Two grow-your-own mushroom kits were the only fresh produce items to be awarded with a Sial Innovation Award 2014.
Portuguese firm Cap Portugal was joint winner of the bronze award with its product Eco Gumelo, which grows mushrooms using soil made from spent coffee grounds. It won alongside French company Pret à Pousser with its grow-at-home mushroom kit – a similar product that uses recycled sawdust.
Winner of the silver award was babyfood brand Yooji while the top prize was scooped by innovative packaging concept Twists – a microwaveable plastic container that allows sauce to be heated separately in the roof of the container.
Both mushroom products also won the individual fruit and vegetable category, while the frozen product category was won by French firm Cité Gourmand’s potato churros – an innovation on the traditionally sweet delicacy using potatoes and other vegetables.
The catering and foodservice award was collected by Nice Fruit’s eponymous product - frozen fruit with a shelf life of three years, and the food ingredients award went to pureed discs of fruit and vegetables from Boiron Surgelation for innovation using the IQF process.
The winners were announced yesterday at a ceremony at the international food show Sial, held in Paris, and which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Judged by a panel of experts who are active within the industry, the awards this year attracted more than 1,700 entries – a 70 per cent increase on 2012.
Innovation research
British consumers prioritise health and a balanced diet over sociable meal occasions and variety, according to new research released at Sial food show this week.
Despite this, results also found that over half (57 per cent) of Brits do not monitor their diet or the amount they consume, despite having one of the highest rates of obesity and excess weight in the world. Within innovation trends, simple products, naturalness and minimal processing are most likely to impress British consumers, the research found.
The study, carried out in 2014 over nine countries, looked at the importance of pleasure in convenience food trends.
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