Nominations Set for SIAL d'Or Competition

PARIS — Judging for the SIAL d'Or competition recognizing innovative and successful new-product introductions worldwide is scheduled to return to Paris next month after a detour to Shanghai in 2008 during the SIAL China trade show.

Editors from 30 trade magazines from around the world, including SN, nominated products in nine different categories for the competition, based on the products' innovative qualities and commercial success. The products must have debuted since late 2008.

The trade editors will judge the nominated products from all of the countries and select one winning product in each category. From those global category winners, one product will be selected to receive the SIAL d'Or award at the global SIAL exhibition in Paris in October. In addition, one product will be named the SIAL d'Or winner from each country's submissions.

The U.S. products nominated this year are:

• Dave's Gourmet Butternut Squash Sauce (savory dry grocery category).
• Häagen Dazs Five ice cream (frozen sweet category).
• Gold N' Plump Just Bare chicken (perishable non-dairy category).
• Land O'Lakes Butter with Olive Oil (perishable dairy category).
• Sam Adams Noble Pils (alcoholic beverage category).
• Frito-Lay Smartfood Popcorn Clusters (sweet dry grocery category).
• SoBe Zero Calorie Lifewater (non-alcoholic beverage category).
• Tandoor Chef Naan Pizzas (savory frozen category).

In 2008, the “Country SIAL d'Or” winner from the U.S. was Kraft Foods' Oscar Mayer Deli Creation Sandwich Melts after it received the most votes of any of the U.S. products that were nominated. Budweiser & Clamato Chelada, a savory beer that combines a popular tomato juice cocktail with beer, won the “category” competition. The grand prize Sial d'Or winner was Cully & Sully Soups from Ireland.

SIAL 2010 is scheduled for Oct. 17-21 in at the Le Parc des Expositions de Paris-Nord Villepinte.