• 🪵 Woodland Acquires Sevillo 
• 🕵️ DOJ Investigates Egg Prices
• 🤝 Sarah Shah Launches New Agency
• 🪧 UNFI Teamsters Practice Picketing
• ⁉️ What Did You Miss From Expo West?

If Natural Products Expo West was a sign of what’s to come as the industry navigates tough economic and geopolitical conditions, then brands will be hunkering down, opting to put innovation resources toward small improvements to existing products, creating stronger brand identities and iterating hero offerings for alternative channels such as foodservice. 

Many of this year’s entrepreneurial exhibitors emphasized a focus on profitability and consumer demands, acknowledging how the two go hand-in-hand. Entirely novel products were hard to come by at this year’s show, which has typically served as a launchpad and testing ground for large and small producers alike. 

For example: Take a look at gut health brand BelliWelli. Beginning with an array of probiotic, low-FODMAP bars in 2021 – which secured shelf space at Sprouts, Target and other major chains – the brand introduced a 3-SKU line of probiotic and fiber mixes in March 2024. That item quickly became their best seller.

• Co-founder Katie Wilson told Nosh at the show that the powders made Belliwelli “profitable overnight…We’re no longer even doing bars,” she exclaimed about the discontinuation. 

Small shifts have proliferated across all types of product portfolios. Elsewhere, Growee Foods was testing single-serve cups for its fruit and vegetable dips, COYOTAS debuted tortillas ranging from four to 12 inches while Big Picture Foods showed off single-serve, ready-to-eat olive packs. Each of the brand operators said they intend for the new packs to flourish in foodservice where the barrier to entry may be high, but the potential for gaining back margin points is even higher.

On the refurbished product front, some had tweaked existing protein sources (see: Scott’s) – swapping whey for plant-based alternatives or ditching pea protein for more unique inputs like fava beans or fungi. Others switched between sweeteners, dropped additives and gums or cleaned up and maximized the nutrient density of ingredient lists.

Meal and flavoring producer Loisa introduced a new brand look that aims to better reflect its mission for clean ingredient, Latin-inspired items. Catalina Crunch, Unbun and Fly By Jing were also among the ranks of exhibitors showing off touched-up looks. 

The shifts from A to B – whatever they may be – were made for one of two reasons: cost reductions or capturing consumer interest. Oftentimes, the impetus was a combination of both. 

Nosh Insiders can access our full analysis from the show including the revival around dates, egg-based innovations and more.

Plant-based ingredient supplier Woodland Gourmet (formerly Woodland Foods) has acquired Salt Lake City-based Sevillo Fine Foods. The deal will expand Woodland’s ready-to-eat frozen ingredients options and reach in foodservice. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

👤 "Sevillo’s dedication to quality and innovation complements our vision to cultivate authentic, culinary-forward solutions and experiences for the food industry," said Woodland Gourmet CEO John Buckles.

🍞 Woodland Gourmet most recently acquired New Jersey-based Idan Foods in April, adding breadings, batters, baking mixes and more seasonings to its growing portfolio.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating whether surging egg prices have been, in part, caused by large producers conspiring to raise prices or hold back supply, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). It’s unclear whether the probe is under the direction of civil or criminal authorities. 

🥚 The department allegedly sent a letter to egg companies instructing them to preserve documents about their conversations with customers and competitors as well as with Expana (f.k.a. Urner Barry), which tracks wholesale egg price information, per WSJ.  

💸  Shoppers are, on average, paying approximately $5 a dozen, according to the Labor Department. Meanwhile, grocery stores and food distributors are paying nearly $8 a dozen. 

⏪ The investigation comes after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) put forward a $1 billion investment into a “comprehensive strategy” to curb the spread of bird flu, protect the U.S. poultry industry and reduce egg prices.

Go Deeper: The Specialty Egg Space Is Consolidating, But Bird Flu Isn’t The Impetus

Longtime CPG marketer Sarah Shah is launching her own consulting agency, The In-Between.

• She aims to provide an “insights driven, consumer-centric approach” to support entrepreneurial brands.
• Shah has over two decades of experience, including roles at Vitaminwater, The Dannon Company, AccelFoods, Maya Kaimal Foods, Canidae and most recently Just Ice Tea.

💬 “I’m proudly already representing two incredible clients,” Shah wrote on LinkedIn last week. “If you are looking for a real partner in your brand agency or want to be a part of bringing the next great water brand to America, courtesy of our friends from the North, hit me up!”

Teamsters members at UNFI in Florida, Georgia and Illinois are gearing up for a real deal strike by hosting practice pickets.

📈 The workers are demanding “fair first contracts that recognize their crucial role to the company’s success,” the union said in a press release.

🤝 Over 5,000 UNFI employees are members of the Teamsters. The potential strike comes after a robust unionization effort across UNFI, with more than 2,500 drivers and warehouse workers from the company joining the Teamsters since 2022.

The BevNET and Nosh team has been busy pumping out insights from the industry’s biggest show. While you were putting together booths, slinging samples or scouring the show floor yourself, you may have missed out on some of our coverage of the show. Here’s a quick guide on what’s up:

🫦 Pre-Show Samples: Investment and a new CEO land on Supergut ahead of the show; Dress It Up Dressing introduced new SKUs with new funding to back the business; Kevin’s Natural Foods founders started anew with Wild Fox Foods; five first-time exhibitors detail what they’ve brought to the show; and a look at Harken’s new cash, Rustic Bakery’s new cookies and Bubbies’ focus on going green.

🔬 During Expo Analysis: After each day the team debriefed what they saw, sampled and heard from the show including high-protein breakfasts and brand refreshes on day one. By day two, protein balls, pasta, plant-based eggs and “Paw Patrol” were talk of the town. 

📹 Live From Anaheim: Watch our editors rundown each main day of the show. First up was discussions of tariffs and product trends. The following day, the duo got serious about MAHA’s presence, DEI initiatives and…. chicken schmaltz. Check them out now. 

⏩ Continuing Coverage: Just like that stack of contacts you’ll be sorting through and following up on in the weeks to come, the fun doesn’t end when the Expo doors close. Our team will continue to publish post-show analysis and release exclusive interviews from the floor. Stay in the know and access all of our Expo West coverage here.