Campbell Canada gets Sial d'Or Award For Nourish

Philip Donne, president of Campbell Company of Canada, was in Paris, France, this past weekend to accept a Sial d'Or Award for his company's not-for-profit product Nourish.

He was accompanied by his director of research and development, Jan Ouwehand.

The Sial d'Or award ceremony, indicative of the world's most innovative products with sales and marketing success, is held every two years as part of the massive Sial food and beverage exhibition in the French capital.

Competing for the awards this year were 29 countries and Campbell Canada won the award for being the most innovative product in Canada in the past two years.

Canadian Grocer represents the Sial d'Or Awards for Canada.

The exhibition itself this year totalled 6,000 exhibitors from more than 100 countries.

Canada was well represented at the Canada stand with some 41 exhibitors, including several first-timers, among them Jameson Laboratories and a Quebec micro-brewery, L'Alchimiste.

There were three other Canadian exhibitors at the show but separate from the Canadian stand.

As usual Canadian products included maple products, pulses, jams, jellies, cookies and sauces.

Elsewhere on the exhibition floor there were several interesting products: such things as pasteurized fresh soups in attractive steel cans from La Courtisane of France which stay fresh for 12 months; liquid salt from Acetificio Mengazzeli of Italy and sea salt tablets from Co-op des Sauniers de L'Ile, France.

Also there was expresso coffee in 100 per cent biodegradable pouches (for coffee machines) with 100 per cent recyclable packaging; and a 100 per cent natural freeze dried guacamole from Si O Si Ali Mentos of Mexico.

Another interesting product was WiKi Cell from Y'Tou of France, small globes of yogurt starter to which you just add milk to create your own yogurt in several flavours.

The over-riding trends at this year's SIAL were healthy eating, convenience and fun foods.