The Year of Fiber: What to Expect at Expo West 2026 with Comet

The Startup CPG Podcast

Startup CPG

Startup, Food, Business, Beverage, Cpg, Entrepreneurship

4.9 • 642 Ratings

🗓️ 15 February 2026

⏱️ 13 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this mini episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Daniel Scharff sits down with Hannah Ackermann and Taylor Davis from Comet to explore the fiber and gut health trends taking over CPG—and what brands should expect to see at Expo West 2026.

If last year was the year of protein, this year is shaping up to be the year of fiber. From prebiotic sodas to functional jams and bone broth, fiber is showing up in categories we never imagined.

Hannah and Taylor break down why consumers are suddenly obsessed with gut health, how the "Poppy effect" is influencing product innovation, and why people are starting to have preferred fiber types—just like they do with protein.

Listen in as they cover:

Why fiber is becoming the next big functional ingredient
The rise of prebiotic sodas and how brands like Poppy changed the game
Why different fibers (like resistant starch vs. inulin vs. arabinose) matter
Consumer insights: two-thirds want fiber in baked goods and bars, not powders
The connection between Dry January, mocktails, and functional beverages
Where all that volume from alcohol reduction is really going
Emerging categories: prebiotic jams, bone broth, and spreads
How to differentiate your brand with the right prebiotic fiber
Why arabinose-based fiber is gentle, fully soluble, and easy to formulate with
Where to find Comet at Expo West (booth N1746 in Hot Products!)

Whether you're formulating a new product or just want to stay ahead of CPG trends, this episode will help you understand why fiber is everywhere—and how to use it strategically in your brand.

Comet will be at Expo West booth N1746 with samples of Be Pop, a sparkling prebiotic beverage made with natural honey and arabinose fiber. Stop by to try it and connect with their applications team.

Episode links:

Want to learn more? Visit comet-bio.com

Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/company/comet-bio/

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

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Episode music by Super Fantastics

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	I'm M. M. I'm M. The Thank you. You know, Hello, everyone.
0:55.4	Welcome to a mini episode.
1:01.4	We have Expo West right around the corner, and we're all expecting to see so much fiber this year at the show.
1:05.7	Apparently last year was the year of protein, and this is the year of fiber.
1:08.5	So today on the podcast, we've got the team from Comet. They are fiber experts, and they're going to talk to us
1:10.8	all about the fiber and gut health trends that we should expect to see at the show. Also,
1:16.3	you can check them out. They're going to be at Booth N1746. That is up in hot products. They've got
1:22.7	samples there. They can also work with you if your brand with Arribina, which is their fully soluble
1:28.3	prebiotic fiber that is upcycle certified. So definitely check them out. If you can't make it to the
1:33.6	show, check out their website. It's in the show notes. It's comet dashbio.com. They will be very
1:39.3	happy to connect you with their applications expert and make sure you have a prebiotic fiber that works for
1:43.6	your brand.
12:30.2	All right, here we go. See you at Expo. Thank you. Thank you. You know, You know, Thank you. You know, You know, Thank you. You know, You know, Thank you. You know, You know, Thank you. You know, You know, Thank you. You know, You know, Thank you. Thank you. I'm not going to be. I'm Thank you. I'm sorry. Well, my friends, we've now arrived together at the end of another episode of the Startup CPG podcast, the top globally ranked podcast in CPG.
12:32.6	As you may know, we're not just a podcast.
12:36.1	We're a community of brands and experts, and you should join.
12:38.8	You can sign up at startup CPG.com.
12:41.5	You'll then get an invite to our online Slack community.
12:48.1	You're going to hear about amazing events near you, all of our special opportunities to get you in front of buyers, investors, brands, and more.
12:50.9	It's a free community, so what are you waiting for?
12:54.3	I will see you there or on our next episode.
0:00.0	Bye-bye! You know,

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