Expo West is the buzziest food trade show you don’t want to miss, offering a first look at the latest innovations in the natural food and wellness space. Whether you’re discovering what your favorite brands are launching next or exploring exciting new brands with groundbreaking ideas, the experience is one to remember. The booths have transformed into what looks like interactive exhibits, and you’ll find yourself tasting so many samples that your stomach might hurt, or what we call “expo belly.”

As packaging design experts, we felt it was our responsibility to go beyond the food trends—like Protein, No Seed Oils, Gut Health, and Pickled Everything—and focus on the packaging design trends we observed at the show.

Trend #1 Color 

There’s no shortage of color at Expo West—it’s like walking through a rainbow. From the booths to the tote bags handed out, and of course, the packaging, color is everywhere. It plays a vital role in packaging design by helping differentiate flavors and SKUs, while also enhancing shelf presence.

Two brands that underwent major redesigns this year are Back to Nature and Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings. Both previously featured predominantly white packaging, with color primarily used in the typography to distinguish SKUs (in addition to the photography). Now, each SKU has its own bold color, making them pop on the shelf and simplifying the shopping experience. Customers don’t even need to read the title—though the photography certainly helps too!

Trend #2 Iconic Large Photography

Like color, photography is another crucial element in packaging design. While it’s not always necessary—especially for household staples like olive oil, sugar, salt, and butter—it serves as a great visual tool to help consumers understand what the product is, particularly when the packaging doesn’t offer a clear view inside. 

Brands like Lemon Perfect added fruit photography to their bottles this year, enhancing their once gradient design and improving shopability in the crowded beverage fridge.

At Expo West, we noticed two major photography trends. The first is large, singular, iconic photography. Banza, for example, underwent a redesign this past year, replacing their overhead bowl of mac and cheese with a close-up shot of a mouthwatering noodle covered in melty cheese—significantly larger than the actual noodle. New brand Evie’s Texas Pecans also embraces this approach, featuring a larger-than-life pecan that occupies about a third of their packaging.

Trend #3 Serving Suggestions

The other photography trend (which might seem contradictory to the previous one) involves adding images that not only showcase the product but also highlight how it can be used—aka, serving suggestions. What ties this trend to the earlier one is the scale at which these images are presented on the pack—large and prominent.

Mezete, a premium Middle Eastern brand known for products beyond hummus, is a great example of this. Their recent redesign features both trend #1 (color) and this photography trend. Previously, their design only showed an image of the dip itself. Now, the packaging shows the dip on a cracker or tahini sauce drizzled over a plate of falafel. This not only makes the product more appetizing but also demonstrates to consumers how the product can be used, showcasing its versatility. This is particularly helpful for unfamiliar, niche products.

Another brand that shifted their photography style is Nature’s Fynd. Not only did they adopt large, iconic photography on their packaging, but they also shifted the imagery to a breakfast sandwich featuring their breakfast sausages, rather than just the sausage patty itself.

Trend #4 Illustrative Characters

It seems like every food brand now needs its own illustrative cartoon mascot. One brand that popularized this trend is the more-than-ever-popular Graza Olive Oil, whose design centers around quirky, olive oil-related characters. The design is kept minimal, allowing the characters to take center stage.

This trend’s rise can also be seen in the recent Chameleon redesign. Chameleon Coffee has always had a mascot—the chameleon itself. In the past, the chameleon was illustrated perched atop a branch, almost like a mosaic pattern. The patterning and positioning gave it a static feel on the packaging. Now, the chameleon has been reimagined as a cartoon character, happily walking across the pack. It has developed its own persona, truly owning the design. Another new brand taking this approach is Chef Molly Baz’s Ayoh, a mayo brand featuring a cartoon sandwich on each bottle. This cartoon sandwich is an essential element to the brand.

Trend #5 Nostalgia 

While the retro look has been a trend for a couple of years, there’s now a new take on retro-inspired design—it’s all about nostalgia. This trend focuses on drawing inspiration from specific products and past brands.

Take Slice, for example, a healthier prebiotic and probiotic soda. Its design is reminiscent of iconic soda brands like Sprite and Sunkist. Consumers are immediately drawn to the packaging due to its sense of familiarity, without feeling outdated.

Another example from Expo West is Loisa, a brand offering authentic Latin kitchen staples like sazon, adobo, sofritos, and more. The packaging evokes the feel of products you might find in an abuela’s kitchen, further enhancing the brand’s authenticity.