Ingredient Standards & Guidelines

Summary of Prohibited Ingredients

Food	Dietary Supplements	Cosmetics
Artificial sweeteners	Artificial sweeteners	Artificial colors (nail polish may be the exception)
Artificial colors (FD&C Colors)	Artificial colors (FD&C Colors)	Triclosan
Artificial flavors	Artificial flavors	Artificial sweeteners
High-fructose corn syrup	High-fructose corn syrup	Artificial flavors
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)	Kratom	Kratom
Partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs)	Delta-8, Delta-10 THC, THC isolate*	Delta-8, Delta-10 THC, THC isolate*
Kratom
Delta-8, Delta-10 THC, THC isolate*

*Section 8. THC Cannabinoids

Introduction

To assure the quality of the Natural Products Expo brand and to help preserve the integrity and meaning of the term “NATURAL,” New Hope Network has introduced a phased-in process that does not allow for specific artificial ingredients and/or ingredients deemed unsafe in foods, supplements and cosmetics promoted through advertisements or displayed or sampled at Natural Products Expos.

This effort represents our attempt to be responsive to the many comments, suggestions and concerns from industry manufacturers, distributors, brokers and retailers.

These Ingredient Standards & Guidelines are updated and refined over time, and exhibitors and advertisers will be are notified about any changes to these Ingredient Standards and Guidelines.

*Promotional materials and Literature may not contain prohibited products such as vapes or products containing prohibited ingredients.

As indicated in Section headings below, some ingredients fall under the heading of Standards and others under Guidelines.

STANDARDS: These are enforceable for all Expo exhibitors and advertisers. Ingredients listed under a Standards heading are prohibited.

GUIDELINES: These are recommendations not yet enforced. Ingredients listed under a Guidelines heading are allowable at this time, however, the use of ingredients listed as Acceptable is highly encouraged.

COMMENTS: Please submit all questions or comments to standards@newhope.com.

1. Sweeteners

Standards - These ingredients are prohibited.

The following sweeteners are artificial, do not occur in nature, and will not be allowed as ingredients in food/supplement products.

Ingredient	E Number*	Function	Why is it Artificial
Ace-K	E950	High-intensity artificial sweetener	Short for acesulfame potassium
Acesulfame potassium	E950	High-intensity artificial sweetener	The potassium salt of a derivative of acetoacetic acid
Aspartame	E951	High-intensity artificial sweetener	A dipeptide made by esterification of aspartic acid and phenylalanine
Equal®	E951	High-intensity artificial sweetener	See aspartame
High-fructose corn syrup	–	Sweetener	–
Neotame	E951	High-intensity artificial sweetener	Chemical derivative of the peptides, aspartic acid and phenylalanine
Nutrasweet®	E951	High-intensity artificial sweetener	See aspartame
Saccharin	E954	High-intensity artificial sweetener	Saccharin is produced from purified, manufactured methyl anthranilate
Splenda®	E955	High-intensity artificial sweetener	See sucralose
Sucralose	E955	High-intensity artificial sweetener	Made from sugar by the chemical addition of chlorine atoms
Sunett®	E950	High-intensity artificial sweetener	See acesulfame potassium
Sweet ‘N Low®	E954	High-intensity artificial sweetener	See saccharin

*E numbers are used in the European Union (EU) to designate additives that have been reviewed for safety and allowed in foods. They appear on the label of products sold in the EU.

Guidelines - These ingredients are allowable, however, use of ingredients listed as Acceptable below are encouraged.

Most polyol sweeteners (with the exception of erythritol) occur in nature, but in commercial practice they are obtained from hydrogenation of simple sugars to create the finished form. Therefore, these sweeteners, which are often used in low-carbohydrate, low-calorie or restricted-calorie products, should not be labeled as “natural.” There are few low-calorie, natural alternatives to these sweeteners. They may be described as chemically identical to the product that occurs in nature, but it is misleading to label them as “natural,” since hydrogenation is not a natural process.

Ingredient	E Number*	Function	Why is it Artificial
GMO Sugar	–	Sweetener	Sugar made from genetically modified sugar beets
Isomalt	E954	Polyol sweetener	Made from hydrogenation
Hydrolyzed starch hydrolysates	–	Polyol sweetener	Made from hydrogenation
Lactitol	E966	Polyol sweetener	Made from hydrogenation
Mannitol	E421	Polyol sweetener	Made from hydrogenation
Maltitol	E965	Polyol sweetener	Made from hydrogenation
Sorbitol	E420	Polyol sweetener	Made from hydrogenation
Xylitol	E967	Polyol sweetener	Made from hydrogenation

The following natural sweeteners are available and compatible with natural foods and the natural and organic retail channel.

Acceptable natural sweeteners include:

Allulose†
Barley malt syrup
Beet sugar†
Cane sugar (vegetarians have concerns about sugar filtered through bone char)
Dextrose*†
Erythritol (polyol sweetener made from fermentation; available as certified organic)
Evaporated cane juice
Fructose*†
Fruit pastes (raisin, date)
Glucose*†
Honey
Juice concentrates
Lactose
Maltodextrins*†
Maltose
Maple syrup
Molasses
Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo)
Rice syrup
Stevia and steviosides
Sucanat®
Thaumatin
Turbinado sugar
Xylitol – with documentation ingredient is naturally sourced

*Corn-based sweeteners are usually derived from genetically modified corn seed.

†Manufacturers should use non-GMO sources for these sweeteners.

2. Colorings

Standards - These ingredients are prohibited.

Natural foods should not contain any artificial colors. The FDA regulates the use of Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) colors that are intensely colored compounds for use in foods. These are considered certifiable colors.

Ingredient	E Number*	Function	Why is it Artificial
FD&C Blue 1	E133	Coloring	Synthetic pigment
FD&C Blue 2	E132	Coloring	Synthetic pigment
FD&C Green 3	E143	Coloring	Synthetic pigment
FD&C Red 40	E129	Coloring	Synthetic pigment
FD&C Red 3	E127	Coloring	Synthetic pigment
FD&C Yellow 5	E102	Coloring	Synthetic pigment
FD&C Yellow 6	E110	Coloring	Synthetic pigment

Guidelines - These ingredients are allowable, however, use of ingredients listed as Acceptable below are encouraged.

Some non-certifiable colors, even though derived from natural sources, such as caramels and synthetic beta-carotene, should not be used in foods labeled as “all natural”. Some caramel colorings are processed with sulfite and/or ammonia and should not be used in foods labeled as “all natural”. Oleoresins may use synthetic solvents for their production.

Ingredient	E Number*	Function	Why is it Artificial
Beta-apo-8′-carotenal	E160e	Coloring	Synthetic
Beta carotene—natural identical	E160a	Coloring	Synthetic—food should not be labeled as “all-natural”
Caramel coloring, Classes II, III and IV	E150c,d	Coloring	Processed with ammonia and/or sulfites
Cochineal/carmine	E120	Coloring	Derived from the bodies of insects—should not be used in vegetarian products
Paprika oleoresin	–	Coloring	Synthetic solvents used in production
Titanium Dioxide	E171	Coloring

Acceptable natural colorings include:

Annatto extract
Aronia (chokeberry) juice
Beet juice†
Beta-carotene from carrots
Black currant juice
Carrot juice, purple/black
Elderberry juice
Grape juice
Grape skin extract
Lycopene
Paprika
Purple potato juice
Red radish juice
Red cabbage juice
Riboflavin
Saffron
Turmeric

†Manufacturers should use non-GMO sources for these colorings.

3. Flavors and Flavor Enhancers

Standards - These ingredients are prohibited.

Natural foods should not contain any artificial flavorings. Any products labeled with artificial flavoring or natural and artificial flavoring are unacceptable. Many imported products may contain “nature-identical” flavorings, which are considered artificial in the United States. These are also not allowed. Allowed flavorings must be labeled as natural and must have certification from the flavor manufacturer that the flavoring is natural. It is recommended that the specification be reviewed and that all non-flavoring materials also should be natural as the FDA will certify flavorings as natural which contain synthetic non-flavoring ingredients.

Ingredient	E Number*	Function	Why is it Artificial
Natural & artificial flavorings	–	Flavoring	Synthetic
Ethyl Vanillin	–	Flavoring	Synthetic
Vanillin	–	Flavoring	Synthetic
Glutamates, including monosodium glutamate (MSG)	E620-E625	Flavor enhancer	Synthetic, added rather than naturally occurring
Natural Identical Flavoring	–	Flavoring	Synthetic in the US
Inosinates	E630-E633	Flavor enhancer	Synthetic
Guanylates	E626-E629	Flavor enhancer	Synthetic

Acceptable natural flavorings and flavor enhancers include:

Natural Flavors with no artificial non-flavoring ingredients
Yeast†
Salt
Vanillin – with documentation ingredient is naturally sourced

†Manufacturers should use non-GMO sources for flavors and flavor enhancers.

4. Preservatives

Standards - These ingredients are prohibited.

Ingredient	E Number*	Function	Why is it Artificial
BHA/BHT	E320/E321	Preservative	Synthetic
EDTA	E385	Preservative	Synthetic
Trans Fats	–	Preservative	Synthetic
Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs)	–	Preservative	No longer FDA Gras

Guidelines - These ingredients are allowable, however, use of ingredients listed as Acceptable below are encouraged.

Natural foods should not contain any artificial preservatives. Microbiological preservatives are used in foods for microbiological stability and for color and flavor stability, such as preventing rancidity. Stability may be achieved using a combination of heat, low pH, lower moisture (or water activity) or other means.

Ingredient	E Number*	Function	Why is it Artificial
Ascorbic acid	E300-E302	Preservative	Synthetic as available commercially; should not label products all-natural
Benzoates	E210-E213	Preservative	Synthetic
Malic acid	E296	Preservative	Should use L-version made from fermentation
Nitrates/nitrites	E250, E251	Preservative	Synthetic
Proprionates	E280-E283	Preservative	Synthetic
Propyl gallate	E310	Preservative	Synthetic
Sorbates	E200-E203	Preservative	Synthetic
Sulfites	E220-E226	Preservative	Synthetic
Titanium Dioxide	E171	Preservative
Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)	–	Preservative	Synthetic

Acceptable natural preservatives include:

Acetates
Celery juice
Citrates†
Citric acid†
Mixed tocopherols†
Natamycin
Nisin

†Manufacturers should use non-GMO sources for preservatives.

5. Gums, Thickeners and Emulsifiers

Standards - These ingredients are prohibited.

Ingredient	E Number*	Function	Why is it Artificial
Mono- and Diglyceride Esters, such as DATEM	E472a-E472f	Emulsifier	Synthetic, derived from hydrogenated oils and may contain artificial trans fats
Esters of fatty acids	E473-E479b	Emulsifier	Synthetic

Guidelines - These ingredients are allowable, however, use of ingredients listed as Acceptable below are encouraged.

Natural foods should not contain any artificial gums, thickeners or emulsifiers. Gums and thickeners are used in foods to provide texture, increase viscosity and to help with dispersion and stability of ingredients within a food matrix. There are many chemically modified gums available that should not be used in natural foods. Emulsifiers are designed to help stability of oil/water matrices, such as in salad dressings. Many are derived from synthetic ingredients or sources.

Ingredient	E Number*	Function	Why is it Artificial
Modified celluloses—ethyl, methyl, carboxy menthyl, hydroxypropyl, etc	E461-E468	Thickener	Synthetic
Bleached lecithin	E322	Emulsifier	Synthetic
Modified alginates—propyl, methyl, etc	E405	Thickener	Synthetic
Polysorbates (or sorbitan esters)	E432-E436; E491-E495	Emulsifier	Synthetic
Modified starches—corn, tapioca, etc.	E1413-E1451	Thickener	Synthetic
Steroyl lacylates	E481-E482	Emulsifier	Synthetic
Carrageenan	E407	Emulsifier
Mono- and di-glyceride fatty acids	E471	Emulsifier

Acceptable natural gums and thickeners include:

Agar
Arrowroot
Carrageenan
Cellulose† (unmodified)
Gellan gum
Guar gum
Gum Arabic
Konjac flour
Kudzu
Pectin†
Pectins†
Lecithin† (unbleached)
Locust bean gum
Native starches†—corn, tapioca, potato, wheat
Salts of alginic acid (sodium, potassium, calcium alginate)
Tragacanth
Xanthan gum

†Manufacturers should use Non-GMO sources for gums, thickeners, and emulsifiers.

6. Bread Ingredients and Dough Conditioners

Standards - These ingredients are prohibited.

Ingredient	E Number*	Function	Why is it Artificial
Potassium bromate	–	Dough conditioner	Synthetic
Azodicarbonamide	E927b	Dough conditioner	Synthetic

Guidelines - These ingredients are allowable, however, use of ingredients listed as Acceptable below are encouraged.

Breads for the natural products industry should be made with unbleached flours and preferably with whole grain flours, wherever possible. In addition, there are many ingredients used in the baking industry that are synthetic and should not be used in natural products.

Ingredient	E Number*	Function	Why is it Artificial
Bleached flour	–	Ingredient	Bleaching
Potassium iodate	–	Dough conditioner	Synthetic
Ascorbic acid	–	Stabilizer	Synthetic as available commercially; should not label products as all natural

Acceptable natural bread ingredients include:

Enzymes†
Unbleached flours

†Manufacturers should use Non-GMO sources for bread ingredients and dough conditioners.

7. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Definition

Products or substances/ingredients derived using the application of biotechnology* as defined in the New Hope lexicon. Pertains to plants, animals, fungi, microorganisms.

Standards

Foods containing ingredients made with or sourced from genetically modified organisms or bioengineered ingredients may be acceptable for exhibit and advertisements, HOWEVER, they may not be labeled or promoted as “natural” or “all natural.”

Guidelines

Products containing ingredients made with or sourced from genetically modified materials or bioengineered ingredients should include a statement of source for transparency.

8. THC Cannabinoids

Standards

Hemp-derived, full spectrum Products may not contain more than 0.3% THC (delta-9). Products may not include THC isolate as an ingredient. Products may not be marketed for psychoactive, high, social buzz, etc. effects. THC focused products will not be accepted. THC declarations intended to increase transparency or comply with state laws are permitted on the product packaging.

9a. Plant-Based

Definition

Foods with ingredients derived mostly from plants, including vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits, with no animal-derived ingredients.

Standards

Products containing animal-derived ingredients or nature-identical animal ingredients may not be labeled as “Plant-Based”. However, specific ingredients may be identified on the packaging as plant-based, for instance, “plant-based bacon” or “plant-based protein”, etc.

Guidelines

Products labeled as “Plant-based” may contain ingredients derived from non-plants sources such as fungi or algae. Fungi and algae, although not technically plants, may be considered ingredients of plant origin and may be counted as plant ingredients for purposes of these Standards*. Products labeled as “Plant-Based” should not contain synthetically derived ingredients. Products containing these types of ingredients should include a statement of source for transparency.

*A plant-based claim may be acceptable for products that contain primarily ingredients derived from fungi and algae so long as the product does not contain other prohibited ingredients as specified here. We do not encourage the use of a plant-based claim on products that contain primarily fungi- or algae-derived ingredients. We understand that some plant-based certifying agents include fungi and algae as ingredients of plant origin and that products containing primarily fungi or algae-derived ingredients could be certified plant-based when all other requirements for this certification are met. Based upon these Standards, New Hope Network reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any company or product for inclusion in its trade shows, digital platforms, and any of its publications or sponsored content/marketing programs.

9b. Vegan

Definition

Product contains no animal-derived ingredients in its production or supply chain including those sourced from or processed with the use of any animal-derived materials (e.g., sugar filtered with bone char), by-products, or derivatives, or genetic materials.

Standards

Ingredients that are bio-identical to animal derived nutrients (e.g., whey protein, collagen, gelatin) are excluded and may not be labeled as vegan. Vegan products and ingredients may not be tested on animals.

Guidelines

Products labeled as vegan should not be produced in a facility that also processes animal-derived products to avoid cross-contamination.

10. Processing Aids & Other Inputs not intended for the product (Will be implemented as of EW24)

Definition

Substances, ingredients or other elements used during the processing or manufacture of a finished product that are not intentionally added into a product and would otherwise not be required to be included within the ingredients list on the product packaging.

10.1 Veterinary medications

Guidelines

For products containing dairy ingredients, the source animals should not have been be treated with these medications.

rBst
rBGH