Gluten-free products and natural snacks are ubiquitous at Natural Products Expo West and the products outlined here are some tasty choices. Humanely produced eggs made an appearance this year with deliberate efforts to educate consumers on how hens are handled.
Canyon Bakehouse
The gluten-free trend shows no signs of slowing. Many more consumers than the estimated one
in 133 people who have celiac disease and the seven percent who are gluten-sensitive, are choosing to cut back on wheat and other products containing gluten. Gluten-free has acquired a halo effect as a healthier choice in bread or pasta according to Canyon Bakehouse Founder and President Josh Skow.
When Skow’s wife Christi was diagnosed with celiac, changes were made. “When one family member goes gluten-free, often the whole family does.” Skow says. “If you think about what percentage of an ordinary person’s diet is made up of breads, it makes sense that not being able to eat a traditional bread would have an impact on daily life. We wanted to offer gluten-free bread that was soft, delicious and nutritious.”
They have succeeded. Their breads are a far cry from the dry, sawdust-like products on the market and have instead the texture and flavor of good quality artisan breads. Among the flavors from Canyon Bakehouse are Whole Grain White, 7-Grain, Cinnamon Raisin, Hamburger Buns and Rosemary and Thyme Focaccia.
Happy Eggs
The hens laying Happy Eggs live on farms in Arkansas with access to pasture, trees, sand, and grass to roam around on. Each farm consists of four acres on which the hens are able to scratch and peck in the dirt, forage for bugs, eat grass and flap their wings. Each also has a barn where they sleep at night.
California was chosen as a starting point for the product because Proposition 2, passed in 2008, will ban the use of battery cages by 2015.
In contrast to Happy Eggs, hens laying organic eggs are raised inside a barn, receive organic feed and may move about indoors, only some have limited access to outdoor space. Cage free eggs come from hens also free to move, eat and drink but completely indoors. However, according to Happy Eggs, 95% of eggs are produced by hens living with only 8 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches of space in wire battery cages.
Happy Eggs cost more than conventional eggs at $4.99 a dozen, but are reportedly better for you with higher amounts of some vitamins as well as lower amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat . The hens are certified humanely raised and handled.
Swurves
Crispy, accordion folded, curly crisps,Swurves’ salty savory spices seem to cluster in the furrows
adding to their appeal. A nibber’s delight in Savory, Asian Fusion or Tuscan Kitchen, Swurveshave the piquant, crunchy elements of chips but about 25% fewer calories.Snackers will find these in grocery stores soon.
