2010 food trends: the yummy and the not-so-yummy

On June 29, the 2010 Summer Fancy Food Show ended after two days of introducing 180,000 products including confections, cheese, coffee, snacks, spices, ethnic, natural and organic goods to buyers and food enthusiasts. Here is a look at some of the hits and misses.

North America's Largest Specialty Food & Beverage event takes place every June in New York City and every winter in San Francisco. Approximately 27,000 people participated from 81 countries. The event first began in 1955 and each expo introduces the latest trends like tea cocktail infusions and raw agave gelato.

The trends this year got cheers (healthier natural and sustainable snacks; pairing simplified; cavemen diet cookies) and jeers (flavored waters; bacon for thank-you notes; ready-made helpers that even included sliced mozzarella, tomato and basil) from The Epi-log, the food news and review blog of Epicurious.com.

Here are their top picks:
Cavemen cookies (natural gluten-free nut and berry cookies): http://www.cavemencookies.com
Corazonas (healthy chips claim to lower cholesterol): http://www.corazonas.com
Savannah Bee Company (honey for grill, cheese and tea): http://www.savannahbee.com
Brix Chocolate for Wine: http://www.brixchocolate.com
Daelia's Biscuits for Cheese: http://www.daeliasbiscuitsforcheese.com
Sir Kensington's Gourmet Scooping Ketchup (sweetened with agave, honey and brown sugar): http://sirkensingtons.com
Sunny Seed Drops (chocolate covered sunflower seeds - ultimate brain food): http://www.sunflowerfoodcompany.com/sunny_seed_drops_tab/sunny_seed_drops_tab.html

And, products that you should pass on:
J&D's Bacon-Flavored Mmmvelopes (lick these envelopes and taste bacon): http://www.jdfoods.net/products/mmmvelopes.php
More than Gourmet's Foundation Sauces (boxed ready made sauces): http://www.morethangourmet.com/our-products/ready-to-use-sauces
Ayala's herbal water (lavender mint): http://www.herbalwater.com

Take a look at 250 new products that were showcased via the event's site ‘What's New, What's Hot": http://www.specialtyfood.com/news-trends/whats-newwhats-hot/tradeshow/17233/index/1