Get The Scoop With Smirk's Podcast

Exploring a new formulation? Looking for ingredient solutions? Need specs, samples, or pricing guidance? Reach out to us at: whatsnew@smirks.com At Expo West 2026, Elisa Louis , Zach Schwindt, and Garrett McBride break down the ingredient and product trends shaping natural foods right now. From protein-fiber formulations and hydration innovation to dates, coconut, mushrooms, sour flavors, and clea...

Host Louis is joined by Jessica Warden (VP Sales & Biz Dev) and Garrett McBride (VP Operations) to unpack what buyers need to know heading into Fall 2025 including supply/demand, pricing, contracting strategy, and tariffs along with a few noteworthy sourcing updates from Smirk's. What we cover Tariffs 101: Who pays, how Smirk's invoices (tariffs listed as a separate, non-marked-up line item), and...

Elisa Louis and Jessica Warden recapped their experience at ExpoWest 2025 and there was no shortage of excitement. Smirk's had a strong presence, not only at the main show but also at the Fresh Ideas Organic Marketplace and the SoCal IFT Show. The event itself was bustling, drawing 70,000 attendees and 3,000 exhibitors, with a condensed, mid-week schedule that kept the energy high. Elisa and Jessi...

In this episode host Elisa Louis dives deep into the world of co-packers with guests Jason Luedtke, Director of Business Development at ZoRoCo Packaging, and Garrett McBride, VP of Operations at Smirk's. This insightful conversation sheds light on the vital role co-packers play in the food and beverage industry and how businesses can establish successful partnerships. Topics Covered: ·          Un...

In Episode 15 of Get the Scoop with Smirks, Elisa Louis shares the Smirk's team commitment to Quality Assurance (QA).  As a leading supplier of conventional and organic ingredients, Smirk's relies on the QA team to uphold the highest standards in food safety and quality, ensuring trusted partnerships with both suppliers and customers. This episode features QA Director Tara Hettinger, Operations Ma...

In this episode of Get the Scoop with Smirks podcast, hosts Elisa Lewis and Garrett McBride delve into the intricacies of the Northern Hemisphere's fall harvest. As a leading supplier of organic and conventional bulk ingredients, Smirks closely monitors the global markets to provide timely insights into various crops.  This episode sheds light on pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, oats, a...

Market Report 1:05:03 In the latest episode of "Get the Scoop with Smirk's," hosts Jessica Warden and Zach Schwindt took us on a deep dive into the top 10 bakery trends for 2024. As industry experts who live and breathe baked goods, Jessica and Zach not only shared their insights but also gave us a glimpse of how Smirk's, a leading supplier of organic and conventional bulk bakery ingredients, is a...

In episode 12 of "Get the Scoop with Smirks," hosts Zach Schwint and Garrett McBride dive into the evolving landscape of the pet food industry. Fresh from their debut at the Pet Food Forum in Kansas City, they discuss current trends, ingredient innovations, and future directions for the industry. They also highlight the various bulk ingredients Smirks offers for pet food manufacturers and share in...

The Smirk's team is breaking down Expo West, the largest natural and organic products trade show in the US. It happens every March in Anaheim and this year Smirk's had 11 people attending to see what's new and connect with some of the 65,000 people who attend.  Jessica Warden and Zach Schwindt join Garrett McBride to review the highlights.   TRENDS and INNOVATIONS Regenerative Organic (RO) Certifi...

Hosts Elisa Louis and Donny Edson dive into the dynamic world of organics with the Organic Trade Association's (OTA) experts, Adrienne Messe and Scott Rice. Smirk's Garrett McBride and Dean Soicher also share insights about the evolution of the organic products industry over the last 30 years. The popular market report completes this episode.   The podcast covers key topics including regulatory up...

Host Nick Erker shares the captivating history and origins of vanilla. Discover the incredible journey of this aromatic spice from its discovery in Mexico, its commercial production in Madagascar, to its status as the world's most popular ice cream flavor!  As we explore the global vanilla market valued at $1.43 billion, we'll uncover the secrets behind its production, including the labor-intensiv...

Elisa Lewis and Donny Edson are talking with Gino Hartounian of Mixed Nuts Inc. They are diving into the world of pumpkin seeds. What started as a simple partnership with Smirk's, exploring mixed nuts and sunflower seeds, took an unexpected turn. Gino's connection with Smirk's led to the discovery of a hidden gem: pumpkin seeds. Gino Hartounian, of Mixed Nuts, Inc. based in Los Angeles, joins us....

Elisa Louis and Donny Edson are talking with Tom Merrow, the owner of Onset Worldwide. His career in the food industry was kickstarted by an opportunistic meeting during his stint as a freight forwarder in Boston. Tom quickly evolved a curiosity for the import-export dynamics into a thriving business, Onset Worldwide.  Alongside his wife Sarah, Tom has managed to establish Onset as a recognizable...

Today's episode is hosted by Jason Stroud and Garrett McBride. A growing part of Smirk's business is in the natural and organic soap and cosmetic industry. Just like the with the natural foods business, they supply organic and natural ingredients to this market segment as well.  To highlight the industry, they've invited Fred and Roxy Johnson, co-owners of the Soap Creek company based in Utah. The...

Many snack brands face a familiar problem: the need to create trail mix products that truly resonate with consumers and offer something different. With so many options out there, it can be challenging to differentiate yourself from the competition and capture the attention of your target audience. Here's what you'll learn about the snack market:  Navigate through the thriving snack industry with a...

Nick starts today's episode reminding us that June 26 is National Coconut Day which inspired this topic.  National Coconut Day started in 2019 thanks to our friends at the Coconut Coalition of the Americas. The recognition is well deserved too. Coconut is an incredibly versatile and diverse crop. We're going to focus on the origins, and the major product categories.  In this episode Nick and Donny...

Nick is starting the show today talking about Expo West. It's the largest natural products expo and this year it was in Anaheim in March. Over 65,000 people attended, and 3000 companies were there to see what's new in natural foods.  Donny shares his insights and felt like it was a perfect size. It was well attended but not so large you couldn't meet people and see the exhibits. The vibe was encou...

Today Elisa Louis is hosting the podcast. She's the VP of marketing and the Dried Fruit Specialist at Smirk's. She is joined by Jaime Modonese from NXTDRIED based in Peru and Colin Garner, the VP of Global Accounts.  Hear how the Smirk's team got to know the NXTDRIED team. Being a dried fruit fanatic made her interested in the products and that's when she knew it was time to learn more about this...

Welcome to Get the Scoop with Smirk's! We're glad you're here.  Today's episode covers some fun history about Smirk's. You'll hear everything from one of their first products (chocolate covered sunflower seeds!) how they moved from putting retail products into mini marts to the bulk ingredient company they are today.  As you might expect there's lots of talk about food, and not just the bulk ingre...

It's our mission to help you navigate the world of high-quality bulk food ingredients, so you can produce and market products you are passionate about.   This podcast is where we share everything we know about bulk ingredients. You'll hear a wide range of industry feature stories, commodity market news, and expert insights into bulk nuts, seeds & grains, coconut products, dried fruits and much mor...