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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:
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- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Creators and Guests
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The top CPG podcast in the world, highlighting stories from founders, buyer spotlights, highly practical industry insights - all to give you a better chance at success.
Hannah Ackermann
What are they looking for in prebiotic fiber? What's important to them? You know, tolerability is really important to them. Gentle prebiotic fibers. But one thing that really surprised us in our 2025 report was that almost two thirds want prebiotic fiber in baked goods and bars, while only 20% want it in a powder. People want to make a healthier swap for something they're already eating versus like gulping down another drink at the end of the day or in the morning. So that's one area we find really interesting. And just innovation with formats is something I really want to look at this year at Expo West. I think we're going to see prebiotics and fiber in categories we never thought before.
00:53
Daniel Scharf
Hello, everyone. Welcome to a mini episode. We have Expo west right around the corner and we're all expecting to see so much fiber this year at the show. Apparently last year was the year of protein and this is the year of fiber. So today on the podcast we've got the team from Comet. They are fiber experts and they're going to talk to us all about the fiber and gut health trends that we should expect to see at the show. Also, you can check them out. They're going to be at booth N1746 that is up in hot products. They've got samples there. They can also work with you if you're a brand with Aribida, which is their fully soluble prebiotic fiber that is upside cycle certified. So definitely check them out. If you can't make it to the show, check out their website.
01:35
Daniel Scharf
It's in the show notes. It's comet-Bio.com they will be very happy to connect you with their applications expert and make sure you have a prebiotic fiber that works for your brand. All right, here we go. See you at Expo. Welcome, everybody. I'm so excited to be talking about fiber and gut health today because we are all hearing so much about it. It is trending. We have got the team from Comet here today to tell us what's coming up. What should we expect to see at Expo this year? All right, Taylor, kick us off.
02:07
Taylor Davis
Yeah. So if you were at Expo west last year, you know that protein was everywhere. So this year we're hearing a lot about maybe fiber is the new protein. I'm excited to see what's on the show floor that has fiber this year. Hannah, before we talk about the trends that we're expecting to see, do you want to give us a little background on fiber and prebiotics?
02:27
Hannah Ackermann
Yeah, definitely. So A lot of you have heard about probiotics. They've been out for 20 years or forever. Maybe not just marketed before. Is what you find in yogurt. Bifidobacteria lactobacillus. Prebiotics are often dietary fibers, not always. They act like fertilizer for the gut. They help feed the good bacteria in your gut. So you're help feeding the good bacteria, you get a better balance and just optimize your gut health in general.
02:54
Daniel Scharf
Okay, so what do you think we're actually going to see on the show floor this year? Because I'm expecting to see a lot, honestly. I mean, especially with the huge success of people like Poppy. I actually am expecting to see the popification of like the whole show. People, I think, trying to mimic a lot of those ingredients or gut health claims and even just the branding of it. What are you expecting to see?
03:19
Hannah Ackermann
Yeah, I totally agree. Prebiotic soda brands really put prebiotics, the whole category on the map. And we saw a first wave of prebiotic sodas come to market. I think what we're going to see this year at Expo west, especially for the beverages and gut health, is new ingredients in these beverages and new fibers bloom. Pop has done a fantastic job marketing their Zos prebiotic and differentiating it from inulin that's more commonly used in prebiotic sodas. Zos is better tolerated and has some potential different health benefits. Taylor has a really good POV on this too. And how people are starting to have preferred fiber types.
03:59
Taylor Davis
Yeah, I mean, if you think about it, many people have a preferred protein type, so whether it's whey or pea, I mean, you know, all the types. But I think that we're gonna get to a place where people have a preferred fiber type and then they'll be seeking that out in products depending on what works best with their individual systems.
04:18
Daniel Scharf
That's so interesting to think about and it feels like we're way ahead of the curve by hearing about this now because then we'll all sound like pros at Expo, like, oh, which kind of prebiotic? Hannah, one question I have for you is I am a novice on a lot of this stuff, even though I'm very deep in the CPG world and I am drinking actually Poppy right now at this moment. As you can see, I don't really know a lot about the fiber stuff that's in there. I know it has this, like, health halo around it. What makes people so interested in fiber? Why were they interested in this fiber and gut health halo about Poppy originally And how is that interest evolving over time?
04:57
Hannah Ackermann
Yeah, I think it's a couple things. One, from, like a health perspective, you know, some surveys show as much as 2/3 of people have digestive health issues regularly. Like bloating issues with bowel movements or different things. Sorry, I'm a clinical rd, so I might get a little clinical in this discussion. But yeah, so I think that's part of it.
05:16
Daniel Scharf
That makes a lot of sense. I feel like 3/3. I don't know.
05:21
Hannah Ackermann
Yeah, so that's. That's part of it, definitely. Just like the health benefits of fiber. And then one reason protein is so popular is because of satiety. And fiber also has satiety benefits. It can help keep you full longer. So I think those things, the health benefits are definitely catching on. And people are realizing, you know, colon cancer is on the rise in the US So people really should be thinking about fiber, especially young adults. And then I think one other thing is just people are drinking less.
05:49
Daniel Scharf
That is for sure. It's wild to see. I mean, I still drink, but I drink less than I used to. But also then I have parties at my house. I like to have a good time, have a fun party. Everyone's having fun and nobody wants to drink anymore. I like, go out of my way to make this specialty cocktail and. And. But I now I just stock the fridge with sparkling waters and non alk mocktails. And people just rip through those.
06:11
Taylor Davis
Exactly. Did you participate in Dry January this year?
06:15
Daniel Scharf
For a couple days? I did.
06:18
Taylor Davis
Yeah. I feel like it's Dry January, especially with younger generations, is just getting so common every year. I feel like it's getting more popular. I just saw recently that the hashtag Dry January actually had 36.9 million average weekly views this January. Wow. So it's definitely top of mind.
06:40
Hannah Ackermann
Yeah. Those of us with the January birthday are hurting. I'm like, come on, somebody drink with me. It's my birthday. But no, it's cold. And everyone does try January.
06:51
Daniel Scharf
You can count on me. But who knows, next year maybe I'll come around to the trend also.
06:56
Taylor Davis
Yeah, well, I think that's where. When people are choosing to fully cut out alcohol, having something that preserves that ritual is really important. You know, it's social. It's a way to disconnect. So functional mocktails really have a place there. I don't know if there's any mocktails that you've tried, but do you remember, I think it was like 2024, the sleepy girl mocktail went viral.
07:18
Daniel Scharf
I never had that was in Your algorithm, I think it is a really interesting question and I don't know the answer to it, of where did all that volume go? Is so like, okay, if people stop drinking in such a huge wave, obviously some of it's going to go to mocktails. I believe a lot of it actually goes to soda and just things that doesn't always have to be like, marketed as mocktail or alcohol alternative. Some of it's probably going to go to THC beverages and mocktails for sure. But I think a lot of it does actually go back to sparkling water and prebiotic sodas, that kind of stuff. Because I think people still have. They really have that ritual of drinking something at a party. Just, you know, you don't want to feel awkward.
07:59
Daniel Scharf
You got a drink in your hand, you're good to go, you know. But it can be a sparkling water, so I think a lot of it goes to that. But I would love to see a study to see where all of that volume really is going. Definitely non alk beers as well. So it's not all just going into beverage. Right. Because it seems like with the increased awareness about prebiotic fiber, we're going to see it coming into just so many different kinds of products. What are you expecting to see?
08:22
Hannah Ackermann
Yeah. So we do our own consumer insights where we ask consumers what are they looking for in prebiotic fiber? What's important to them? You know, tolerability is really important to them. Gentle prebiotic fibers. But one thing that really surprised us in our 2025 report was that almost two thirds want prebiotic fiber in baked goods and bars, while only 20% want it in a powder. People want to make a healthier swap or something they're already eating versus, like gulping down another drink at the end of the day or in the morning. So that's one area we find really interesting. And just innovation with formats is something I really want to look at this year at Expo West. I think we're going to see prebiotics and fiber in categories we never thought.
09:04
Daniel Scharf
Before is going to be pretty interesting. And I also agree with just different formats. I mean, one that I'm just not so sure about is creatine. Going into things like beverage, because I don't know, I mean, I started taking creatine a year ago. It's just a tiny little scoop. And if I have a protein drink also, I just put it in there. It's tasteless. Like, I'm not sure I need a whole nother beverage just to have that 3 to 5 milligrams or whatever of creatine that you're supposed to take on a daily basis. Nor do I really need like another gummy for it. But I don't know. A lot of people are launching creatine drinks, so we will see about that.
09:37
Hannah Ackermann
Yeah, we have a customer taking stock that uses our product and they have it in a bone broth. Prebiotic bone broth. Pretty new category.
09:47
Daniel Scharf
Wow.
09:47
Hannah Ackermann
And then, yeah, one thing Taylor is on the hunt for at Expo wish this year is jams and jellies and just spreads.
09:54
Taylor Davis
Yeah, I just think that's gonna be a really natural way to sneak in some more functional benefits because you just put it on top of the food that you're already eating. As were just talking about, you don't want another beverage or another gummy or another thing. So if you can just put it on top of, you know you have toast every day. Why not make it a prebiotic jam on your toast instead? It's just an easy way to sneak in some more.
10:18
Daniel Scharf
I like that category call from you also because jams are such an interesting category, especially in this world of people looking to eat healthier, looking to minimize their sugar. I learned that to be even called a jam, it has to be something like over 55% sugar. So talk about a category that's really ripe fruit joke for some disruption. I feel like, yeah, sneaking some healthier stuff into jams and jellies. I'm here for that. So I like that call a lot. I wonder, you guys are the fiber experts. I wonder, could you just tell us a little bit more about what is Comet all about? What is the prebiotic fiber that you guys have out there? Who should be looking at it? What kind of products can it go well in? All the good stuff. Yeah.
11:02
Hannah Ackermann
So we manufacture arabina. It's an arabinose island based prebiotic fiber. We call it nature's best dietary fiber because it's super gentle on the gut, low fog mop certified and then it's really easy to incorporate into applications. It's fully soluble, it's heat and ph resistant so it can survive retort. All the manufacturing conditions you can think of and then we'd love any startup CPG members. If you're formulating, please reach out to us for a sample. We love working with emerging brands. Our application specialist is available to chat with you with tips of how to incorporate prebiotic fiber into your product. You know, if you're looking to differentiate.
11:42
Taylor Davis
Yeah. And if you want to try it, make sure to come by our booth at Expo West. We're at booth 1746 in the north hall.
11:49
Daniel Scharf
Hot products. That sounds like a hot product. I love it. Yeah.
11:52
Hannah Ackermann
And we'll be sampling Be Pop, one of the brands that uses Arabana. They have a sparkling csd, tastes great, made with natural honey. That's why it's called Bee Pop, so you can get a can of that while you stop by our booth, too.
12:04
Daniel Scharf
All right, well, I might be popping by to check it out. See you there. Sorry for all the puns. I'm just one today. All right, thanks, everybody. Looking forward to seeing you all at Expo and checking out all of these gut health trends. All right, thanks both.
12:19
Taylor Davis
Thank you.
12:22
Daniel Scharf
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. As you may know, we're not just a podcast. We're a community of brands and experts. And you should join. You can sign up@startupcpg.com you'll then get an invite to our online Slack community. 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. It's a free community. So what are you waiting for? I will see you there. Or on our next episode. Bye. Bye.