The Natural List

More than 50% of American families are celebrating Halloween this year. Does that feel low to you, or as expected? Between taste-testing natural vs. conventional Halloween candies, Host Adrienne Smith is joined by Meredith Kaufman and a very special guest, to discuss the cocoa crisis, sweet and salty Halloween-branded foods and dish on their favorite Halloween costumes. One of our 17 forecasted trends for 2027 is ‘Acid trip,’ which highlights a departure from overly sweet flavors, and Adrienne is seeing it play out firsthand this Halloween. While protein- and fiber-heavy candies are everywhere, she's tracking a different shift: not "better for you" candy, but better candy, period. Shoppers want real ingredients, less sugar overall, and products that actually taste good, not just feel good. That same instinct for "better" is showing up on store shelves too: Adrienne noticed the Halloween seasonal set expanding beyond candy altogether, with Halloween branding popping up on savory snacks and other non-candy items, too. Who will win the natural vs. conventional taste test? Will we ever pay $1.99 for a candy bar again? Find out on this episode of The Natural List podcast. Thank you to our sponsors, Sensoril, Kanbar Digital, NOW Foods and Palermo Villa. In this episode: 0:10 – Welcome to our Halloween episode! 1:06 – Adrienne’s chair is haunted, in honor of spooky season. Boo! 2:06 – Adults have favorite costumes, too! 4:39 – Sour and swicy flavors, plus tropical fruits, are popping up in candies. 5:30 – Does the volatility of the chocolate industry impact consumer preference trending toward gummies? Or do people just really love gummies? 6:10 – Meredith gives us an economic lesson on the cocoa market and how tariffs, inflation, and diesel prices impact the cost of your candy bar. 7:05 – Thank you to our sponsor NOW Foods. 7:36 – Thank you to our sponsor Kanbar Digital. 8:08 – Protein and fiber candies are everywhere, but Adrienne is tracking a different trend: better candy, not just better-for-you candy. 9:49 – Adrienne spotted savory snacks and other non-candy items getting the Halloween branding treatment this year. 10:39 – Natural vs. conventional candies taste test with a very special guest! 11:09 – Thank you to our sponsor Sensoril. 11:47 – Thank you to our sponsor Palermo Villa. 12:14 – Welcome to the podcast, Ellen, official taste tester of The Natural List! 13:44 – Twix vs. Little Secret Milk Chocolate Cookie Bar. 14:33 - Snickers vs. Unreal Caramel Peanut Nougat Bar. 15:08 - Hershey milk chocolate vs. Hu OG Milk Chocolate. 16:03 – Reese’s PB cup vs. Justin's milk chocolate PB cup. 17:06 - Unreal Dark Chocolate coconut Bar vs. Almond Joy. 18:10 - Justin's dark chocolate peanut butter candy pieces vs. M&M's peanut.

It's our favorite time of year: trend prediction season! In this episode of The Natural List Podcast, hosts Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith discuss the 17 trends that our team at New Hope Network released earlier today. These are more than just trends, though; they're market forces shaping the entire CPG and natural products industry. Plenty of these ideas have made their way from one category to another, finally earning themselves a spot on this year's trends prediction list as true pillars of the year to come. From a back-to-basics movement redefining how we think about protein and heritage ingredients to a wave of trends built around the idea that wellness should actually feel good, this year we’re digging into the forces reshaping shopper behavior across food, beverage and personal care. A few numbers hint at just how much momentum is behind these shifts, like pickle-flavored snack sales jumping 30 percent and dairy projected to grow 7.3 percent in 2027. But, as our hosts share, the real story is in how these ideas are colliding across categories in ways the industry has not quite seen before. Plus, Jessica and Adrienne dish on the trend neither of them expected to be writing about. This is our biggest trend prediction story yet, so watch the full episode now, and head to newhope.com to read the complete list of all 17 trends shaping 2027. Thank you to our sponsors Sensoril, Kanbar Digital and NOW Foods. Enjoy our vodcasts here or on YouTube. Prefer to tune in via podcast? Join us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. In this episode: 0:15 – Hosts share how they prepared for today’s podcast recording. 2:14 – Welcome to the 2027 trend prediction episode! 3:34 – Thank you to our sponsor Sensoril. 4:15 – Adrienne and Jessica discuss the process behind developing the yearly trend predictions. 6:20 – Our 2027 trends are based around bigger consumer behavior shifts. 6:40 – Trend bucket 1: Back to basics, but better. 8:59 – Dairy growth is expected to grow 7.3%, according to Nutrition Business Journal data. 10:34 – Protein offerings were impressive and delicious: plant-based and animal-based. 11:30 – Global flavors aren’t a trend anymore; they’re a pillar of our industry. 12:33 – Trend bucket 2: Wellness should be enjoyable 13:25 – Are people over sweet flavors? This trend argues yes! 13:59 – Gen Z is driving flavor exploration. 15:46 – Flavors are popular, even in supplements. 16:53 – Affordable indulgences have made their way into the natural products industry. 18:22 – Wellness is getting dialed in and amping up the personalization factor. 19:03 – Thank you to our sponsor NOW Foods. 19:37 – Thank you to our sponsor Kanbar Digital. 21:30 – Metabolic health is an industry force connecting multiple categories. 22:06 – The lines between categories are blurring, which makes our trends blend across the industry. 24:01 – The CPG industry is offering more solutions to specialty problems. 25:39 – Connection remains a strong trend driver in the natural products industry. 26:57 – Hosts answer: Which trend is most likely to be huge in 2027? 28:16 – Hosts answer: Which trend best captures the 2027 consumer? 29:26 – Hosts answer: Which trend is the most surprising 2027 trend? 31:30 – Hosts answer: Which trend are you most skeptical about? 31:40 – Hosts answer: Which trend do you think is the most niche now, but won’t be in the future? 33:53 – Hosts answer: What is the biggest opportunity for retailers or brands? 35:20 – Read more about these trends in the Fall Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine and on newhope.com!

We’re stepping back in time for this episode of The Natural List! At the Natural Products Expo West Content Creation Studio, Adrienne interviewed Victoria Reyes, co-founder of Narra, a ready-to-drink tea latte brand. New Hope Editor Meredith Kaufman joins the podcast to help Adrienne introduce the brand and what we love about them—spoiler: their Ube Latte was a NEXTY Finalist earlier this year and a fan favorite around the office! After years of walking the show floor, this is Narra’s first time exhibiting at Expo West. Victoria brings her CPG background in sourcing for Starbucks and pairs it with her brother’s: an engineer turned chef! The brand leans heavily into the siblings’ Filipino heritage, sourcing ingredients like Assam black tea from India and ube directly from farmers in the Luzon region of the Philippines. Their Strawberry Matcha is already a Whole Foods best seller and ties together the gentle caffeine and global flavors trends effortlessly. Thank you to our sponsors Bar-U-Eat, Sensoril, Kanbar Digital and NOW Foods. Enjoy our vodcasts here or on YouTube. Prefer to tune in via podcast? Join us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. In this episode: 0:03 – Meredith is back on The Natural List! 0:37 – This week we’re talking with Victoria Reyes, co-founder of Narra, in an interview from Expo West 2026. 1:20 – Narra is a ready-to-drink tea company with Asian inspired flavors. 2:04 – Check out our new podcast intro, courtesy of our producer, Mattie Sims! 3:00 – This was Narra’s first time at Expo West, where they were in the (included) section of the show floor. 3:52 – Thank you to our sponsor NOW Foods. 4:25 – Thank you to our sponsor Kanbar Digital. 4:56 – Victoria and her brother Miggy founded Narra three years ago. 6:16 – Narra’s Ube Vanilla oat milk latte was a 2026 NEXTY Award Finalist in the Best RTD Coffee & Tea category. 8:04 – Victoria talks about Narra’s sourcing guidelines. 10:36 – Thank you to our sponsor Sensoril. 11:12 – Thank you to our sponsor Bar-U-Eat. 13:00 – Victoria teases Narra’s newest product that the brand was sampling on the show floor. 13:40 – Narra’s five-year plan includes becoming a household name, getting into mass-market stores and expanding into other categories like meal alternatives. 14:49 – Narra is in nearly 1,000 stores and digging deep into Northern and Southern California.

This week, we're getting seasonal. Jessica and Adrienne are joined by Meredith Kaufman to taste-test this year's hottest pumpkin spice products, look at the sales data and ask the big questions: Where are all of the savory treats? Watch the episode to learn more. Thank you to our sponsors Sensoril, Kanbar Digital and NOW Foods. In this episode: 0:10 – Adrienne dispels the rumors about her 1:50 – Would you *really* like pumpkin spice and seasonal flavors if it was available year-round? 2:32 – Pumpkin spice vs. other fall flavors. Who will win? 3:41 – 54% of consumers look forward to buying pumpkin during the fall. 4:33 – 1/3 of surveyed consumers say that seasonal merchandising is more likely to make them purchase more fall flavors. 5:40 – Thank you to our sponsor NOW Foods. 6:50 – 41% of millennials and 39% of Gen Z are willing to pay more for pumpkin spice or fall seasonal foods. 7:22 – Adrienne and Meredith make a case for other autumnal flavors like apple cider, cookie butter, caramel apple, pecan and brown sugar. 8:31 – 47 new or limited-time apple items launched at national chains; 70% of those were beverages, according to The Food Institute. 9:34 – Thank you to our sponsor Kanbar Digital. 10:02 – Doordash reported significant increases in Pecan and brown sugar-flavored products, up to 53%. 11:42 – Seasonal offerings are always sweet. What’s happening with savory seasonal offerings? 13:14 – Jessica provides insight into the baby food trends: lots of savory! 15:10 – Some of these brands utilize pumpkin pie spices, while others utilize pumpkin, which is a pretty nutrient-dense ingredient. 18:59 – Can you guess what an “F-PSL” means? 20:22 – Question for the class: Do you think people consider seasonal products an indulgence, or do you think people see these flavors as something to build into their routine? 21:58 – Thank you to our sponsor Sensoril. 24:50 – Squash could be an introductory flavor to lean into more savory seasonal flavor profiles. 26:20 – There’s so much innovation happening, that we created separate NEXTY Award categories for meat and dairy and eggs. 20:55 – NEXTY Award nominations are open until December 5th. 30:30 – Jessica offers suggestions on positioning and product assortment to connect with the seasonal shopper. 31:18 – Brands: be authentic when formulating a seasonal product; consumers can tell.

Another year, another Organic Week! Adrienne Smith is joined by returning guest Nancy Coulter-Parker, sponsored content director at New Hope Network. Nancy has been to too many Organic Weeks to count and brings us the best takeaways and themes from this year’s industry gathering in Washington, D.C. Their conversation centers on the current state and future of the organic food industry, emphasizing the critical need to elevate organic education and support organic farmers. They discuss how we’re still fighting to make it known that the organic certification encompasses much more than just "no pesticides"—it represents soil health, animal welfare, human welfare and food transparency. Something that kept coming up during the week: The distinction between certified organic and regenerative agriculture. Nancy shared concerns about greenwashing when "regenerative" is used without proper certification. One thing’s for sure: younger generations, particularly Gen Z and millennials, are increasingly demanding to know what's in their food and where it comes from, creating opportunities for organic products to align with broader health conversations. Nancy’s shares that organic agriculture enjoys bipartisan political support and stresses the importance of protecting farmland and rural economies. Looking ahead to 2027, which marks the 25th anniversary of USDA certified organic, Nancy and Adrienne both advocate for retailers and companies to actively promote the organic seal, support farmer partnerships and ensure consumers understand the value and integrity behind organic certification. Thank you to our sponsor, GnuSante. Enjoy our vodcasts here or on YouTube. Prefer to tune in via podcast? Join us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. In this episode: 0:34 – Lip and cheek stain is making a comeback. 1:30 – Welcome to our guest, Nancy Coulter-Parker! 2:55 – Nancy provides the overall takeaways from Organic Week 2026. 3:34 – Thank you to our sponsor, GnuSante. 4:46 – Supporting our current and future farmers has never been more important. 6:15 – Nancy discusses the disconnect and supply chain issues with organic production. 8:08 – We need to create clarity in organic vs. regenerative certification. 9:02 – How can we support the organic industry and the organic seal? 10:30 – The organic conversation is a bipartisan one. 13:15 – Do the midterms offer momentum for the organic industry? 15:00 – A deep understanding of organic is necessary for progress. 15:45 – Adrienne offers an example of a successful campaign to showcase the stories of farmers. 16:18 – It’s not the cost of the product, it’s the value it provides. 17:06 – Nancy highlights programs supporting the organic industry in different aspects.