Expo West 2015: What is #CATBapproved?

What am I even doing at Expo West this year?

• Looking for brands to earn the #CATBapproved seal of approval
• Looking for the newest, hottest products that are gluten-free
• Looking for future advertisers and sponsors of Celiac and the Beast and My Life With Food Allergies (if you’re a reader – that means more giveaways and excitement for you – and my ability to actually keep this website open, free, and thriving for my readers!)
• Reporting back to CeliacandtheBeast.com, GlutenFreeandMore.com, MyLifeWithFoodAllergies.com, and the WeBlog team for Natural Products Expo West – run by NewHope360.com and Delicious Living.

What am I looking for at Expo West? 

• Gluten-Free. But not just gluten-free, I’m looking for certified gluten-free products from brands with good manufacturing processes that understand how to work with celiac customers
• Food allergy-friendly brands. I have a lot of readers with additional sensitivities and food allergies. Tell me what you’re free from and about your manufacturing processes.
• Organic, if possible and non-GMO if possible.
• Something new. We’ve all seen the same things year after year at Expo West. Give me something new.
• Give me something vegan. I’m also dairy-free and egg-free (unless baked, but preferable to no egg used at all). I hate not being able to eat dairy and eggs anymore, but there are a lot of people like me.
• Beef-free products. I can’t have beef anymore and haven’t had it for longer than I haven’t had gluten. Please stop putting beef into things that it doesn’t belong in, and when you make a killer paleo product, please consider making turkey versions of it too!
• Not just food! I am a regular gal outside of being a celiac, so I’m looking for eco-friendly, natural products in the home – as well as bath & beauty products that are gluten-free (for my sensitive celiac skin).

What is #CATBapproved? 

I wanted to be able to have a seal of approval for the items I liked. I find products all the time and write about them after every show, but there’s nothing that I can physically give to a vendor to show that they have won me over. This year, special brands and products will receive a sticker to place on their product to show that they are champions of the industry. This product tastes good, fits my good manufacturing preferences (GFCO/CSA/NFCA tested and/or certified), and something that I would buy with my own money if I saw it on the store shelves (which is huge for a food blogger that gets free shipments of products to taste pretty much daily.

You’ll see what products I’ve given this seal of approval to via my social media – Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Who are the other WeBlog team members we should be looking out for on the show floor? 

• One of my BFGFFs – The GF Jules ’nuff said
• Sarah Kay Hoffman – you may remember her delicious nut butter on my CATB holiday guide!
• Rachel from Mommy Greenest – a ShiftCon member and one to watch for eco-friendly products
• Lindsay from Fit & Awesome. You may remember her from our fun last year on WeBlog!
• Jennifer from Gluten Free Go-To Guide – a GFF that I finally got to meet at FACCWDW!
• Jackie from My Vegan Journal. Follow her for all things vegan!
• Whitney aka Eco Vegan Gal. You probably know her because she’s a celeb in the vegan universe, but she’s awesome!
• Brandon from the Health Crunch. He’s a dude, so look for him for dude-centric things. NOT nail polish 🙂