Madeleine Ware, Marketing & Communications Specialist
This March, INFRA staff traveled to Anaheim, CA for the 2025 Natural Products Expo West for a week of connection and exploration. This year’s event attracted 70,000 attendees and 3,200 exhibitors, all excited to engage with the conscious CPG industry and discover the latest groundbreaking innovations shaping natural foods. It was also an excellent opportunity to connect with INFRA Members and industry partners, forge new partnerships with vendors, and scope out the latest trends on the show floor.
The biggest highlight of this year’s show was connecting with INFRA Members at our annual hosted breakfast and dinner events. We had around 90 total attendees join us for conversations about the direction of our association and how members can connect with our growing community. Thank you to everyone who attended!
We also had the honor of attending CCOF’s chapter meeting at The Lost Bean Roastery, where INFRA President & CEO Pat Sheridan delivered a keynote on the dynamic growth and innovation transforming the natural foods industry – and how INFRA is leading the way. As a close INFRA partner and leader in the organic certification space, we are proud to support CCOF in this important work.
But beyond the connections we made, the samples we tried, and the many steps we took on the show floor, we also left this year’s expo with a fresh understanding of the latest trends shaping the natural foods. Keep reading for our analysis of this year’s tabletop trends!
Show Floor Trends
To get a pulse on this year’s expo trends, I sat down with Category Manager Kim Route, Wellness Strategist Sarah Super, and SPINS Senior Retail Insights Manager Jim Olson for insight on which wellness and grocery trends are here to stay, and which may just be a passing fad.
Like last year, women’s health, functional beverages, and protein took center stage, while health trends like GLP-1 have begun to shape consumer demand for natural alternatives. Let’s get into it!
Wellness Trends
This One’s for the Girls
Gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all women’s multivitamin. Driven by consumer education around important women’s health milestones like perimenopause, pre-natal and post-natal support, menstruation, and more, many brands are rising to the occasion to deliver holistic vitamins and supplements. Brands like O Positiv and Ancient Nutrition stood out in this category, with solutions for women in every life stage.
Taking Care of Body and Mind
Cognitive support was also front and center at this year’s expo. Driven in part by the lasting impact of COVID-19, consumers are looking to be more proactive when it comes to their brain health. Functional mushrooms like Lion’s Mane, Reishi, and Cordyceps took up a large portion of this category, continuing the rise in functional mushrooms we’ve seen in recent years. Standout brands included Charlotte’s Web and Host Defense.
GLP-1 Support
As nearly 12% of U.S. adults have used GLP-1 medication, it’s clear that weight loss is top of mind for many consumers. Many brands, like YouTheory, are hopping on this trend to either offer natural alternatives for weight loss or help GLP-1 users mitigate negative side effects. Although it’s unclear what negative side effects may be discovered in the coming years, we’ll likely see an increase in weight loss solutions.
Grocery Trends
Protein is the New Protein
Piggybacking off the GLP-1 trend, protein remains a popular feature for increasing satiety and promoting weight loss. From Sturdy Sauce’s whopping 80 grams of protein to the 30 grams in Vacadillos beef jerky, brands were shouting out the protein content of their products wherever possible.
Functional Beverages Galore
The rise in functional beverages has been astronomical over the past few years, with brands like Olipop and Poppi leading the charge as other brands try to hop on the trend. This oversaturation of the market may lead to consumer fatigue, as weary shoppers try to sort through which products will deliver on both taste and functional benefits. Brand longevity may also be threatened by big-box soda competitors like PepsiCo, whose recent acquisition of Poppi signals a shift in this trend.
Innovations in Chocolate
As cacao supplies are threatened due to climate change and supply chain issues, more brands are offering products with less chocolate and more fillings and additives. From caramel and peanut butter to more creative additions, this trend will likely continue as chocolate brands seek to deliver customers delicious and affordable options, given supply constraints. A few stand-out brands in this category included Raaka, with their delectable cookies and cream bar, and 7th Heaven’s new line of plant-based cups.
Across-the-Globe Flavors
International Flavors were another big focus at expo. The team was especially wowed by EZ Bombs, which offered Mexican flavors like birria and pozole in a neat, beginner-friendly package. Other standout products included Bollygood, with their Indian-spiced functional beverages, and Paktli ancient grain bites with Mexican-inspired flavors. We expect international flavors will only become more prevalent as shoppers embrace variety in their home cooking and snacking.
Overall, this year’s expo was energizing and inspiring, showcasing the undeniable passion of professionals in the natural foods industry. If you’re looking for more ways to connect with INFRA, don’t miss the 2025 INFRA Annual Conference! Learn more and register here.
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