Verified data. Real insight. | Q1 2026
This is the full companion to our Q1 2026 newsletter. Each section expands on what you read in the email. Use the links below to jump directly to what interests you most.
In this issue:
- The Signal — Expo West 2026
- From the Lab — Grassfed Beef and the Omega Ratio
- In Practice — SIMPLi
- What's New — Platform Updates
A Note Before We Begin
Food quality has never been more talked about. It's also never been harder to verify.
At Edacious, we believe the brands doing the hardest work — sourcing better, farming better, producing cleaner — deserve the tools to prove it. Verified data is how mission-driven brands differentiate. It's how forward-thinking producers demonstrate that their practices actually show up in the food. And it's how the gap between a label claim and a defensible outcome finally closes.
That means measuring what matters: nutrient density, contaminant safety, protein quality, and the full picture of what "clean" and "healthy" actually look like in practice. Not averages pulled from a database. Real results, interpreted honestly, built into a story brands can stand behind.
We've spent years building the infrastructure to change that. We’re helping companies working across the food system to measure, understand and report food quality at scale.
The Translation is where we share what we're learning as we build toward that vision — data from the lab, perspectives on the industry, and stories from the partners proving what's possible.
No hype. No assumptions. Just evidence, interpreted honestly.
Whether you have been with us for years or just found your way to Edacious, we're glad you're here.
— Eric J. Smith, CEO, Edacious
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The Signal
Expo West 2026: The Floor Has Shifted
Something was different this year. Booths were simpler. Messaging was steadier. The conversation had moved from "what's next" to "what actually works."
The brands drawing real attention weren't just telling a better story; they were backing it with evidence. Verification, third-party testing, and defensible methodology were generating some of the most meaningful conversations on the floor.
The nutrient density story is ready to move, but the products are evolving faster than the language to describe them. That gap is exactly where Edacious works.
Read our full Expo West takeaways →
Insights From the Lab
Grassfed Beef and the Omega Ratio
Not all beef is nutritionally identical. That's not a marketing claim, it's something we can measure.
Across multiple recent datasets, we've observed omega-6:omega-3 ratios closer to 2:1 in grassfed beef systems, compared to roughly 13:1 in USDA reference values for conventional beef. That's not a small difference. It's a meaningful signal about how farming systems affect what ends up on your plate.
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In Practice
How SIMPLi is Turning Verified Data Into a Brand Story
SIMPLi wanted to prove — with evidence — that their regenerative organic sourcing standards show up nutritionally. So they tested their grain portfolio with Edacious.
What came back wasn't a single standout nutrient; it was layered, consistent, verified nutritional density across an entire product family. Every quinoa variety qualified as a good or Rich Source of 10 or more nutrients. Black Quinoa led in fiber. Amaranth delivered the strongest iron levels across the set.
Now, SIMPLi has what many brands lack: a nutrient density story they can defend with real data. Verified data doesn't just answer questions. It changes the quality of conversations you can have, including at the industry's biggest stage.
What's New
Platform Updates
We've been heads-down building. Over the past year, the Edacious Pro Platform has expanded into a complete system for managing food quality — from lab analysis to regulatory compliance to consumer-facing transparency. Whether you're a current user, haven't logged in lately, or are still thinking about testing, here's what the platform now enables.
See what's new on the platform →
Thank you for reading the first issue of The Translation. We'll be back next quarter with more data, more stories, and more insights.
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— The Edacious Team
