[FoodSciGeek]

Being a foodscigeek is a pretty good job. I've just returned from a 10 day trip that included two food industry tradeshows; Snaxpo in Las Vegas and the Natural Food Products Expo in Anaheim. At least part of the time, the boss was along, so I got to eat in some very nice restaurants and drink some very nice wine. I don't tend to splurge quite so much when I've got to put the bill on my own expense account.

Something I found very interesting about the shows; healthier snacking was a very prominent theme in the snack food show, but at the natural food show, there was more fake food than I've ever seen in one place in my life. About 1/3 of the show floor was taken up with supplements and weight loss/weight gain products (protein powders). There were snack bars, meal replacement bars, teas, coffees, bottle water, tons of organic chocolate and lots of conveinience foods. I met Amy of Amy's Kitchen brand. She was serving pizza at her booth. On the days we hit the show floor, we certainly did not need to eat much else the rest of the day.

In Vegas, I managed not to step out of doors for 3 whole days, but walked more than 10 km each day. In Anaheim I probably put even more milage on, but at least part of it was the walk from the hotel to the convention center. Balances out at least some of the treats.

I wish they didn't schedule these things so close together. I also attended much smaller one day ingredient and food service shows earlier in the month. Now there's nothing on the radar until June.
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Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon. - The Dalai Lama

[queenla]

Hi foodscigeek,
Sounds to me that two months to recover from walking 30K in three days is about right!
I too find it amazing that a tin of powder is 'natural'.
These food shows are appealing. What is your interest in them- forgive me if you have gone down this path- are you on the retail or wholesale side?
What is a foodscigeek- apart from a food science geek?
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truth, like gold, is not the less so for being newly brought out of the mine.

[Debbie]

I'm with you Queenla... I don't get it when you walk into a healthfood store and half the products are powders and pills and the list of ingredients is longer than your arms....... I don't find that very natural at all.

Do however find the whole concept very interesting of the food shows. Enjoy checking out new products and seeing what the current trends are.

Still doesn't stop me from being old fashioned and believing that a balanced meal is better than any pill or powder.... but that is just me, and others can do or think what they like. Differing views and opinions is what makes us all so interesting.
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If you cannot feel your arteries hardening, eat more cheese. If you can, drink more red wine. Diet is just "die" with a "t" on the end. Exercise is walking into the kitchen.

[Ijit]

It's too bad that I'm not in the food industry. I would LOVE to visit the All Candy Expo in Chicago in June. Anyone out there through whom I could live vicariously?