Natural Products Expo West: Bixby Bars

Bixby Bars pack a lot of flavor in one bar. And they’re good flavors. Interesting blends.

This is the “To the Nines” Bar: Goji Berry, Cardamom, and Pistachio and Almond bar. 

Each Bixby Bar has organic, sustainably sourced chocolate, natural sweet dried fruit, nut, and spice along with brown rice crisps blended into it. They’re not the biggest bar but there’s a lot packed into it.

All bars are Certified Gluten Free as well as kosher, and completely free of preservatives and syrups. Five of the nine Bixby bars are also vegan verified. The company is a certified by Women’s Business Enterprise. All bars are handmade in the Maine.

Way better than Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s bars which is saying something because those are decent snacks. 

Bixby Bars are on the high-end of snacks, most likely meant to be savored more than popped in your mouth.

Here’s more on the nine Bixby bars.

Natural Products Expo West: ID Check

I read in the Natural Products Expo West that each time you enter the convention center, you’ll need to show your ID apparently. And probably again at the exhibit hall entry.

As I mentioned in a previous post about the Legionnaires being sourced to be staffed at entrances, expect this to take longer than usual.

I have to squint to read someone’s drivers license, especially when it’s not from my state and I don’t know where to look. Even though they’re not checking the birthdates, states put names in different places. So I’m not elderly—at least, not in my mind. If it takes me a while, consider for those who are 10, 15 years older.

It wouldn’t be a problem if for the most part, they’re all so gosh darn surly.

Natural Products Expo West: Press Badge Pick Up

Last year I had a problem getting my badge at the Natural Products Expo West.

The first day of the exhibits, there is a breakfast sponsored by Boulder Brands. It’s a can’t miss event. For me, it’s as if Willy Wonka was Gluten Free. The only wheat or gluten products are isolated way in the back of the ballroom. Otherwise tables including toasters are designated to be gluten free. Patries, bars, and hot food including pancakes, eggs, potatoes are all gluten free. For someone who has gone “without” for so long—never mind the whole year until the next Expo West, it’s as if the pearly gates opened.

However last year, I had to wait until the press room opened. So I waited. I couldn’t get into the breakfast. I couldn’t get my badge.

This year, thankfully they’ve changed the pick-up process for press. Now I can pick up my badge at any station. Yippee. So I don’t have to wait to dive into the GF goodies. Hurrah.

This is one of the changes that the show has implemented. I am hoping that the new press policies have deterred or weeded out the scammers such as Jody Baram, Rosie Pearson, Edmond Choi, and Hiram Ash. We’ll see.

Exhibits start on Thursday at the Hilton—I’m debating whether to go to that or save my energy for Friday and Sunday with potentially going on Saturday as well. You can’t beat the $10 all Weekend Metrolink pass!

Natural Products Expo West: Beware the Legionnaires Gestapo

Going to the Natural Products Expo West can be hazardous. Because of the Legionnaire’s. No, not Legionnaire’s disease. But the elderly Gestapo.

The show, I suppose, hires the elderly legionnaires—I’m guessing that’s who they are because they are in uniform—to staff the entrances. But it can be very hazardous. Why?

They check IDs. Which takes longer than it should because they’re eyesight in not great. Whoever thought about putting them with that task is clearly not thinking.

They stamp hands after checking IDs. Simple enough, right? Except the fact that the ink on the stamps wears off easily when you wash my hands. Last year, I got my hand stamped then washed my hands. When I went back into the exhibit hall, the elderly woman at the door argued with me claiming that I got my hand stamped yesterday because it was faded. I guess she never fucking washes her hands. She was so irritating.

At the end of the show, the organizers put them at all the exits making sure no one leaves with more than one bag. They seize anything over the limit. I just brought an oversized duffel bag and made periodic luggage dumps at the Hilton.

I love the Natural Products Expo West, but the Gestapo nature that they exact in the operation of it leaves much to be desired. Since they offer free exhibit hall entry codes and their verifying of qualifications is not stringent, it seems they should be doing more clamping down prior to the beginning of the show.

Natural Products Expo West: Out of Element Snacks

Leave it to the Italians to slap chocolate frosting on corn cakes. That’s what Element Snacks are—frosting on top, corn or rice cake on bottom. Kind of like a S’more. Without the cookie being good.

I’m not used to corn cakes. I’m not in favor of corn cakes because of Monsanto. That’s the great thing about Element Cakes being made in Italy. I guess Monsanto hasn’t corrupted the ecosystem in Europe. All the products are non-GMO, all natural and Gluten Free. There are traces of milk and soy in the products. Some of the flavors do utilize milk so perhaps the company uses the same manufacturing plant for their whole line. The milk content in the Milk Chocolate Rice Cakes and the Strawberry n Cream Rice Cakes were enough to cause a slight reaction in my mouth.

The corn cakes are actually more flavorful than Element’s rice cakes. Similar result though. Frosting is good, the bottom is not. The rice cakes were dry and like cardboard, everything that people don’t want to eat rice cakes. Each cake is approximately 80 calories and 5 grams of sugar.

It’s a novel idea to bathe rice cakes to mask that they’re not very tasty. I would have completely coated the cakes in frosting. And refined the cake recipe.

I wanted to be an advocate for the product. Dedicated to delivering Non GMO and Gluten free, all natural products, Element is where a company should be. 

I just wish the food tasted better.

At the Natural Products Expo West, you’ll find a slew of products that don’t compromise on taste. Those are the ones I want to load up on. And I will.