Food Matters Live Awards winners spotlight better-for-you, natural and functional innovation

23 Nov 2017 --- Food Matters Live has announced the winners of its inaugural awards, which celebrate the incredible innovation that continues to shape the future of food and drink. These awards recognize the creativity and inventiveness of industry to produce products and ingredients that meet the ever-changing demands and palates of health conscious and trend-hungry consumers.

FoodIngredientsFirst was at the event on 21st November. You can view the show review in pictures here.

The main themes this year were based on clean label, authentic flavors, natural and healthy ingredients. Hot beverages, using hemp as an ingredient, Mediterranean oils, protein enrichment in sports products and gluten-free were trending at this year's show. 

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst at the event, Paul Thompson, Director of Sales and Food at Dohler says: “We are very much promoting our natural ingredients at this year’s show. The main trends we are seeing is sugar reduction which is a big focus for us, the free-from trend is also prominent and above all, we are seeing the need from consumers that their food must also taste good.” 

Ben Adam, Marketing Director for the Flavors Division from Symrise, told FoodIngredientsFirst: “We are seeing two main trends, sugar reduction and cleaner label products. We are responding to these trends by our Taste Modulation, which aims to lower the sugar content of products, particularly in the beverages space.”

According to Vince Martin from Kalsec, the trend towards bringing global flavors to the home kitchen is becoming more and more popular. “We are certainly seeing a lot of interest in Peru and the interesting chilies from that country, people want to make food themselves in their own kitchen they looking for global experiences - we are being asked to bring the world’s culinary interests into people’s lives all over the world,” he tells FoodIngredientsFirst.  

“Persian flavors are also proving to be popular and some flavors tones from the Middle East and that area of the world. We are expecting to see a surge in interest in Russian heat and flavors, as we are seeing product launches with chili are increasing everywhere,” he says.

Briony Mansell-Lewis, Food Matters Live Director, says: “We were incredibly impressed by the standard and quality of entries to our first ever Food Matters Live Awards – there were very strong contenders in each category. While it was a tough choice, we’re pleased to recognize the outstanding achievements of the winners, who can only be described as innovative trailblazers of the food and drink industry.”

The winners include enterprising food and drink start-ups, challenger brands and high street names – all eager to gain recognition for their success in innovative product development, groundbreaking science and technology, sustainability initiatives, or for packaging design and consumer marketing strategies.

Each received an iconic, unique award – creatively designed around the innovative concept of a taste bud and incorporating the five senses of taste – at a special ceremony hosted by Food Matters Live at London’s ExCeL on 22 November. 

The awards reflect the themes at the heart of Food Matters Live, which is the only three-day event that brings together experts from the food and drink industry, retailers, foodservice providers, policymakers, nutritionists and healthcare professionals at London’s ExCeL on 21-23 November.

The Awards shine a spotlight on the innovation behind the growth of ever healthier, natural and organic, sustainable and better-for-you food products defining the future food and drink landscape.

The winners of the new Awards are:

Innovative Better-for-You Product of the Year
Avocado Oil Mayonnaise Classic (Hunter & Gather Foods Ltd.)

Innovative Natural and Organic Product of the Year
Pomegranate Molasses & Turmeric Raw Kale Chips (Biolicious)  

Most Innovative Food to Go Product of the Year
Snackamole (Born Tasty Ltd.)

Best Natural Ingredient for Health and Wellbeing 
Spectra (Van Eeghen Functional Ingredients)

Best Functional Ingredient for Health and Wellbeing
SlimBiome (OptiBiotix Health Plc)

Sustainability Initiative of the Year
Rice Sustainability Initiative (Mars Food UK)

Best Food and Drink Processor Technology
evapEOS technology (Ederna)

Innovative Packaging Design of the Year

Heat & Eat (Fairfields Farm Produce Ltd.)

Marketing Campaign of the Year
The Great Fruit and Veg Adventure (The Great Fruit and Veg Adventure)

New Food and Drink Product of the Year
I Sea Wraps (Seamore)
Rosemary Water – sparkling variant (Rosemary Water)