Natural Products Expo West 2026: Animal Fats, Protein Were Present, Some Things Were Missing

Dairy is back! Real dairy is benefiting from the push for “good” (animal) fats and protein. Products featuring this theme included Alexandre Family Farm Eco Dairy A2/A2 Organic Chocolate Milk (we saw numerous companies featuring chocolate milk) and a range of newbies including a yogurt with a special strain of microbes called Sourmilk.

* Indian flavors and products are becoming mainstream. We saw numerous products across many categories with Indian roots. Some included Deshi Fresh Foods Malai Kulfi Indian Desert Style Yoghurt; Truly Indian Crispy Chili Mango Chutney; Heritage Kulfi: Rosewater Kulfi Ice Cream (a Nexty winner); Truly Indian Tikka Masala Vegan Naan (also a Nexty Award Winner); Deep Indian Kitchen Veggie Masala Momo Dumplings (another Nexty Winner); and The Cumin Club Paneer Tikka Masala (a Nexty finalist). With so many Nexty finalists and award winners across categories, it’s apparent Indian cuisine, flavors and products also caught the attention of Nexty judges.

* Products, ingredients and supplements aimed at improving gut health continue to proliferate – with fiber (see below) being called out specifically (Tosi Crispy Puffs, Catalina Crunch, Marimix Crunch-Baked Snackmix). Also references to both pre- and probiotics (Sprout Living Probiotic Almonds, Suja Organic using Jerusalem artichoke inulin or Nature’s Garden Probiotic Mango-Peach Yoggies). Goodvice made an overt pitch for gut health with its Essential Shakes.

* Fiber continues to be a stealth ingredient, with many manufacturers trying to incorporate it into their products without compromising taste and texture. While protein has found numerous ways into products, fiber – which is a clear deficiency in most Americans’ diets – struggles to get the same energy.

* Animal-based fats were prolific as stand-alone products or as part of formulations and were being called out on front-of-pack. There were numerous products, but some examples: Marianne’s Harvest Organic Beef Tallow (a Nexty Winner), Fatworks’ spray tallows and frozen French fries and onion rings, South Chicago Packing’s 100% Wagyu beef tallow in both jar and spray and Steak ’N Shake’s Beef Tallow Co. (handing out French fries cooked in beef tallow from a food truck).

* The Return of NO. There was an array of claims such as no seed oils, no artificial sweeteners, no stevia, no artificial colors.

We continue to see companies and products get behind the Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC). Exhibitors with that claim included The Republic of Tea (Nexty Finalist for ROC Assam Tea), Horizon Family Brands (Nexty Finalist for Real Dairy Creamer Chantilly Sweet Cream), Charcutnuvo Organic Sausages (a Nexty Finalist for Organic Smoked Polish Sausage with ROC Beef), Natures Path Family of Organic Brands and Simpli (a Nexty Finalist for ROC Extra Virgin Olive Oil) just to name a small sample.

There was an abundance of meat products and meat sticks. Many companies exhibited mini sticks (some called them kids sticks); was this done to offer a lower price point, to address the snackification trend, to appeal to GLP-1 users or to offer a product for kids? Many companies were using blends of meats, and some that previously had formulated sticks with beef now expanded into poultry (chicken and turkey).

Some examples: Mission Meats Kids Sticks (specifically formulated for children using less spice); StarWalker Organic Farms ROC Beef & Pork Sticks; Vermont Smoke & Cure Mini Stick Variety Pack; Chomp’s new line of Antibiotic Free Chicken Sticks; and Singing Pastures Juicy Pineapple Pork Meat Sticks (a Nexty Finalist).

PepsiCo unveiled at the show a new brand in a new category: Good Warrior Beef Sticks (in Original & Jalapeno). We also saw Duck & Pork Sticks and Duck Jerky with Beef added from Pearson Ranch and Farmer Focus Organic Harissa and Honey Chicken Sausage.

Our other 2026 NPEW stories:

Ever More Protein, Plus Beef Tallow and Fiber

All 34 Next award winners

Missing in action

There were a few product categories that appeared to be missing or significantly less noticeable than we expected or versus previous years.

* Mocktails: Yes, there were companies showing non-alcoholic beverages, but certainly not as many as in past years; one NPEW had an entire section of the show floor devoted to non-alcoholic alternatives. With the business of non-alcoholic beverages booming, we expected to see a lot more.

* Mushrooms and mushroom containing products: There was a scattering of them, but again, not as many as in previous years.

* Fewer water brands: Is the market finally getting tapped out?

* Plant based products: There still were plenty at the show, but the number of products was down significantly vs. previous years, reflecting the realities of the headwinds the category is facing. Beyond Meat (which may no longer be using Meat in its name) was on the floor, but Impossible Foods (which had a large booth in 2025) was notably absent.

* Ancestral meats: We remember years when several companies (especially Force of Nature) exhibited numerous products featuring these meats.

* Products and brands claiming to be good for GLP-1 users: Given the increasing use of this medication, we expected to see far more products explicitly riding this wave. Perhaps it is too complex to call this out – or if this “trend” goes away, it creates an issue for products specifically targeting GLP-1 use? We just don’t know yet.

Other products that caught our eye

* Several iterations of freeze dried candy, including YumEarth Organic Giggles

* Ajinomoto Ramen Meals (tonkotsu, miso vegetable and shoyu chicken); Mazaemen (sesame chili tantan, garlic chicken); Sui Gyoza (edamame & vegetable, chicken & vegetable)

* Safe Catch: Tuna burgers and fish fillets (all products are tested for mercury)

* Boba Lab: Boba Straw in mango, blueberry, pineapple passionfruit, strawberry

* Alive & Well canned kombucha: Rose Petal & Lychee, Passionflower & Aloe, Oak & Coconut with Shilajit Kombucha, Palo Santo, Lavender & Blue Mallow

* Goodvice The Essential Shake (a dietary supplement): Best-ever Chocolate, Madagascar Vanilla, Sweet Cream Coffee

* Egglife Power Pasta: spicy chili, sundried tomato, original, roasted garlic

* Mila Chinese Style Rice Bowls: sweet & sour pork, spicy black pepper beef, chicken shitake

* Kevin's Scramble Starters: ranchero sirloin steak, Denver-style ham & white cheddar, Tex-Mex style avocado chicken, spinach & bacon florentine

* Leaven Instant Sourdough: the first and only product that delivers instant sourdough (wild yeast + lactic acid bacteria) in a dry, shelf stable powder; a Nexty Award winner

* Soom Tahini Squeeze Bottles: everyday, Mediterranean herb, harissa

* Fungitarian Oyster Mushroom Based Dish: taco, BBQ, original, Asian zing, marinara

* Wilde Protein Crackers: baked with chicken breast, chicken bone broth & cheddar cheese [12g protein per serving] in classic cheddar, smoked gouda, hot honey, buffalo cheddar

There was much to digest at the show and think about in the year ahead. We’ll see who is back, who’s not, at NPEW 2027 March 2-5 in Anaheim.

To see Jackie's and Leslie's 2025 NPEW trendspotting report, click here.

Jacqueline Beckley is founder and owner of The Understanding & Insight Group LLC (www.uandicollaboration.com), a strategy and business development company; Leslie Herzog is vice president of operations & research services for The Understanding & Insight Group and a longtime member of Food Processing’s Editorial Advisory Board.