Seen and heard: Plant Based World Expo

NEW YORK — We saw a human-sized eggplant mascot, tasted sea moss gel and heard a Michelin-starred celebrity chef talk about mushrooms as a center-plate dish at this year’s Plant Based World Expo at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

Exhibitors from more than 200 companies in more than 250 booths showcased their plant-based products, handed samples, met buyers and kept the show floor buzzing Sept. 7-8, according to a news release. There were 3,168 registrants, including a substantial increase in qualified retail and foodservice buyers walking the expo floor, said Ben Davis, Plant Based World Expo content chairperson and strategic adviser.

“The theme of the show this year seems to be there’s so much we don’t know,” Davis said while moderating the session, “Meat Mushrooms, Your New Center of the Plate Protein Mushrooms,” where Le Bernardin chef Eric Ripert was on the panel.

Related: Let mushrooms be themselves, says Le Bernardin’s chef Eric Ripert

More than 50% of the exhibit space has already been reserved for the 2024 show, including country pavilions from Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Thailand and Spain, Davis said.

Trends seen at the show included:

• Healthier plant-based snacks and prepared foods using sustainable ingredients like hemp, jackfruit, acai, algae and seaweed.
• Global culinary creativity and chef-crafted products from countries including Italy, Brazil, Denmark, Peru, France, the U.K., Thailand, Australia and Canada.
• More collaborations and training opportunities between food service institutions, chefs and product manufacturers.
• Mushroom-based meats, snacks and jerky from MyForest Foods, Green Wolf Foods, Popadelics and Myco Technology.

These are some of the people we met and produce-centric products we learned about.

Ace Natural, a wholesale organic food distributor, dressed two employees as an eggplant and broccoli to promote a giveaway during the show. The company delivers USDA-certified organic produce, as well as grab-and-go, dairy alternatives, spices, dairy, baked goods, to the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut tri-state area.

At the mushroom panel session, Danielle Schwab (far left) of Fable Foods talked about the tension in the plant-based world between consumers demanding less processed, more whole-plant food and the industry that's formed through making meatless options.

SarahMarie Cole of MyForest Foods (from left after Schwab), chef Stephany Burgos of New York’s Planta restaurants, chef Eric Ripert of New York's Le Bernardin, and Benjamin Davis, vice president of content for Plant Based World Expo, delved into this issue and more, taking questions from the crowd afterward.

Happy Cow founder Eric Brent (left) and Ken Spector, who handles Happy Cow marketing, handed out stickers and information about their website and application for the vegan community. The app helps people find plant-based restaurants and other establishments on a map in more than 180 countries. The app can be customized to each person's food and dietary needs. There are restaurant reviews, personalized feeds, offline maps and more.

This Sea Moss Gel is 100% raw and soaked in Key limes and filtered water, part of the offerings from Jimmy Sellick, also known as "Jimmy the Green Giant," president of the Sea Moss Sorbet company. The gel is perishable, lasts as long as eight weeks in the refrigerator and can be frozen to extend life. It is rich in minerals and omega-3 fatty acids and can possibly provide several health benefits, he said. People add the sea moss gel to smoothies, soups, tea or just eat a spoonful.

Sunsweet Director of Sales Kim Kennedy and chef Rick Perez collaborated on several dishes and incarnations of prunes to show buyers and consumers what's possible with this fruit often found in the produce department next to other dried fruits. In cooking, prunes can act as a binder, a sweetener and a color. Prunes work well in snack balls and bars; desserts; meat alternatives; baked goods; salad dressings; sauces; and simply as a snack eaten out of hand.

The Sunsweet booth had an array of dishes using prunes, including a fresh kale salad with prune vinaigrette dressing and (meatless) meatballs in a sweet-and-spicy prune sauce.

Remedy Organics, a functional beverage brand often seen at fresh produce-focused trade shows, had a popular booth at the show with many buyers taking samples.

The Plant Based World Expo was concurrent with the Armory Show, a trade show for the modern and contemporary art world. That meant some great fashion-forward people-watching as well as great plant-based food in and around the Javits Center.