Gluten Free, Aloe and Coconut from the FFS

See Madonna?

Gluten-free food products, Aloe and Coconut drinks and waters and chipotle are the trends that stand out during the three days of the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York.

Gluten-free products are everywhere and include gluten-free snacks like Beanitos Chips made from beans only, Baked Lentil Chips from The Mediterranean Snack Food Company made from lentils and the Snikiddy Baked Fries but also cookies as the Chocolate KinniKritter Animal Cookies  from Kinnikinnick foods. You can find gluten-free pizzas from Against the Grain Gourmet, breads, baking mixes, buns and even gluten-free salami! (see picture).

Aloe Vera based drinks are also become increasingly popular and trendy. Natural Garden offers Aloe Vera Drinks in various fruit flavors as Mango and Pomegranate. Alodrink creates Aloe drinks from aloe juice and pulp, straight from the leaf. Aloe King is another company offering not only aloe drinks but a range of other products as well.

But if Aloe drinks are relatively new to the market, Coconut drinks are already an established trend. The Brazilian Vita Coco water is one of the most popular ones and reportedly, Madonna recently invested $1m. Research has proved that coconut water contains high levels of lauric acid, what the body uses to make monolaurin, a disease-fighting fatty acid derivative. Vita Coco is available in a number of flavors including pineapple and acai. Amongst other, the only Organic Coconut Water in a can comes from Edward and Sons Trading.

Another upcoming trend in beverages is the Relaxing Drinks. I only saw the Slow Cow exhibiting but the US market has plenty to offer (Zen, Mary Jane etc). Relaxing drinks are offered as an alternative to energy drinks and as Slow Cows message says, are more of an acupuncture session.

On the front of flavors, chipotle seems to win as it made its presence bold in hummus, salsas, peanut flavors and chips. A few other interesting products that are worth mentioning are: The Xan Confections and their 29-calorie chocolate, the sunflower butter chocolates Nut-Free Sun Cups and the Sofi Gold winner for new product - the Rozendal Hibiscus Vinegar.

Finally the most innovative creation of the show was a jelly bean Mona Lisa. Look here: