I began my education in the field of health and wellness when I came to work for this magazine four years ago. I hadn’t heard the term “nutraceuticals” before that time, and it took a while for lingo like “randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial” to really roll off my tongue.

Natural Products ExpoWest was my first industry event, and looking back on it, seemed an apropos introduction to this business. As I walked the halls of the Anaheim Convention center, which we’ve all come to know and love, I met a ton of people who have dedicated their lives to bettering the lives of others. My very first takeaway from that first trip was that I had landed in a place full of people who are passionate about what they do—and can throw a pretty good party while doing it.

Over time I came to understand the business end more clearly, thanks to countless interviews, research and simply listening to panel discussions, presentations and experts in various fields. Eventually, people started to ask me what I thought about important issues affecting the industry. It turns out ExpoWest bookends my tenure at Nutraceuticals World. As I walked the halls this year at my last industry event, I had new perspective, thinking about how I once was outside-looking-in, and now looking from the inside-out.

We talk all the time about the latest “trends” and the “hottest” new ingredients on the market. But we’ve also seen an evolution of consumer understanding, as well as consumer needs. The gluten-free market exemplifies how what is not in a product can be just as important as what is. According to the Netherlands-based Innova Market Insights, the rise of gluten-free products has been “fairly dramatic,” with nearly 10% of global snack launches using that platform in 2011, rising to more than 20% in the U.S., with the number of gluten-free launches internationally trebling over a five-year period.

The Industrial Revolution obviously set the stage for modern living in just about every way I can imagine. However, the impact on what people eat has been devastating. But a larger percentage of consumers today are more aware of what they are putting into their bodies than ever before. The movement to petition for the labeling of Genetically Modified Foods in the U.S. represents a growing group of well-educated people who have a more sophisticated understanding of the food supply chain. Many manufacturers have paid attention, cleaning up their labels and simplifying their product formulas.

We could talk all day about the most pressing health concerns, from heart health to energy to digestion to brain health, as well as root causes and implications like inflammation. However, just as the separation between pharmaceuticals and nutrition has blurred, so too has the line between dietary supplements and food. After all, food can be medicine, as long as “food” doesn’t actually mean industrialized garbage.

This industry does important work. Companies in this space have made great strides in offering safe, quality, and truly healthy products. But much more work needs to be done, and many more challenges need to be overcome. The stage is set and the regulatory spotlight is in place. Sometimes when we refer to “consumers” they feel so far removed from reality. But these people are your neighbors, friends and family. We need to act in their best interest.

So after four years this is my last issue with Nutraceuticals World. It’s time for me to graduate to a new adventure, in a new industry. Special thanks to Becky Wright for taking the good jokes along with the bad. I’ve truly enjoyed working with you and I wish you and your staff all the best for the future. You can use my stapler any time…  
        
Sean’s e-mail address will remain [email protected] with Nonwovens Industry magazine (nitesh_non.rodpub.com), another trade journal at Rodman Publishing.