Nothing gives you the experience of being on the ground at a trade show – without actually being on the ground – as well as social media. The buzz and activity of the event, the networking and discussion points, the emerging trends and product innovations, are all highlighted on social media pages. So, for those of you that couldn’t make it to the Natural Products East Expo in Baltimore last week (18-20 September), here is our pick of the highlights from Twitter.

j-f says: The Natural Products East Expo is an important meeting ground for natural and organic food makers and potential customers. The estimated 250,000 attendees and 1,400 exhibitors is testament to the growing interest in natural and organic categories.

j-f says: The high level of support Circle Up, a crowd-funded equity investor, has given companies at the Expo demonstrates just how much US consumers are buying into natural and organic categories at the moment.

j-f says: Food is front-and-centre of health and wellness discussions and consumers are increasingly coming to associate good diet and good health.

j-f says: For those moments when walking the trade show floor all just seems too much…

j-f says: The Organic Trade Association ran a series of discussions throughout the Expo looking at hot topics in the US natural and organic sector today. These included organic in Mexico, US-Canada organic equivalence and Natural and Organic Standards Board consultations.

j-f says: Growing demand for GMO-free products was, predictably, a central theme throughout the show.

j-f says: Superfoods maker Nutiva was among the winner’s of this year’s new product awards. The Expo offers food manufacturers and retail buyers alike an important opportunity to see the products that feed into emerging US consumer trends.

j-f says: Another interesting new launch, Boulder Brands expands Udi’s in the freezer aisle.

j-f says: Boulder’s innovation featured in our top ten on-trend products being showcased at the Expo.

j-f says: As the 2014 Natural Products Expo East draws to a close, the event’s organisers appear satisfied with how it came off.