Top ingredients to watch from SupplyExpo/Expo West 2011

Xan Confections' CocoXan Chocolates

Chocolate rarely needs an excuse to be eaten. But when chocolate can do something other than satisfy a craving – as in, support immunity or lessen PMS – well, that's just begging for trouble.

Chocolatier and R&D Director Tracey Downey of Xan Confections came up with the idea for functional chocolates when she was asked to make healthy chocolates every year for a conference. The conference goers gobbled up the confection, so it was only natural to introduce what would eventually become the CocoXan line on a larger scale.

The line includes five products with different functional ingredients:

• CocoBrain and CocoPreggers both include Vegetarian Life's DHA
• CocoHeart packs in some CoQ10 and Kaneka QH (Ubiquinol)
• CocoWell supports immunity with Wellmune WGP
• CocoPMS has antioxidant rich Chasteberry and Bilberry

Wildwood Organic Probiotic Hummus

Who knew that a company founded in 1978 making organic sandwiches would someday churn out a tasty probiotic-packed hummus?

Functional Ingredients' editors tasted Wildwood's organic probiotic hummus during the 8th Annual Organic Wine & Beer Festival at Natural Products Expo West. Other flavors include low-fat, roasted red pepper and spicy cayenne. Our take: Wine, cheese, crackers and probiotic hummus do a happy belly make.

This kosher and vegan hummus contains strains of L. acidophilis, bifidobacterium ssp. and L. casei. Lactobacillus and bifidobacteria are the two types of friendly bacteria that are widely researched to be beneficial for human health. Lactobacillus organisms reside mainly in the small intestine, while bifidobacteria are in the large. You can get a helping of both in target="_new">Pulmuone Wildwood's new probiotic hummus.

Good Cacao Organic Superfood Chocolate Bars

target="_new">Good Cacao is a pioneer in the functional chocolate category. It is the world’s first organic superfood chocolate to incorporate proprietary, patented nutraceutical ingredients that offer targeted, evidence-based nutritional benefit. Among the 16 ingredients are: Ganeden BC30, Cognis’ Heart Choice, Fuji’s AstaREAL, Martek’s life’sDHA, and Wellmune WGP from Biothera. The company took home this year's NutrAward for Best New Finished Product containing a functional ingredient.

Besides being tasty, the cacao is certified by the Rainforest Alliance, and each handmade bar is gold foiled wrapped and sealed in a recycled, FSC Certified, translucent parchment paper that is fully biodegradable. All of this is a steal at a suggested retail price of $3.99.

Beauty Foods' Nightly Beauty Drink

Founded in 2010, Beauty Foods' enters the scene of nutricosmetics this year with Nightly Beauty, a chocolate, chai or vanilla flavored beverage that contains vitamins, natural AlphaWave L-Theanine and natural BioCell Collagen II complex (collagen type II, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid). Pricing starts at $49.99 for a 14-day supply.

Jacque Gibson, founder and CEO of Beauty Foods said that during formulation she wouldn't compromise on ingredients – only those ingredients shown to be effective in nourishing beauty from within made it into the final product. BioCell Collagen II, manufactured by BioCell Technology, is a clinically researched multi-patented nutraceutical ingredient that promotes active joints and younger looking skin.

Coconut Dream

New coconut products were everywhere at Natural Products Expo West: from Jillian Michaels' endorsement of SO Delicious to O.N.E. Active coconut water (we liked the Grape Berry flavor). Now, Hain-Celestial Group is piggybacking on the success of Almond Dream with Coconut Dream. The product is so new it's not yet being promoted online.

Enriched with vitamins A, D, B12 and calcium, the drink is suitable for vegetarians and vegans (who may lack in B12 consumption) and the rest of the population (most of whom lack in vitamin D).