Where to start! That’s exactly how you feel when you first enter the doors of Expo West. This year did not disappoint. With over 3000 exhibitors which spanned the entire Anaheim convention center as well as exhibitors in both the adjacent Hilton & Marriott hotels, the coordination and planning to try to navigate through the entire show, and meet as many exhibitors as possible, was an event of its own.
This year Expo was attended by our President & CEO Bernie Desgagnés and Business Development team, Candice Einarson and Stuart Greenfield. They all agreed that there was an excitement and energetic buzz at the show that was special compared to previous years.
Check out their top 5 list of products they would like to see in Canada:
Caulipower
We met with Gail Becker Founder & CEO at Caulipower; they have a delicious, nutritious, and gluten-free cauli ”power” pizza. Who knew cauliflower had so many healthy properties? Nutrients that can fight against cancer, heart disease, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It is also full of antioxidants like vitamin c and manganese, and even has phytonutrients that lower the risk of oxidative stress. On top of all that, cauliflower has vitamin K and omega-3, both important anti-inflammatory nutrients [i]; We can’t wait for this product to hit Canadian grocers.
H2Rose
Drink & be beautiful is H2Rose’s slogan for this amazing rose water beverage. Kia Illulian – President was kind enough to give us a few of their flavours to enjoy, and after a full day at the show, WOW was this an amazing beverage to enjoy. I’m not sure it made us beautiful, but drink we will. Below are some benefits of rosewater & saffron from H2Rose’s website:
Benefits of rosewater and saffron[ii]
- Increases satiety (decreases appetite)
- Decreases occasional temporary stress, anxiety and will enhance your mood
- Improves emotional health stability
- Eases digestion
- Relieves irritable stomachs
- Improves skin texture and appearance
- Strong natural antioxidant
Chirps
Crickets anyone? Source is no stranger to cricket protein, and when we saw Chirps Chips at the show we wanted more! What a great way to introduce crickets into your lifestyle, a nice little snack with 20 g of protein in each serving.
In addition to tasting amazing! Crickets are a sustainable protein source using only 1 gallon of water to make 1lb of meat in comparison to our cute little cow friends using 2000 gallons of water to produce 1 lb of meat. [iii]
Ora Organics
A nutritional supplement company making plant based omega-3, organic probiotics and organic protein powders using, real, organic food. The team at Ora created their line to replace synthetic supplements with nutrients from organic and sustainable sources. [iiii]Not only is their product sustainable but so is their packaging.
MSPrebiotic Inc.
A good portion of the show focused on gut health, and it was great to see one of our own Manitoba businesses exhibiting for the 1st time at Expo. MSPrebiotic is designed to re-new the gut microbiome, re-energize your body, and re-store fiber to your diet[iiii]. We have quite a few of our team already using this product and swear by their claims that this prebiotic improves digestive tract health.
Over all, our team engaged with many food, supplement and cosmetic companies in addition to meeting with our current clients. It is always great to meet face to face with so many business partners who we have worked with over the years and who have become close friends. We always look forward to heading to Expo West, as it never disappoints and this year was no exception. We are off to a great start to another successful year, and building & nurturing relationships with new and existing business partners.
- [i] www.caulipower.net
- [ii] http://drinkh2rose.com/
- [iii] https://chirpschips.com/
- [iiii] https://www.ora.organic/pages/about
- [iiiii] https://www.msprebiotic.ca/#benefits
