SIAL AWARDS TO HONOR INNOVATIVE NEW FOOD PRODUCTS

PARIS -- Food and beverages from around the world will be competing this month for the SIAL D'Or 2000 Awards, which recognize innovative and commercially successful products introduced during the past two years. The awards will be presented at the biannual SIAL (Salon International de L'Alimentation) food and beverage trade show, to be held here Oct. 22-26.

ipating in the program for the first time, is representing the United States.

The SIAL D'Or Jury, consisting of representatives from each of the participating publications, meets here later this month to vote on the competing products. Judging criteria include each product's commercial performance, as well as its innovation and responsiveness to the market.

A "Category" SIAL D'Or will be selected for each of the nine categories among the candidates from the various countries. In addition, a "Country" SIAL D'Or is awarded to the product that earns the highest number of points in the national selection of each country. The nine "Category" winners also compete for the top prize, the "Global" SIAL D'Or.

An awards ceremony will be held during the SIAL show, on Oct. 23, and the winning products will be displayed in a special area on the show floor.

The U.S. nominees are:

Dairy products, ice cream and eggs: Milk-It Single Serve Squish Pak, from Country Fresh Dairy, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Meat, poultry and cured meats: Always Tender Fully Cooked Entrees, from Hormel Foods, Austin, Minn.

Fish and seafood: Gorton's Crunchy Stuffed Fish Fillets, from Gorton Seafood, Gloucester, Mass.

Confectionery, biscuits and bread: Mama Mary's Homestyle Pancakes, from Spartan Foods of America, Spartanburg, S.C.

Grocery products: Uncle Ben's Rice Bowls, from Uncle Ben's Inc., Houston.

Nonalcoholic beverages: WestSoy Chai, from Hain Food Group, Uniondale, N.Y.

The Canadian nominees, selected by Canadian Grocer, are:

Dairy products, ice cream and eggs: Yoplait Tube Yogurt, from Altima Foods, Montreal.

Meat, poultry and cured meats: President's Choice Microwaveable Meat Pies, from Loblaw Brands, Toronto.

Fish and seafood: President's Choice Skillet Shrimp, from Loblaw Brands.

Confectionery, biscuits and bread: President's Choice Maple Cream Cookies, Loblaw Brands.

Grocery products: Vector [complete meal replacement cereal], from Kellogg Canada.

Nonalcoholic beverages: President's Choice Ice Berg Water, from Loblaw Brands.

Catering/Foodservice Product: Rootz 'n' Frootz [organic juice with herbs], from Rainmaker Mirage Beverage Co., Toronto.