This giant sign hanging out front of the Anaheim Convention Center announced the start of the 33rd annual Natural Products Expo West, with more than 2,500 exhibitors in five halls — the largest number of companies ever represented at the show.
Navigating the aisles on the first day of the Expo West show isn’t easy when more than 63,000 industry professionals are in attendance.
A set of benches located outside the convention center were made of recycled cartons from Tetra Pak, one of the 2,500 exhibitors at the show. The reused material explains the interesting color highlights found on the fixture.
Whole Foods announced plans to label all products containing GMOs in its 339 U.S. and Canadian stores by 2018. Representing the retailer at the announcement were (from left): David Lannon, executive vice president of operations; A.C. Gallo, president; and Walter Robb, co-CEO.
An opening day breakfast sponsored by several manufacturers included vegan and dairy-free smoothies, as well as gluten-free cereal, soy milk and wheat-free pastries.
Some exhibitors got creative. Here, a missing persons-style poster seeks the return of soft and fluffy bread, characteristics that have been a challenge in the ever-growing gluten-free category. Indeed, Soft & Fluffy was “last seen running from Gluten,” according to the poster.
Expo West offers a curated selection of interesting, on-topic books at every show. This year’s selection included “Free-Range Chicken Gardens,” as well as more mainstream, on-the-plane-home titles like “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Getting into the expo hall every morning is half the fun. While live reggae music serenades attendees, select exhibitors pitch tents to offer samples of their new products. Among this year’s favorites: Anything in bar form, wellness teas and protein-rich yogurt.