As I do each year after Natural Products Expo East, I give awards for the best organic products of the show.

This year, it was exceedingly difficult to narrow the list down to five, as I easily could have easily named at least twelve standout products, all of which demonstrated excellent innovation and had fantastic taste.

Here are my top 5 organic products from Natural Products Expo East 2019 in Baltimore.

POZOLE BROTH BY OCEAN’S HALO

There may be organic brands that are more well-known or have been around longer but when it comes to product development, Ocean’s Halo is as good as anyone in the entire industry. Anyone.

Several of the broths from Ocean’s Halo easily could have made this list, but its new Pozole took home the award.

Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup, and this version is roasted with organic ancho peppers, kelp and loads of spices. Read more »

(Photo courtesy of The Guardian)

This post originally appeared in Organic Insider. If you would like to receive Organic Insider each Wednesday, you can sign up for it HERE.

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For anyone who cares about the integrity of organic and the future of our industry, what has transpired with Carey Gillam should be of incredible concern.

Recently released court documents revealed that Gillam, a journalist and author of Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science, was the target of a carefully-crafted campaign by Monsanto to discredit her. Read more »

An apple a day will keep the doctor away.

Thanks to a new study, that saying has taken on even more meaning, particularly for organic apples.

In a recently published paper in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, it was found that organic apples contain a more diverse population of beneficial bacteria than conventional apples.

Researchers analyzed the peel, flesh, seeds, and stem of both organically and conventionally grown apples, looking to find how much and what kinds of bacteria were present. While organic and conventional apples contained the same amount of bacteria, there was a big discrepancy in the types of bacteria found. Read more »

Dr. Bronner’s may very well be the most unique company in the entire organic industry.

Not only has it been producing super-high quality soaps, cleaning and personal care products, and coconut oils since 1948, but its unconventional approach and commitment to social and environmental issues truly set it apart.

Most notably, the company gives 8.6% of its revenues to hundreds of different causes. Yes, 8.6% of revenues — a staggering amount.

Led by its Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) David Bronner (above, right), this third-generation family company is incredibly committed to fair trade and regenerative organic agriculture and is one of the founders of the Regenerative Organic Certification; has been one of the main backers for the legalization of industrial hemp farming and supporters of Vote Hemp; advocates for the legalization of marijuana; helps fund research on psychedelics as a tool for healing trauma; donated millions of dollars over the years to push for GMO-labeling, on both the state and federal level; provides free health care to employees; puts caps on executive compensation; and so, so much more.

If there is a cause or political event that in some way impacts the organic industry, you can be assured that Dr. Bronner’s has made a statement about it or is involved in some capacity.

Given that this is such a unique brand, I wondered what it is like for the people who have to sell the company’s products to retailers — what do they talk about in the sales meetings, how much do the buyers already know, how much does the activism of the company matter, etc.

These were all questions that I posed to Director of Sales Marc De Rosa and Senior National Sales Manager Gina Coccari, two executives who were recently promoted to run the Dr. Bronner’s sales division. Read more »

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Ayurveda.

Most of us have heard of this ancient health system, but not too many people in the U.S. truly understand what it is all about.

Fortunately, Sahara Rose has made it her life’s mission to demystify Ayurveda, and she has done it in a way that is very practical in today’s day and age, taking into account GMOs, pesticides and the growing trend of a plant-based lifestyle. Read more »

(This article originally appeared on Organic Insider but because of its importance and urgency, it is being re-posted on Living Maxwell. Please become an Organic Insider subscriber today.)

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In mid-June, President Trump received a tremendous amount of attention for signing an executive order directing the USDA, FDA and EPA to make it easier for genetically-engineering plants and animals to enter the food supply.

At face value, this seemed to be an ominous development. Yet, industry observers were not particularly impressed. Read more »

You can subscribe to the Living Maxwell podcast on: iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn and Google Play.

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Figuring out what to eat is no easy endeavor.

There are so many different diets, so many different theories, so much information.

And when a person is first diving into the world of health and getting serious about what they are eating, it can be incredibly confusing and overwhelming. Read more »