Gourmet News

NPEE Ending; Newtopia Now to Take Its Place

Published September 20, 2023

Natural Products Expo East’s doors have opened for the last time. After nearly four decades of serving the natural and organic CPG industry, Informa Markets’ New Hope Network announces that the 2023 Natural Products Expo East will be its final edition.

Natural Products Expo West will continue to take place annually in Anaheim, Calif.

Since its inception in 1985, Natural Products Expo East has stood as a pillar in the natural and organic CPG sector, providing an invaluable platform for thousands of retailers’ product sourcing needs, propelling emerging brands onto the national stage, and fostering partnerships between buyers and brands that have empowered consumers to make more conscious choices. The show has found homes across the East Coast, including Washington, D.C.; Boston; Baltimore and Philadelphia, where the final edition of the show is taking place.

“We are enormously proud of the legacy of Expo East and are grateful that it has served as a valuable destination for the organic and natural products industry for many years. We thank our exhibitors, buyers, attendees, and partners for their many years of support and look forward to continuing to work together as champions of regeneration and prosperity across the natural and organic CPG community,” said Carlotta Mast, SVP & market leader, Informa Markets’ New Hope Network.

The sunset of Natural Products Expo East coincides with a positive and transformative development for the natural and organic products industry – the introduction of an entirely new event format next year that leverages a more tailored and intentional approach to connection and product discovery. The event, Newtopia Now, is designed to provide more opportunities for brands to meaningfully participate, regardless of where they are in their lifecycle.

Newtopia Now will offer curated matchmaking within a diverse community of buyers, brands, and partners, increased avenues for new and emerging brands to participate, imaginative new product discovery opportunities, and the chance for industry leaders to co-create the future of the CPG industry alongside their fellow Newtopians.

“The needs of the industry are changing—and the experience we provide our community must adapt to meet those needs,” says Mast. “It’s with a spirit of innovation that we announce the next era of the New Hope Network journey: Newtopia Now, which invites passionate co-creators from across the industry to join us in building a more responsible, prosperous, and regenerative world. Through personalized matchmaking, imaginative content, and curated product discovery, Newtopia Now provides a platform for brands, retailers, and champions of conscious CPG to cultivate growth for good.”

Newtopia Now will launch Aug. 6-8, in Savannah, Ga. Natural Products Expo East takes its final bow this week in Philadelphia, with performances by Brett Dennen and Wyclef Jean, a keynote by Jay Shetty, and an unforgettable farewell celebration which will take place on Saturday, Sept. 23.

For further details on the launch of Newtopia Now, highlights from the final edition of Natural Products Expo East, and information on Natural Products Expo West 2024, follow @NatProdExpo on Instagram and Tiktok!, visit Natural Products Expo on LinkedIn, or check out the @New Hope Network’s YouTube channel.

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Sports Figures Added to Yerbaé Advisory Board

Published September 19, 2023

Yerbaé Brands Corp., a plant-based energy beverage company, has named six sports luminaries and leaders to its new Yerbaé Advisory Board, Sports and Entertainment. In an advisory capacity, Board members will provide guidance and support to fuel Yerbaé’s rapid growth and introduce Yerbaé to new groups of consumers, focusing their input primarily on Yerbaé’s strategic decisions, brand positioning, marketing campaigns and product innovation.

Introducing the Yerbaé Advisory Board, Sports and Entertainment:

Richmond Flowers III – Founder of QB Collective and Collective Sports Advisors, former NFL player and coach, and chair of the Yerbaé Advisory Board, Sports and Entertainment
Kyle Shanahan – Head coach, San Francisco 49ers
Annie Thorisdottir – Professional CrossFit champion and two-time “Fittest Woman in the World”
Lincoln Riley – Head coach, University of Southern California, USC Trojans
Ejiro Evero – Defensive coordinator, Carolina Panthers
Ben Johnson – Offensive coordinator, Detroit Lions

“Yerbaé supports champions with plant-based energy, whether in sports, entertainment or everyday pursuits. Our new advisory board members know what it takes to excel,” said Todd Gibson, co-founder, chief executive officer and chair of the board of Yerbaé. “We are drawing on their expertise to inspire our fast-growing Yerbaé community to greater achievement and wellbeing.”

“I’m really particular about what I would even consider endorsing. So the fact that I’m not only joining the advisory board at Yerbaé, but an actual investor in the company, should tell you how unique I think this product is,” said Shanahan. “The taste, the ingredients, the fact I don’t feel like crap after drinking it — this is the best caffeinated beverage I’ve ever tried and it’s not really close.”

“I’m excited to be joining the board at Yerbaé because I finally now have a caffeinated product that doesn’t negatively affect my body,” said Riley. “Everything about Yerbaé is exactly on point – healthy, effective and enjoyable. There’s simply nothing else like it.”

“My whole job revolves around recognizing the perfect fit — in football and beyond,” said Flowers. “Not only do I love how Yerbaé tastes, it’s uniquely suited to the daily lives of both coaches and players. They have demanding jobs that require them to be at their best every day, mentally and physically. Yerbaé helps them achieve those goals with healthy energy to keep going all day. And if it’s good enough to help athletes to achieve peak performance, imagine what it can do for everyone else.”

Yerbaé’s Q2 earnings results show a 122 percent year-over-year gain in net revenues along with other indicators of strong, positive market momentum, including expanded partnerships with key distributors and retailers. Yerbaé has disclosed the successful close of two tranches of its Celebrity Investment Round announced Aug. 21.

Harnessing the power of nature, Yerbaé’s key ingredient (yerba mate, a South American herb) is known to produce 196 different vitamins, minerals and nutrients as well as caffeine.

By combining yerba mate with its premium ingredients and flavors, Yerbaé provides consumers with a no compromise energy solution. All Yerbaé energy beverages are zero calorie, zero sugar, non-GMO, and gluten free.

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Whole Foods Celebrates 20 Years as Certified Organic Grocer

Published September 19, 2023

This year marks 20 years since Whole Foods Market attained organic retail certification. To date, the company offers more than 37,000 organic products across its stores and remains the only national retailer to hold this certification as organic grocer.

“Whole Foods Market is proud to celebrate 20 years as the only certified organic national grocer in the industry and continue our work to help grow and support the organic community,” said Jason Buechel, chief executive officer at Whole Foods Market. “Our Team Members work hard to ensure the organic integrity of our products all the way from the farm to customer selection from our shelves.”

Whole Foods Market has championed organic since before there was a National Organic Program and requires certification for organic label claims on all products it sells. The company’s belief in the importance of organic agriculture also goes above and beyond the sale of organic products, including playing an active role in helping to develop the USDA National Organic Program.

“We have a deep understanding of the environmental benefits sustainable farming methods like organic can bring and continue to work with our community to increase access to the organic market,” said Karen Christensen, senior vice president, merchandising for perishables & quality standards.

Whole Foods Market has a long legacy of supporting organic agriculture. As part of its broader strategy to invest in climate-smart agriculture, the company is working together with farmers, ranchers, scientists, and industry experts to increase access to the organic market. For decades, the company has supported organic advocacy groups like the Organic Trade Association and the Organic Farming and Research Foundation, as well as maintained leadership on USDA advisory committees, like the National Organic Standards Board.

“OFRF is deeply grateful to for the long-term partnership and financial support of Whole Foods; their support of our charitable organization over the last 30 years has directly enabled support of organic farmers across the North America through our on-farm research grants, grower education, and farmer advocacy,” said Brise Tencer, Executive Director, Organic Farming Research Foundation.

Whole Foods Market’s customers have helped support the growth of the organic marketplace, recognizing the positive impact organic farming can have on their health and the environment. As a result, the company continues to make comprehensive investments in organic agriculture to better support the producers seeking and maintaining organic certification.

Whole Foods Market continues to advocate for legislation supporting the adoption of organic and other climate-smart agricultural practices, while reducing infrastructural challenges and barriers to the market. The company joined OFRF and a broad group of signatories to endorse both the Strengthening Organic Agriculture Research Act in the House and the Organic Science and Research Investment Act in the Senate. Both pieces of legislation make meaningful investments into organic and sustainable agriculture through research, education, and extension initiatives. The legislation also calls for an evaluation of the economic impact organic agriculture has on rural and urban communities to help better understand the impact to producers, the environment, and on public health.

To learn more about Whole Foods Market’s organic commitment, visit our website at https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/quality-standards/organic.

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