Recognition of Excellence and Innovative Achievement

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany, September 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Food Ingredients Europe Awards generates heightened awareness and credibility for award-winning products within the industry

Constantly striving to improve food products, the industry conducts much of its research in the field of food ingredients. Innovating, formulating and creating entirely new ingredients in the food and beverage industry is a long and expensive process. New ingredients, ingredient applications and solutions are therefore only launched to the market every few years. For this reason, the Food Ingredients Europe Excellence Award supports companies, to capture and promote innovation. The award showcases trend-setting innovations which, for example, offer straightforward, ecological or sustainable solutions to producing or reformulating foods and beverages. Every two years, the best companies and experts in the food ingredients industry have the chance to receive the distinction of the Food Ingredients Europe Excellence Award. This year, the award ceremony will be held at the Food Ingredients Europe trade fair (November 19^th to 21^st in Frankfurt am Main). The award recognises the visions, commitment, and the implementation of ideas that fuel the innovative power of this industry. The sector's most prestigious innovation prize has a measurable effect on company performance. Previous Fi Europe Excellence Award winners acknowledge that the award has drawn more attention and reinforced their credibility within the industry and also served as the starting point for new business relations.

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Sofie De Lathouwer, Marketing Director Food Manufacturers Western Europe at Barry Callebaut, confirms the positive impact the award has had: "After winning the Fi Europe Award for our Terra Cacao^® project everybody was even more excited about it. This award underlined the uniqueness of the Terra Cacao® product range and created extra credibility. The award is really popular and of course well appreciated. It surely gave a boost to our business." According to De Lathouwer, the effect was instantaneous: "After winning the award even more people showed up at our booth at Fi Europe. Even our competitors came to congratulate us."

"Winning the bakery Innovation award in 2011 was a great achievement for Muntons and its New Product Development team who created and developed the ingredient 'Maltichoc'," says Vanessa Fowler, Marketing Manager at Muntons.

This view is shared by Chr. Hansen, winner of the 2011 Award for Dairy Innovation of the Year. Following a streak of bad press about similar products in this segment, the award finally generated a good measure of positive feedback.

Cooperation and Development

The awards are traditionally conferred on the first evening directly at the Food Ingredients show. This way the entire industry receives the news right away and more often than not, cooperation is spurred on. "Interest following the award has triggered the development of a collaborative new product with one of our distributors which is now being promoted globally," as Vanessa Fowler reports. Inasmuch as winning the award is far more than a one-day experience, Sofie De Lathouwer is in perfect agreement: "The attention for our Terra Cacao^® product range grew for weeks and months after the trade show. It is still growing exponentially."

Reputation and Credibility Strengthened

The Fi Europe Awards are particularly interested in innovations that provide solutions tailored to the needs of the market. This is an accomplishment appreciated not only by the award winners, but also by consumers who rely on the jury's verdict as an indication of quality and innovation. "Being able to include 'Winner of the Fi Europe Beverage Innovation Award 2011' in communications and literature for PURITY GUM ULTRA®  is a key selling point, and confirms Ingredion's focus on innovation," as Rhian Scott-Willian, Marketing Communications Manager Europe of Ingredion UK, points out. Likewise, Thomas Christensen of Chr. Hansen sees the company's reputation receiving a major lift: "It generated a lot of internal self-confidence in our carmine technology and product - and has boosted our expertise in the fruit preparation and yogurt market."

The deadline for submissions has been extended to September 20^th, giving companies extra time to enter the 2013 Food Ingredients Excellence Awards competition. Awards will be presented in the following eight categories:

• Bakery Innovation of the Year
• Beverage Innovation of the Year
• Confectionery Innovation of the Year
• Dairy Innovation of the Year
• Snacks/On-The-Go Innovation of the Year
• Savoury/Meat Innovation of the Year
• The Most Innovative Food Ingredient Award (decided from the winners of all the categories above)
• Sustainability Initiative of the Year

Candidates are advised to submit their entries via the website:

http://www.foodingredientsglobal.com/europe/learning-hub/fi-excellence-awards

CAGR

About Fi ingredients Global - the trusted route to market since 1986

Food ingredients was launched in Utrecht, The Netherlands, in 1986. Its portfolio of live events, publications, extensive data, digital solutions and high-level conferences, are now established throughout the world and provide regional and global platforms for all stakeholders, in the food ingredients industry. Over 500,000 people have attended our shows over the years with billions of Euros worth of business created, as a result. With over 25 years of excellence, our events, digital solutions and supporting products, deliver a proven route to market, with a truly global audience.

For more information about the Food ingredients Portfolio please visit: http://www.foodingredientsglobal.com/europe

About the Organiser

UBM Live connects people and creates opportunities for companies across five continents to develop new business, meet customers, launch new products, promote their brands and expand their markets. Through premiere brands such as Fi, NuW, MD&M, CPhI, IFSEC, TFM&A, Cruise Shipping Miami, the Concrete Show and many others, UBM Live exhibitions, conferences, awards programs, publications, websites and training and certification programs are an integral part of the marketing plans of companies across more than 20 industry sectors. UBM Live is a division of United Business Media (LSE: UBM.L, http://www.ubm.com), a leading global B2B media provider with 6,500 staff in 40 countries. Incorporated in 1918 as United Newspapers Limited, we live by the motto: "We explore, we exceed, you excel."

For more information about UBM Live, please visit: http://www.ubm.com

Website: http://www.fi-europe.eu/PRregister

SOURCE UBM Live