Expo West and Supply Expo boast best ever attendance
the place to be last weekend. Jess Halliday reports on the
latest trends and products making an entrance in the rapidly
evolving industry.
With more than 2,590 exhibits and 38,000 attendees - 2,000 more than last year - Natural Products Expo West and Supply Expo were the biggest in the show's 25-year history.
The pairing of the two events - with Expo West centered around consumer products and Supply Expo on ingredients - was more relevant than ever before, since overriding consumer trends point to a hunger for new technology, product development, and healthy ingredients.
"We're ecstatic by the growth and diversity on display at Natural Products Expo West," said Fredrik Linder, president of event producer New Hope Natural Media, "but we're not surprised.
"More people than ever are choosing to take greater control over their health. This translates to making better choices at the grocery store, pharmacy, and in restaurants.
Our industry fills the gap like no other."
Given this receptive climate, the show was an ideal platform for the launch of innovative ingredients - and biotech companies were not shy about their latest offerings.
NutraIngredients-USA.com has already reported on DSM Nutritionals' new all-Q compressible COQ10 for tablet formulations and newcomer Keratec's discovery of how to extract soluble keratin from wool fiber. Amongst other products peddled at the show for the first time were Cyvex's Fenulin fenugreek carb moderator, a hydrolised fish collagen type II called Fish Gen II and LactoCalcium P with added enzyme value to improve the bioavailability of calcium.
Dynamic Nutritional Products is introducing microlactin for joint health, believed to be the first mainstream dietary supplement product of its kind.
Acatris, producer of LinumLife, launched the online Flax Lignan Information Bureau to provide consumers with facts on the ingredient, which is believed to aid a number of conditions including prostate health, breast health, menopause, heart health, hair loss, acne and inflammation.
Some gave visitors an insight into the science behind their products at the event itself - such as Blue California, which sponsored a presentation by Dr John Landrum on Lutein and Zeaxanthin: Recent Progress in Understanding the Role of Carotenoids in the Human Retina. A total of 65 seminars and workshops took place over the three days.
For a broader overview of industry trends Dr Nicholas Perricone, author of The Perricone Promise, and Dr Andrew Weil, director of the program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, gave keynote speeches on benefits of eating anti-inflammatory diets and supplements and changes in the health care industry respectively.
