Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith
152 episodes listed below
Natural CPG trends, straight from the show floor.
The Natural List follows the natural-products business from the show floor to the report desk. Episodes move between Expo West brand interviews, NEXTY Award chatter, certification explainers, protein trends, healthy aging data, and practical questions about what consumers are actually buying.
PRESS PLAY
The Natural List is an industry conversation about natural, organic, and better-for-you CPG. It is less a polished lecture than a lively set of check-ins from people who spend a lot of time around brands, buyers, data, and trade-show floors. Expo West looms large. Episodes recap trends from the show, preview keynote programming, and return to interviews recorded in the content creation studio with founders and product teams. The show likes products with a story. A sunflower oil can become a conversation about family allergies, independent processing, and everyday versatility. An instant sourdough starter can turn into a bigger point about old food traditions meeting modern retail categories. NEXTY Award episodes bring in the language of innovation, inspiration, and integrity, then ground it in what editors still remember after judging. The market analysis is practical. Healthy aging is discussed through generational behavior, ingredient performance, and Nutrition Business Journal reporting. Protein gets treated as both a consumer priority and a formulation challenge, especially in bars, ready-to-drink products, and dairy ingredient applications. Sustainability and transparency come up often, but usually through concrete mechanisms: sourcing, certifications, audits, animal welfare labels, and environmentally responsible practices. Some episodes are explicitly sponsored interviews, so the format can become more promotional. Even then, the show tends to ask direct explanatory questions about company history, standards, customers, and category fit. The editorial personality is warm and quick. Conversations may open with banter, but they usually find their way back to consumer behavior and what the natural-products business is trying to solve. It is especially useful for people who want to hear how industry insiders talk when a trend is still fresh, a product is still being explained, and the next retail signal is coming from the show floor.
Made for: For CPG founders, natural-products marketers, retail watchers, ingredient suppliers, and category nerds who want accessible industry context. It also works for curious listeners who like hearing why certain health, sustainability, and food trends move from booth buzz to shelf strategy.
What sets it apart: The show combines trade-show immediacy with plainspoken category analysis, so product demos and sponsor interviews sit beside data-driven conversations about consumer demand. Its strength is making specialized CPG topics feel conversational without sanding off the business details.
A New Hope Network podcast covering hot products, emerging trends and expert insights driving the future of CPG! Seaweed burgers and meatless meats. Mushroom elixirs and adaptogenic mocktails. Plastic-free packaging and waterless shampoos. The nearly $300 billion-dollar natural products industry is swimming in innovation. But which products and trends have staying power? During this podcast, co-hosts Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith share the latest industry news and the most compelling and (sometimes off the wall) innovations that are primed to transform the CPG industry and support a global shift toward healthier, more sustainable living.
Based on 4 episodes we listened to · September 2026
The Natural List connects natural-products trends to the ingredients, consumer demands and commercial choices shaping CPG.
The Natural List tracks the natural-products business by moving between product innovation, consumer behavior and commercial implications. Adrienne Smith and Jessica Rubino bring an informed, conversational eye to what appears at Expo West, connecting developments such as…
Sourdough cultures meet GLP-1 economics, so your grocery aisle starts looking suspiciously strategic.
Press play if you want
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Healthy aging comes through as a business category, with the generation-specific lens giving the report real utility.
Adrienne and Erica Craft keep the episode grounded in the business side of healthy aging. Their read on Nutrition Business Journal's new report is practical rather than glossy: generational differences matter, ingredient performance matters, and the fastest-growing condition MBJ…
Two Nexty winners show how labneh and sourdough can refresh familiar grocery categories.
The episode follows two Nexty-winning brands and shows how familiar grocery categories can be made newly legible without losing their basic logic.
A brisk CPG trend scan that turns Expo West chatter into useful signals.
Adrienne Smith and Jessica Rubino use Expo West as a lens on where CPG is headed, with the discussion circling back to protein and plant protein, nostalgia, simple ingredient lists, whole milk, soy, and fiber.
A conversational CPG discussion that links healthspan and wellness trends to industry stakes.
The Naturalist keeps the focus on CPG, natural and organic products, food, policy, and trend watching, and it is strongest when it connects healthspan and personalization to what they mean for the category.
Industrial LinkedIn signals, stress-tested for reality.
Australian beer, with the paperwork left in.
Bourbon talk with industry teeth.
Market signals for strategic decisions.
The Natural List reviews Newtopia Now 2026 through products and packaging found on the show floor, including functional beverages, Ayurvedic supplements, personal care, pet treats, and global convenience foods.
This episode discusses the non-UPF seal's impact on CPG, featuring an interview with Sierra Forrest of Simply Sunflower Oil about seed oils and natural foods.
The Naturalist opens with sponsor reads and welcomes Erica Craft back.
This episode features an interview with Emily Moose, Executive Director of A Greener World, discussing the nonprofit's origins, mission to promote sustainable agriculture through certification programs, and its impact on farmers and consumers.
This episode features an interview with Meredith Kaufman about The Republic of Tea winning an editor's choice award at the NEXTY awards, recorded live at Expo West.
Two Nexty winners get the spotlight.
This episode recaps trends and highlights from Natural Products Expo West 2026, featuring discussions about new products like thick water, the snack lab, and insights from owning a CBG company, along with a sponsor segment about Lakanto's monk fruit sweeteners.
Adrienne Smith and Jessica Rubino open with a fast Expo West trend check.
The Naturalist starts with a co-host search while Jessica is on maternity leave.
Cynthia Barstow discusses her work educating Gen Z about environmental toxins in products and their impact on health, particularly breast cancer, through her organization Protect Our Breasts and podcast Shelf Sense.
This episode previews key CPG trends and product launches for buyers, brands, and investors at the upcoming Newtopia Now 2025 event, highlighting new and established companies in the natural foods industry.
This episode discusses the NBJ Summit's new Executive Wellness Experience for industry leaders, exploring wellness activities like biohacking and an art experience that led to a deep dive into decoupage and non-toxic crafting materials.
This episode introduces and discusses the brand Newtopia Now, exploring its vibrant identity and products within the CPG industry.