On April 1, Kyiv hosted the Award Ceremony of the seventh independent professional tasting competition Favorite Food & Drinks. The event brought together food retail leaders: representatives of national and regional retail chains, manufacturers and industry experts.
The Favorite Food & Drinks tasting competition has already become a landmark event for the Ukrainian food market. Its goal is to determine the best products by their organoleptic characteristics “blindly” and to promote quality food products. Consumers and business partners can trust the Favorite Food & Drinks awards, as they are awarded exclusively based on the results of an independent evaluation.
“Ukrainian producers offer the world not just safe, high-quality and competitive food products. Ukrainian products are delicious, they are a carrier of cultural heritage, preserve and spread traditions and history. Ukrainians have long served the most delicious food to their guests. Today, Ukrainian producers set global trends and introduce conceptually new products. Favorite Food&Drinks reveals the delicious code of the Ukrainian nation,” said Olena Sinitsyna, founder and organizer of the competition.
5 trends in the food industry
1. Innovative approach: Manufacturers are experimenting with mix products, combining different product groups and unusual ingredients. Example: dairy products with alcoholic beverage flavors for consumers looking for a new experience without alcohol.
2. Healthy food: There is a growing demand for functional products with a combination of traditional recipes and healthy ingredients. The tasting includes kombucha, goat’s milk dairy products, healthy snacks and dried fruit candies.
3. Vegetable proteins: The range of products with vegetable proteins (milk, drinks, snacks) is expanding. The competition includes vegetable cabbage rolls, burger patties and gnocchi.
4. Ready-to-eat food: There is an increased demand for convenient food solutions to save time and reduce waste. Ready-to-eat cereals in retort packets and packaged tea with exotic flavors were popular.
5. Support for local producers: Ukrainians prefer domestic products, especially those from farmers and craft enterprises. A wide range of craft oils, cheeses, and dairy products made in Ukraine are presented at the tasting.
The competition included an organoleptic evaluation of 219 tasting samples in 14 nominations from 39 suppliers.
Results of the competition
Grand Prix: 35 awards
Gold: 143 awards
Silver: 32 honors
Bronze: 5 awards
Withdrawn from tastings – 1 tasting sample
No awards – 3 tasting samples
Prospects and opportunities for participants
The Favorite Food & Drinks competition is not only a prestigious award, but also a platform for brand development and an indispensable tool for the development and improvement of food products According to Anna Tsilnytska, Product Innovation Specialist at Carlsberg Ukraine, the competition opens up new prospects for manufacturers, helping companies, including small craft producers, to make themselves known, and retailers to expand their supplier base.
We invite you to participate!
Favorite Food & Drinks invites producers from all regions of Ukraine, suppliers of imported products to provide tasting samples and participate in the following competitions and receive well-deserved recognition. Look for the Favorite Food & Drinks insignia on product packaging – it is a quality marker confirmed by independent experts.
The best to the table!
Interfax-Ukraine is the official partner of the contest
