Expo West: Friday’s Trend Round Up
It’s tough to stay focused when there’s so much ground to cover — and so much food to eat. Nevertheless, we were able to pick a couple trends that stood out from today’s show. They could be duds, or they could be the next big wave to hit the industry. Hey, we call ‘em like we see ‘em.
- Water packaging: With bottled water undergoing something of an image crisis these days, it seems manufacturers are finding new ways to deliver. We saw water in pouches, cartons, glass bottles and spiffy new recyclable containers. One company, H2O Box, markets entirely around its packaging, which is 100% recyclable and can biodegrade within 7 years.
- Sweeteners: With high-fructose corn syrup on the ropes, and serious questions being posed about artificial sweeteners like aspartame, suppliers are stepping up with alternatives from some interesting places. There’s stevia, of course. But we also saw lots of agave nectar today, as well as evaporated palm sugar, of all things.
- Dried fruit: It seems consumers want to eat their fruit, but maybe don’t have the time or patience to deal with the real thing. A depressing thought, for sure. But the dried options, which have been around for years, are getting a facelift with interesting new presentation (tubs, pouches, bulk bins), and some delicious company like nuts, granola and various grains.
- Tablets: Particularly in the household cleaning sector, the idea of cutting down on waste by reusing the same container has taken hold. Companies provide the bottle, along with the tablets that you drop in, add water, and….voila!
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