'Sofi' Competition Honors Specialty Products

NEW YORK — Hibiscus vinegar, cherrywood smoked bacon and Indian cooking sauce are among the 10 finalists for the 2010 annual “sofi” awards.

Presented by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, the Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation awards recognize excellence in specialty foods and beverages in 33 categories. The gold winner will be announced at the Summer Fancy Food Show on June 27-29.

Faye Greenberg, neighborhood-marketing director at Winn-Dixie Stores, Jacksonville, Fla., was among the specialty food officials who judged the competition.

The finalists are:

• • Les Produits Fins Fabrice Lafon — Apple Ice Wine Vinegar.
• • Nueske's Applewood Smoked Meats — Nueske's Wild Cherrywood Smoked Uncured Bacon.
• • Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co. — Salt & Pepper Chocolate Bar.
• • PreGel America — Salted Caramel Super Sprint.
• • Rishi Tea — Masala Chai Concentrate.
• • South African Consulate General — Rozendal Hibiscus Vinegar.
• • Spread Health Food — Nutmeric Ultra.
• • Stonehouse 27 — Cashews & Cream Indian Cooking Sauce.
• • Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Foods — Tandoori Chicken Naanwich.
• • The Cheeseworks — Carboncino by Caseificio dell'Alta Langa.

Finalists were also announced for Outstanding Product Line 2010. They are:

• • Bellwether Farms — Product Line.
• • Food Should Taste Good — All-Natural Chips.
• • King Arthur Flour - Gluten — Free Baking Mixes.
• • Royal Pacific Foods — The Ginger People.
• • The Rogers Collection — Les Moulins Mahjoub.

This year’s competition drew a record 2,257 entries, a 19% increase from 2009 and a 3% rise from the previous record of 2,191 in 2008.

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