In this episode of Reasoned Opinion, Executive Editor–Technical David Feder’s editorial series on trends in the food beverage, nutrition, and ingredient industries, he presents the more interesting ingredients, foods, and beverages that caught his eye at the 2024 Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California. This year, noted ingredients included mushrooms, lupin beans, dates, cheese, butter, and produce in multiple forms and as both whole ingredients and sources.

Special attention was paid to a seemingly sudden jump in use of the ultra-low cal sugar allulose and cacao pulp, both as a juice source and a sweetener. In products, jerky from various meats, poultry, and seafood—salmon, to be specific—rubbed shoulders with a wealth of puffed grain snacks and fruit chips. Among the beverages, coffee, plant milks, mocktails and other alcohol-free imbibements abounded, as did several dozen brands of water that varied from the unusual (e.g. “sea moss water”) to the plain old H2O + heavy marketing.

The big standout was a cocoa-free chocolate from Voyage Foods, Inc., makers of nut-free spreads, bean-free coffee, and other nut free products. Its chocolate analog is made with grapeseed and shea butter as main ingredients—no cacao bean derivatives, nothing even near chocolate. Yet it would pass any blind taste test for flavor, texture, and meltability—it’s indistinguishable from real chocolate. The Oakland, Calif. start-up is definitely one to watch.