I attended Natural Products Expo West recently in search of stories for the Food Chain Radio podcast.  What I saw leads me to ask:

Michael Olson Food Chain Radio – Is “Natural” Food Healthy?

Is natural food healthy food? 

There was a lot to see, taste and experience at the recent Natural Products Expo West, and it all happened right across the street from Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

The Expo is a trade-only event, meaning that if you are not a buyer or seller engaged in the natural products trade, you are not welcome – unless you are a member of the working press, which is why my associate Dave and I were in attendance.

What we saw was a giant mosh-pit of 3,000 exhibitors tempting 65,000 buyers and sellers with this year’s crop of natural foods.

You might ask: ‘What is “Natural” food?’  Good question!

Unlike the word “organic,” which does  have a legal definition, there is no official definition for what is “natural.” A commonly held idea is that natural food is that which exists in its original, unprocessed form.  The opposite of natural food, therefore, would be ultra-processed food.

Most of what I saw on the floor of Natural Products Expo West appeared to me to be ultra-processed food trying to be healthy with lots of added protein.  I got to wondering about natural foods and wondered whether they are, in fact, healthy foods.  Then, while recharging my cell phone in the press room, I met a fellow journalist who also seemed to be working on the same question.

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Tune in here, for the syndicated Michael Olson Food Chain Radio Show #1416 April 11, 2026 Saturday 9AM Pacific