NEXT Trends 2020 series: In an effort to help support retailers and brands, we will be publishing regular brand features for the next few weeks. Brands are selected from those that registered to exhibit at Natural Products Expo West 2020 and were curated as great examples of one of 50 trends New Hope Network is monitoring in the marketplace.

These trends are part of New Hope Network's NEXT Expo Guidebook and trend hierarchy.

Today, we look at five companies that are innovating in the "Purposeful Tech" trend within The Power of Science macro force. High-tech solutions to many of our community health issues like cellular plant-based meat companies are surfacing.

1. Lumineux

What is it? Lumineux by Oral Essentials is a line of oral hygiene products for daily use that combines nature and science with clinically proven benefits to create a long-term solution to oral and whole body health. It has tooth-whitening products, pastes, mouthwashes and toothbrushes.

Innovation: Lumineux offers the first nontoxic whitening kit to deliver enamel-safe teeth whitening.

2. Olababy

What is it? Olababy produces baby feeding bottles and flatware.

Innovation: Olababy uses silicone material that is BPA-, phthalate- and carcinogen-free.

3. NKMax

What is it? NKMax offers Natural Killer (NK) cell activity blood testing. The company also sells an immune supplement, NK Everyday.

Innovation: NKMax's proprietary NK cell-based products include the NK Vue immune system monitoring test. The simple blood test, according to the company, indicates a person's NK cell activity level which is important for consumers to know to start making changes to improve their immune systems.

4. TwentyFifity

What is it?  The world's first 100% compostable cutlery solution made entirely of natural grains.

Innovation: Essentially edible, these spoons and forks are completely compostable in a home compost in 30 days or less.

5. The NutraMilk

What is it? A device that makes alternative nut milks and butters.

Innovation: The NutraMilk is the world's first appliance designed specifically for creating butters and milks from nuts and seeds. The device can quickly break down any kind of nut with its powerful motor, resulting in smooth and creamy nut butter. For nut milk, water can be added and the butter and water are forced through fine 100 mesh screens, creating smooth additive-free nut milk.