Who are the Product of the Year winners? Find out here
Chips that come with a hot dare and foods with chia seeds were among the big winners at the Product of the Year 2015 awards ceremony held Tuesday night in Toronto.
The awards, now in their sixth year in Canada, recognize innovation across consumer goods and services.
Winners were chosen through an online survey of 10,000 consumers. The winning products can use Product of the Year’s red seal in marketing.
Product of the Year awards were handed out in 33 categories. The night’s biggest winner were PepsiCo Foods and The Body Shop, which each took home three awards.
Pepsi’s Doritos Roulette Tortilla Chips won in the Chips category. The chips come with a dare for those who dip their hand in the bag. One in every seven to eight chips is extra hot and spicy.
Pepsi also won in the Dips category for its Tostitos Roasted Red Pepper Salsa and in Savoury Snacks for Stacy’s Pretzel Thins.
Two chia infused products picked up awards. Olympic Dairy’s Chia Yogurt took home the Dairy Products prize while Promise Gluten Free’s Chia Seed Loaf won the Gluten-Free category.
Both large and small grocery manufacturers won. High Liner Foods won for its Simply Atlantic Cod. The Canadian Birch Company won the Innovative Packaging Award for its Amber Canadian Birch Syrup, which comes in a stylish and sleek bottle.
One grocery chain also picked up a Product of the Year. Metro won the Sweet Snacks Category for its Irresistibles La Collezionne mango sorbet.
Product of the Year is billed as the world’s largest consumer voted awards program for product innovation. Founded 28 years ago in the U.K., it now operates in 40 countries.
In Canada, Product of the Year’s media partner is Rogers Media, which owns Canadian Grocer.
A two-step process is used to select winners from among products that are submitted by their companies. First, a jury of industry experts selects finalists. From those, consumers vote online to choose winners.
Sixty per cent of Canadians say they would try a new product if they saw the Product of the Year seal on its packaging, according to research conducted by Rogers Insights Custom Research.
The research also found that 73 per cent of shoppers would pay more for products that they consider innovative.
Here are some of the grocery Product of the Year winners from Tuesday night:
Alpen Dark Chocolate Muesli
Reusable BBQ Grilling Sheet
Doritos Roulette Tortilla Chips
Chia Yogurt
Kurtzie’s Artisanal Salami
Tostitos Roasted Red Pepper Salsa
Nivea Sensitive 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water
High Liner Simply Fish Atlantic Cod
Chia Seed Loaf
Nonna Pia's Cabernet Merlot Balsamic Reduction
Total One Women’s Multi Vitamin & Mineral
AspenClean All Purpose Set
Here is a complete list of the rest of the Product of the Year 2015 winners:
Vitamin E Overnight Serum in Oil
Skin Care–Collagen
InstaBlur
Rimmel London Wonder' Lash Mascara
Transitions Signature Graphite Green lenses
SureThik Hair Thickening Fibers
Tim Horton’s Dark Roast Coffee
Torrent Blender
Piston Power Slim 360 portable battery
Tangerine Mobile Banking App
Nivea Nourishing In-Shower Body Milk
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel
Ear Tone
Amber Canadian Birch Syrup
Wild Argan Radiant Oil
Reusable Cake & Loaf Liners
Stacy’s Pretzel Thins
Irresistibles La Collezione, Mango Sorbet
ZeroWater Stainless Steel Jug
Nanopür Kitchen Non-Stick Coating