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Little guys win big at Grand Prix awards

Vitamin eggs and squeezable dessert are among new products honoured
6/6/2013

It was the year the Davids won against grocery's Goliaths as a Filipino food company, soy company and a small egg producer all took home awards.

On Wednesday night, the grocery industry feted the innovative products of 2012 at the Retail Council of Canada's annual Grand Prix New Product Awards.

Pulo Philippine Cuisine by 7000 Islands Food Corp. won in the best condiments and sauces category. In the dessert category, Sunrise Soya Foods' Super Squeezies Dessert Tubes got top honours.

Vitala Foods' Vita-D Sunshine Eggs won in the deli, egg, meat and seafood category. It also picked up the Healthy Innovation award.

Plenty of big consumer packaged goods companies took home hardware, too.

The big winner of the night was Procter & Gamble. It won three awards for Tide Pods (in the household products category and two special awards: Innovation and Originality and Innovative Packaging) and one award for Tampax Radiant Tampons (personal-care category).

Weston Bakeries Limited was also a multiple winner, picking up awards in the bakery category, as well as the All-Canadian award for its Country Harvest 100% Whole Grain Bread.

The 2012 Consumer Acceptance Award went to Ultima Foods' Iogo Nano drinkable yogurt.

In private label, Safeway Canada picked up three awards and Metro Richelieu got two. Sobeys and Loblaw took one award each.

Many winning products touted health and freshness. Dare Foods' RealFruit Gummies picked up the confectionery award, while Happy Planet Foods won in the frozen/refrigerated prepared food and entrees category for its Fresh Soup.

In Dairy, Liberté won for its Froúto Greek Yogurt, while Old Dutch Foods won in the snack category for its Northern Choice Chickpea Tortilla Chips.

The Grand Prix Awards recognize excellence and innovation in the Canadian grocery industry and are handed out annually by the Retail Council of Canada.

To be eligible for an award, a product had to be introduced during 2012.

"The growth of the consumer products industry depends on new product development and innovation, said Diana Brisebois, president and CEO of RCC.

This was the 20th year the awards were handed out.

A 32-member jury made up of consumers, food editors, journalists, and people working in grocery selected the 26 winners from 127 finalist products that achieved at least 70% in judging. Judges met in Montreal in March to evaluated food and private label products. They also tested non-food products in their homes over a six-week period.

Products were graded on five criteria: uniqueness and innovation; product characteristics; presentation and packaging; overall consumer value; and consumer acceptance (the household penetration rate of the product).

“The type of innovation that the Grand Prix honours drives category, brand and retailer growth,” Brisebois said.

Here is a complete list of the winners (all finalists were featured in the May 2013 issue of Canadian Grocer and online at CanadianGrocer.com):

SPECIAL AWARDS

All Canadian: Country Harvest 100% Whole Grain Bread, Weston Bakeries

Consumer Acceptance: Iogo Nano drinkable yogurt, Ultima Foods

Canadian Grand Prix Healthy Innovation New Product Award:
Vita-D Sunshine Eggs, Vitala Foods

Innovation and Originality: Tide Pods, P&G


Innovative Packaging: Tide Pods, P&G

FOOD

Bakery: Country Harvest 100% Whole Grain Bread, Weston Bakeries

Beverages: Nabob Bold, Kraft Canada

Condiments & Sauces: Pulo Philippine Cuisine, 7000 Islands Food Corp.

Confectionery: RealFruit Gummies, Dare Foods

Dairy Products: Liberté Froúto Greek Yogurt, Liberté

Deli, Egg, Meat & Seafood: Vita-D Sunshine Eggs, Vitala Foods

Dessert: Sunrise Super Squeezies Dessert Tubes, Sunrise Soya Foods

Frozen or Refrigerated Prepared Food & Entrees: Happy Planet Fresh Soup, Happy Planet Foods

Fruits, Vegetables & Produce: Gardein, Garden Protein International

Shelf Stable Prepared Food & Entrees: St-Hubert Chicken Broths, Best Brands

Snack: Northern Choice Chickpea Tortilla Chips, Old Dutch Foods

NON-FOOD

Baby Care:
Squoosh, Baby Gourmet Foods

General Merchandise: Off! Clip-on, S.C. Johnson and Son

Health Care: Tums Freshers Antacid, Glaxosmithkline

Household Products: Tide Pods, P&G

Paper, Plastic & Foil:
Ziploc Brand Perfect Portions, S.C. Johnson and Son

Personal Care: Tampax Radiant Tampons, P&G

Pet Needs: Milk-Bone Healthy Favorites, DLM Foods Canada

PRIVATE LABEL

Bakery: Fresh 2 Go Toscana Focaccia, Metro Richelieu

Beverages: Edwards Coffee, Canada Safeway

Condiments & Sauces: Sensations by Compliments Extra Virgin Olive Oil 3L, Sobeys

Confectionery, Snack & Dessert: Irresistibles Dark Chocolate Covered Caramels with sea salt, Metro Richelieu

Dairy, Eggs, Meat & Seafood: PC Free From Angus Beef Burgers, Loblaw Brands

Non-food: Debi Lilly Savoy Candle, Canada Safeway


Prepared Food & Entrees: Safeway Tuna, Canada Safeway

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