut and boost brain function. A video on the company's website notes that Ion Gut Health "strengthens digestion, improves immune function, enhances mental clarity, and alleviates gluten sensitivity." This product features terrahydrite, which the company describes as carbon molecules "sourced from 60-million-year-old soil that naturally supports microbiome balance." The Ion Gut Health bolsters the production of beneficial enzymes that promote the integrity of the seals between the cells in the gut lining, states Ion Biome's website. The importance of that lining goes beyond just digestion: at the lining is where 70 percent of the body's immune system resides and the majority of the body's neurotransmitters (e.g., serotonin) originate, according to the website. Restoring and maintaining the lining's seals protects the body from environmental toxins (e.g., glyphosate) while it allows for nutrients to pass, states the website. Having the gut lining sound also enables the microbiome to flourish, it states. Ion Gut Health comes in four sizes, all in plastic bottles: three fluid ounces (a six-day supply), 8 fl. oz. (two weeks), 16 fl. oz. (one month), and 32 fl. oz. (two-months). The company also offers a version for kids and one for pets (i.e., dogs and cats). Ion Biome also markets Ion Sinus, a rinse for clearing dust, pollen, and other environmental irritants from the sinuses, according to the website.

Spring Sunrise

Spring Sunrise of Vedic City, Iowa, southeast of Des Moines, sells U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic-certified ghee that is available in eight-ounce, 16-ounce, and 32-ounce glass jars. Spring Sunrise claims it markets the best-quality ghee in the United States, in large part since the ghee comes from the organic butter of pasture-raised cows in northern California that feed year-round on organic grass and are not exposed to pesticides or artificial hormones. To make its ghee, Spring Sunrise slowly cooks the organic butter over low heat for many hours in a process true to Ayurvedic traditions, according to the company's website. I tried Spring Sunrise's ghee; it had an excellent, smooth taste and a deeper gold color compared to other ghees I have used, which also can be (too) grainy. Ghee is clarified butter with the water and milk solids removed. It contains short-, medium- and long-chain fatty acids, is rich in vitamins A, E, and K, and is shelf-stable, lasting for months without refrigeration, states the website. It is an option for those who cannot tolerate the casein protein or lactose found in normal butter, and some may prefer it to butter or other oils for cooking since it has a comparatively high smoke point. For some, ghee might be an acquired taste.

Berri Fit

Berri Fit of Santa Monica, California, sells a USDA organic-certified, plant-based fitness beverage that the company claims is the first of its kind on the market. There are four flavors: Organic Acai, Organic Dragon Fruit, Organic Lemon Lime, and Organic Mango. The drinks come in 16-fluid-ounce bottles. I had a bottle of Dragon Fruit (main ingredients: filtered water, organic coconut water, organic maca, organic ginseng, organic manuka honey, organic maqui berries) and it was delicious: clean-tasting, refreshing, and definitely not overly sweet. In fact, Berri Fit notes that its drinks have (only) 60 calories and (just) 12 grams of sugar per bottle, which are, respectively, one-half the calories and one-third the sugar content found in a similar amount of coconut water or Gatorade. At the same time, Berri Fit drinks have more electrolytes than Gatorade, according to company marketing material. The sugar in Berri Fit drinks comes from the organic fruits used in the blends, as well as organic manuka honey, and organic agave nectar, according to the company. I have tried other so-called natural fitness beverages that were marketed as alternatives to Gatorade. They were okay, but still laden with sugar, even if it was in the form of blue agave syrup.

Popped Water Lily Seeds

Each year, there are products that emerge on the natural food scene at the show and seem to make a splash. For example, in past years, I remember kombucha breaking out and then, years later, medium-chain-tryglyceride (MCT) oil. This year, popped water lily seeds hit the scene and I came across a handful of vendors selling these snacks. Specifically, I came across three vendors: Hopapops of Springfield, Missouri, Route to India of Atlanta, and Taali of Wilmington, Delaware. Popped water lily seeds have been a food in Ayurveda, the ancient system of health and wellness in India, for centuries due to their nutrient composition, which includes amino acids, minerals, and vitamins, according to marketing materials I saw from the companies. These snacks are gluten-free and roasted—not fried—and then seasoned. I found the three companies’ offerings to be light and quite tasty. They were crunchy, but not overly so, and definitely not mushy like puffed rice. All companies had interesting flavor combinations, but I was partial to the taste of Route to India’s products. Hopapops offers the popped seed snacks in four flavors: Coconut; Himalayan Sea Salt and Ghee; Mango Habanero; and White Cheddar. Route to India’s Yoga Pops line-up includes Caramel Jaggery, Curry, and Magic Mushroom. Taali markets six flavors: Himalayan Pink Salt, Salt & Pepper, Sriracha Spice, Tangy Turmeric, Tikka Masala, and White Cheddar. Whole Foods Market identified popped water lily seeds among the top food trends in 2019 in the category of “Marine Munchies, Beyond Seaweed.”

Subsequent to the 2019 East Expo, Route to India came out with new packaging. Shown here is the old packaging on display at the show. Photo by Michael Sirak — Subsequent to the 2019 Expo East, Route to India came out with new packaging. Shown here is the old packaging on display at the show. Photo by Michael Sirak

Primeraw Foods

Primeraw Foods of Woodland Park, New Jersey, sells USDA organic-certified products that contain dates as a main ingredient. They include a Date Seed Coffee (roasted date seeds), "Ice Crage" (a date ice cream with dates, coconut cream, coconut milk, coconut water, cocoa paste), raw crackers (almonds, dates, sesame, tomato, flax seed, chia, tahini), and chocolate truffles (dates, shredded coconut, cocoa paste). The company notes that it uses only organic whole dates—and not date syrup—to sweeten its products, and there are otherwise no added sugars or sweeteners. I normally don't like coffee substitutes, like chicory-based drinks, but I found the Date Seed Coffee to taste like a normal cup of java and I enjoyed it and would gladly drink it again. The Ice Crage was deliciously light and creamy. If I had done a blind taste test, I would have thought this was regular ice cream and would have had no idea it contained dates. At the time of writing this, Primeraw Foods' website was still under construction and the company's Instagram page (@primerawfoods) had no posts yet. Subsequent to the show, a company representative told Zygote Nationthat Primeraw Foods was in the throes of completing a new production facility and would then re-launch its product line and go live with the website. The target date is summer 2020.

Secrets of the Tribe

Secrets of the Tribe of Las Vegas is an herbal supplement company with a wide range of wellness and longevity products in the form of capsules and liquid formulas, many of which contain raw, certified-organic ingredients. The company's City Formulas intrigued me. They are specially created blends for each of 50 major U.S. cities to help us fight allergens and pollutants year-round in each respective metropolis. Each city has four blends, sold separately in two-fluid-ounce bottles. There is one blend for each season, and each seasonal blend features 10 herbs. For example, the four Los Angeles formulas are meant to help Los Angelenos deal with the city's "balmy climate" and its "high levels of smog and pollution," states Secrets of the Tribe's website. The fall blend has energy-promoting herbs like spirulina and pine pollen; ginger for cognitive function and heart health; plantain for respiratory health; and immune-boosting Asian ginseng, cat’s claw, schizandra, and St. John’s Wort, according to the product description. The winter blend contains energy-boosting maca root and cordyceps mushrooms; rosemary leaf for digestive health; lobelia for respiratory health; and elderberry for immune support. The spring blend features American ginseng for energy; spirulina; peppermint for digestive and oral health; and orange peel to support the immune system. The summer blend includes wheatgrass and ashwagandha to boost energy; green tea for overall health support; lungwort for respiratory health; and asparagus for the immune system. "We’ve taken into careful consideration each season’s characteristics and designed these supplements with the aim to help you adapt accordingly so that you are never unprepared," states the website. I think the City Formulas are a neat, creative idea. I've never seen this same approach anywhere else.

Spēka

Baltic Marketing Inc., of Montclair, N.J., sells Spēka refrigerated snack bars based on a Latvian recipe dating back to the time of the Soviet Union. These 1.3-ounce bars feature cottage cheese on the inside with a coating of either chocolate or caramel. There are three varieties: Greek Yogurt (covered in chocolate, 150 calories, nine grams of sugar), Salted Caramel (caramel, 150 calories, nine grams), and Vanilla (chocolate, 140 calories, eight grams). I tried the Greek Yogurt (ingredients: cottage cheese, sugar, whey protein concentrate, butter, Greek yogurt, reduced-fat cocoa powder, natural flavoring) and it was delicious. I am normally not a fan of cottage cheese, but this snack tasted like the wonderful cheesecake my mom used to make, which was based on cream cheese and sour cream. In fact, had I not known cottage cheese was Spēka's main ingredient, I would never have guessed it. I found the Spēka bars to be a refreshingly different type of snack. The Baltic Marketing representative at the show told me the company wanted to break into the broad U.S. market with Spēka. I saw no reason why this will not happen over time. Already, Spēka is available in stores in New Jersey and New York.

Nature’s Greatest Foods

Green Field Products of Los Angeles is a family-owned business that markets Nature's Greatest Foods, a line of USDA organic-certified beans, grains, condiments, sauces, and spreads. The products that drew my attention were the cooked, ready-to-eat Organic Wild Brown Rice and Organic Jasmine White Rice that come in 5.29-ounce metal cans. I do not recall seeing organic rice like this available in a metal can before. I prefer this type of packaging to the plastic tubs I've seen other cooked rice brands use. Green Field Products states that these cans are easy to open and have a resealable lid. The cans' lining is free of bisphenol A (BPA), according to the company. (Some research has shown BPA may seep into food and have health effects, such as disrupting normal hormone levels.) I could see myself take a can of this rice to work as part of my lunch or carry with me when I am hiking or picnicking. Among Nature's Greatest Foods other products are avocado oil; canned black beans, chick peas, and kidney beans; canned coconut cream and coconut milk; canned tomatoes; coconut water; hazelnut spread; ketchup; quinoa; rice noodles; sriracha; and sun-dried apricots and sun-dried figs.

Veo Active-Probiotics Surface Cleaner

Veo Active Probiotics is a new surface cleaner that Reckitt Benckiser, the company behind conventional cleaning and hygiene products like Lysol and Woolite, has brought to market. This cleaner features probiotics that break down dirt and grime on surfaces, including within cracks, crevices, and grooves, for up to three days upon application, according to Veo’s website. The cleaner comes in 22-ounce spray bottles in two scents: Apple & Jasmine, and Citrus Blossom. There are also 28-ounce bottles without the spray pump offered in the same two scents for cleaning floors. Veo’s formula is 99 percent bio-degradable and free of chlorine bleach, formaldehyde, phosphates, and quats, states the Veo website. Veo’s packaging is made from 95-percent post-consumer recycled plastic, and its labeling is removable to make the bottles easier to recycle once again, according to the company. I am looking forward to trying Veo since I am always on the lookout for natural household cleaning products without harsh chemicals. (See, for example, Absolute Green in my write-up of the 2018 Atlantic City Vegan Food Festival.)

Sep 13 2019 Natural Products Expo East