New Hope Editor Meredith Kaufman joins Adrienne Smith and Jessica Rubino for a conversation about protein, clean candy and a taste testing of some of the products she brought home from Sweets & Snacks Expo.
In this episode of The Natural List, co-hosts Adrienne Smith and Jessica Rubino welcome New Hope Editor Meredith Kaufman to the show. The episode beings with a discussion of new AI features in the self-checkout at the grocery store. They then pivot to Meredith's takeaways from the recent Sweets & Snacks Expo.
First up in the trend recap, the trio discusses whether sweets need to be functional. They dive into protein specifically and debate if shoppers really want it in their desserts (Meredith says yes; Adrienne says no; Jessica is neutral). On the protein front, they dive into meat jerky, which Meredith says had a strong presence at Sweets & Snacks.
Next up is a candy taste testing. They first sample Hormbles Chormbles, a new protein-enhanced chocolate bar, and Nebula Snacks, a zero-sugar chocolate cup. The team takes a brief intermission to discuss artificial food dyes and how new regulations could bring cleaner products to consumers but may also increase costs and cause supply chain issues in the short term. The episode wraps up with a Starburst Goodies sampling, a gummy created by Mars that is free from artificial ingredients.
In this episode:
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Meredith Kaufman is an associate editor at New Hope Network, where she covers a range of topics including product trends, CPG brand profiles, the NEXTY Awards and natural products industry news. Kaufman has a bachelor's degree in religion from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, a juris doctorate from the University of Colorado, Boulder and an LL.M. in Agriculture and Food Law from the University of Arkansas.
Jessica Rubino is a natural products industry expert and content strategist with more than 15 years experience in media, events and natural products. As New Hope Network's vice president of content, Jessica oversees digital and print content, conference programming and branded content for CPGs, retailers, investors and service providers. Jessica is passionate about using innovation as a force for good and leveraging content to spark the changes we want to see in the world.
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About Adrienne Smith
Adrienne Smith is the director of content for newhope.com and the editor-in-chief of Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine where she helps ideate and produce content for natural products retailers, brands and entrepreneurs. She also runs the NEXTY Awards, an annual program held in conjunction with Natural Products Expo West that recognizes emerging and established natural CPG brands for their innovation, inspiration and integrity. A former restaurant owner, chef and sommelier, Adrienne is passionate about food in all its forms.