Frankfurt, centre of Excellence Awards - IFI DecJan 10
The Food Ingredients Excellence Awards have become a major focus of the exhibition calendar in their own right – and with good reason. We report on the celebrations at the 2009 awards ceremony.
The Food Ingredients Excellence Awards are now a recognised target which companies consciously aim for in their product innovation programmes. Shortlisted entries and winners acknowledge the kudos and raised profile that the awards confer.
At the November 2009 FiE show, 13 ingredient entries were shortlisted ahead of a glittering awards ceremony presented by former MTV presenter Kristiane Backer. The evening saw National Starch Food Innovation crowned overall winner of the 2009 awards, scooping the coveted Fi Excellence Innovation of the Year Award for its ingredient N-Dulge FR – a co-texturiser which enables the amount of butter, margarine or shortening used in cake recipes to be reduced by 75%.
Explaining the panel’s decision, Henry Dixon, chair of judges, said: "The judges quickly identified two front runners for this award. Both really impressed us with the quality of their thinking, the innovation of their technology and their understanding of the applications in which their customers would benefit.
"In our final analysis we looked for an ingredient that not only benefitted the manufacturer and retailer but that also held out the promise of helping consumers overcome a real and significant challenge."
Alison Knight, technical service manager for Northern Europe with National Starch Food Innovation, said: "We are thrilled. N-Dulge FR is a product that we’ve really believed in, and to gain this recognition from the industry is truly amazing." In addition to the overall ‘Innovation of the Year’ accolade, for the first time this year, there were five category-specific awards.
National Starch fended off competition from J Rettenmaier & Söhne to win Bakery Innovation of the Year.
Chr Hansen also celebrated a double coup, winning Savoury/Meat Innovation of the Year for Bactoferm Rubis, and Dairy Innovation of the Year for CHY-MAX M. Bactoferm Rubis solves the problem of oxidisation in packaged meats naturally thanks to its ability to consume oxygen, while CHY-MAX M delivers reduced costs-in-use, better process control, improved flavour and increased shelf life in dairy applications.
Scooping Confectionery Innovation of the Year was Fuji Oil Europe’s Redusat, which contains half the amount of saturates as normal saturated fats, but maintains the same structure.
Lastly, the Snacks/On-The-Go category was won by Lyckeby Culinar AB, with Culinax, the flavouring system for ‘difficult to flavour’ products.
"For the first year we have the winners in five categories to congratulate," said Dixon. "In every case we have been impressed by the efforts of this marvellous industry to come up with innovative and exciting ideas, concepts and ingredients that help the industry and their customers."
Event director Greg Cherry added that this year’s judging committee had faced the toughest selection process to date, after being inundated by a record number of entries.
In fact, the success of the awards has prompted the organisers to introduce two new categories for 2010.
"In the context of the 2010 UN International Year of Biodiversity, next year we will be launching the Ethical BioTrade award for Biodiversity, a joint venture with the Union for Ethical BioTrade," said Cherry (see p6).
"We will also be launching the search for the young scientist of the year, together with the lifetime achievement award run in conjunction with IUFoST (the International Union of Food Science and Technology) and we hope that many of you will enter some or all of these in the coming year."
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