The winners of the yummex ME Innovation Awards 2019

The number of participants and of submitted products demonstrates the interest in innovations, the awards and the benefit of the attractive additional presentation possibilities that come with the award. A high-calibre jury selected the winners in four categories from around 50 competition entries. All award-winning products were presented in the Innovation Gallery during the fair and can still be seen online.

Russia’s United Confectioners Ltd. claimed the honours for the ‘Best Chocolate Product’ for its new Dark chocolate Eco botanica with lemon and peppermint extract , which promotes health and wellness. The dark chocolate is flavoured with lemon and peppermint extract and is free of sugar, gluten and palm oil. “It is an honour for us to win the ‘Best Chocolate Product’ award in an exhibition of this standing, which is very important for the entire confectionery industry,” said Alla Orlova, United Confectioners Ltd. spokesperson. “This award will serve as the catalyst to continue innovating with all of our products.”

The honours for ‘Best Hard & Soft Candy‘ went to the UK’s Valeo Confectionery for its vegan-friendly, Frulo Very Cherry Fizzies. The new “less guilt” candy fits well into current consumer trends, as they are made with a splash of fruit juice and have no artificial colours or flavours. “It’s a winning combination. There’s the health approach and the fact that they are incredibly juicy and mouth-wateringly moreish,” said Valeo spokesperson Pauline Ollivier.

The award for ‘Best Bakery Product’ was given to Italy’s Fiore di Puglia Srl for its new 100 percent organic taralli cracker, which is a promising alternative to conventional taralli or crackers in general. The vegan cracker uses only organic farm-to-table ingredients and comes in sustainable, recyclable packaging. “It’s our first time participating at yummex Middle East, so to win this award is extra special. We hope this recognition will serve as the launch pad for our factory in this market as we continue our evolution in the region,” said Fiore di Puglia Srl spokesperson Salvatore Lizzio.

And Germany’s PookSpaFoods GmbH snapped up the ‘Best Snack Product’ honour for its POOK Sticky Rice Chips, which is a novel alternative to potato chips. The chips are made of sticky Thai rice, which is soaked in watermelon juice to act as a natural binder and include a touch of sweetness. “I am really very happy to be the winner of the award, something that I actually did not expect. This gives me a good feeling, that my products meet the need of the market. After all the work and energy, I invest, this gives me the power for the next steps,” said Kanokporn Holtsch, founder and CEO of PookSpaFoods.