Gourmet Business October 2014

I am writing this in the midst of attending the Natural Products Expo East (NPEE) trade show in Baltimore. I am seeing signs all around me that healthy is selling big! This week, another restaurant chain started advertising a new flatbread sandwich, joining scores of others that are trying to appeal to health-conscious individuals. If you can find a way to relate the products you are selling to supporting a healthy lifestyle, you will find great consumer interest.

Suppliers see the light, and are flocking to the category. This year, the NPEE show organizers had to place some of the exhibitors in the lobby area in order to accommodate all of the suppliers wanting access to the market. While offering flatbread sandwiches is a step in the right direction, buyers who are seeking truly healthy products flock to the Natural Products Expo to find inspired foods made with wholesome ingredients that allow people to eat well and live well. As in years past, I have been completely amazed how the food producers are able to continually improve the taste of the foods while continuing to pack them with healthy goodness. Food-allergy sufferers can rejoice because the food options available to you are becoming larger and more varied too. I tasted a gluten-free, dairy-free whoopie pie made by a new company called The Piping Gourmets (www.thepipinggourmets.com), for example, that was a complete guilty pleasure. The jerky offerings continue to proliferate, driven by the demand for high-protein snacks without excess fat and calories. We also noted a trend toward naturally fermented products (and not pickled in vinegar) that have a unique flavor and boast great probiotic benefits. If you’re interested in this category, be sure to watch for our follow-up story from our senior editor, Joanne Friedrick, in an upcoming issue of Gourmet Business.

Meanwhile, the editorial team at Gourmet Business has been busy preparing for a new year, and I am intrigued by their story ideas. I would like to thank our Gourmet Retail Advisory Team (GREAT) members who took the time to consider our ideas and offer their own thoughts about what they would like to read in the pages of Gourmet Business in 2015.

Next stop, Paris, as we attend SIAL in October to see what’s new in the worldwide market for specialty foods. Stay tuned for our report from the trenches.

Publisher, Gourmet Business

 President, HousewaresDirect, Inc.

dspencer@gourmetbusiness.com