In early March, INFRA staff traveled to sunny Anaheim, CA for a week of connection and exploration at Expo West 2026. Every year, we look forward to Expo not only for a valuable snapshot of where the natural foods industry is headed, but also for meaningful moments to connect with INFRA Members and trusted partners. This year’s event hosted more than 70,000 attendees and over 3,000 exhibitors, all excited to gather around what’s next in the world of natural foods.
As always, our biggest highlight was connecting with members. INFRA’s breakfast and dinner events brought together over 95 INFRA Members for moments of networking, peer discussion, and a look at what’s coming next for INFRA. Members connected with leadership, got a sneak peek at the top brands on the show floor, and left energized and ready for a great expo. We look forward to creating more moments for connection and collaboration in the months ahead!
Thank you to the partners who sponsored these events: KeHE Distributors, Steaz Tea, Bono, C2O Coconut Water!
President & CEO Pat Sheridan also represented independents on a keynote panel about the state of natural and organic alongside Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield, Seth Goldman of Just Ice Tea, and other industry leaders. Main takeaways from Pat included the importance of trust-building in a landscape of mixed information and the critical role that independent retailers will play in ushering in the future of natural and organic. See the highlights here.
Beyond all the networking, we left no aisle unexplored on the show floor. From protein to premium to personalized wellness, read on for our assessment of this year’s trends.
Show Floor Trends
To get a pulse on this year’s expo trends, I sat down with SPINS Senior Retail Insights Manager Jim Olson, Category Manager Austin Hinkle, Director of Promotional Programs Nick Auzenne, and Wellness Strategist Sarah Super for a conversation about the hottest trends on the show floor.
Back to Basics
Today’s consumer is taking things back to the basics. In an increasingly complex food landscape, shoppers are looking for shorter, simpler labels with recognizable ingredients. Driven by a wealth of research that suggests that ultra-processed foods have negative health effects, shoppers are prioritizing nutrition choices to support their longevity. Our INFRA team noticed a decline in artificial sugars in favor of natural sweeteners, along with simple two-ingredient breads like Pacha’s buckwheat bread.
Hero Brands: Coyotas Tortillas, Masa, Pacha Bread
Premium Meets At-Home Eating
As consumers look for ways to save on spending and cook more meals at home, premium-quality, ready-to-eat products are taking up more space on the show floor. Shoppers want to recreate the dining-out experience, without footing the expensive bill. On the show floor, we noticed brands like Katie’s Pizza leading the way in premium frozen pizzas and pasta sauces, while Asian-inspired brand Mila brought bao buns and rice bowls to the table. As conscious spending rises, we can expect this trend to continue in the coming years.
Hero Brands: Katie’s Pizza, Mila
The Great Protein vs Fiber Debate
For the past several years, protein has been all the rage. Coupled with a renewed focus on strength training, muscle maintenance, and the rise of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, it seems that the trend isn’t dying down any time soon. Our team noticed increased protein content callouts on product labels, and even higher protein content than usual, with some products boasting 30g or more.
However, a new contender has arrived on the scene. With colon cancer on the rise, and an estimated 95% of Americans not getting enough fiber in their diet*, more consumers are looking for ways to eat fibrous foods. Ingredients like chia and flax in oatmeal, legumes and beans, along with additives like chicory root in beverages, were frequent new additions we noticed at the show. This often-ignored nutritional component may be taking up the protein mantle in years to come.
Hero Brands: Mamame Tempeh Chips, MUSH Overnight Oats, BeanVIVO
The Age of Personal Wellness
Hyper-personalized solutions have been the focus of many wellness products for the past several years—from the impact of health wearables on consumers' understanding of their day-to-day health, to the rise of bio-analytic technologies. This trend has had an impact on the wellness space, with targeted supplements made to address specific concerns like cognitive health, stress management, sleep support, and gendered solutions in both women’s and men’s health.
This is a marked difference from the wellness landscape of the past, which often promoted supplemental nutrition by targeting vitamin deficiencies. A-Z vitamins and multis are being complemented with functional blends targeting specific health concerns and showing up in a wider variety of formats—from powders to beverages to tinctures. Only time will tell if we see a return to the basics, or if personalized health is here to stay.
Hero Brands: BetterAlt, Season34
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 2026 INFRA Annual Conference! Learn more and register here.
*https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6124841/
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