It’s been a educational, acronym-filled week in Long Beach, CA for me while I attend the APEX EXPO (Airline Passenger Experience Association Expo) and nibble my way through IFSA – the International Flight Services Association’s exhibition hall of on-board food products and other items caterers and suppliers were pitching to airlines.

In addition to familiar items such as those Biscoff crackers which, I discovered, also come in a whipped Nutella-like spread,

There were many booths offering products trying to get their first foothold in this market. This company’s line of dried fruits includes dried watermelon and persimmons:

And then there was this encouraging trend: I visited at least five booths that were offering airlines a full line of recyclable and compostable utensils, plates, cups, bowls and other ‘green’ items and learned that several vendors were going home with new orders.