Winners for 28th Annual Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards Announced

2020 new product trends reflect Canadians’ continued interest in plant-based food products and an increase of in-home cooking.  New specialty award recognized excellence in ethnic products

TORONTO, June 3, 2021 /CNW/ – Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is excited to reveal the winners of the 28th Annual Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards.

Twenty-five companies took home the coveted Canadian Grand Prix New Product Award for products they introduced into the Canadian market in 2020.  Among the winners were established and new retailers, suppliers, boutique, and family-owned businesses from across Canada.

RCC’s Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards is a prestigious annual competition of the best new grocery products. Becoming a Canadian Grand Prix Award winner is often a game changer for companies because of the extensive exposure to key retailers, buyers, and new consumers.

Five recipients also received Special Awards: AB World Food’s Patak’s was inaugural winner of the Excellence in Ethnic Product award for their Veggie Curries, Fruit d’or’s Patience Fruit & Co.won the All-Canadian trophy for their Organic Dried Cranberries, No Added Sugar, Save-On-Foods won the Overall Consumer Value award for Western Family Ultimate Cheesecake Collection, Kraft Heinz’s Maxwell Housewon the Innovation and Originality award for their compostable coffee pods, and Victory’s Kitchen was recognized for Innovative Packaging for Soup’s On Plant Based Soups.

“We are seeing Canadians spend more time at home than ever before.  They are craving products to prepare at home to satisfy their need for variety.  They are looking for new taste experience from dishes made with high quality ingredients that appeal to various taste preferences,”  said Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO of Retail Council of Canada. “We are always impressed with how the winning products reflect the changing interests of Canadians.”

Chef and chief jury chair Marcus Von Albrecht oversaw the judging panel.  From 124 products that scored at least 70% on quality and innovation, only 40 products received the prestigious recognition as Canadian Grand Prix New Product Award winners.

Multiple-category winners included: Metro Inc, Walmart Canada, Federated Cooperatives Limited, Save-on-Foods, Sobeys Inc, Victory’s Kitchen, Bonduelle Canada, Fruit d’or, Reynolds Consumer Products Canada and Kraft Heinz.

To view the complete list of this year’s winners, visit: rccgrandprix.ca/winners.

Sponsors of this year’s Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards include: Reebee and The Food Professor Podcast.

About the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards:
Now in its 28th year, the Canadian Grand Prix New Products Awards is an annual program that celebrates new products in food, non-food, and private label categories. The program provides the unique opportunity for entrants to showcase new products to a jury of industry experts and to be recognized by their peers.

The awards program is open to manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors. To be eligible, a product must have been introduced to the market between January 1 and December 31, 2020.  Products were judged on presentation and packaging, product attributes, innovation and originality, and overall value to the consumer.

List of 28th Canadian Grand Prix New Product Award Winners by Category:

NATIONAL BRANDS
FOOD

BAKERY FRESH (Par-Baked)

• Oroweat Organic 22 Grains & Seeds Bread
• Bimbo Canada 

Baking Needs & Dried Bakery

• Robin Hood® Organic All Purpose Flour
• The J.M. Smucker Co. 

Beverages

• Maxwell House Compostable Coffee Pods
• Kraft Heinz Canada

Condiments & Sauces

• Heinz Mayoracha Sauce
• Kraft Heinz Canada 

Confectionery & Shelf Stable Desserts

• Chunkies Energy Bites
• Theobroma Chocolat 

Dairy (Milk, Yogurt, Cheese & Spreadables)

• Gay Lea Specialty Butters
• Gay Lea Foods Co-Operative Ltd. 

Deli Meats and Cheeses

• Balderson Naturel Cheese Slices
• Lactalis Canada 

Frozen or Refrigerated Prepared Foods & Entrees

• SOUP’S ON Plant-Based Soups
• Victory’s Kitchen

Fruit, Vegetable & Produce (Fresh / Refrigerated Or Frozen)

• Arctic Gardens’ Pesticide Residue Tested Frozen Vegetables
• Bonduelle Canada 

Shelf Stable Prepared Foods & Entrees

• Bonduelle Mini Cans
• Bonduelle Canada 

Snack (Savoury)

• Hardbite Potato Chips Explorer Pack
• Hardbite 

Snack (Sweet)

• Patience Fruit & Co Organic Dried Cranberries, No Added Sugar
• Fruit d’Or 

NATIONAL BRANDS
NON-FOOD

Appliance & Cookware

• Alcan Made with 100% Recycled Aluminum Bakeware
• Reynolds Consumer Products Canada Inc.

General Merchandise

• Papyrus – Hello Kitty Patch
• Carlton Cards 

Health Care – Over The Counter

• Nutrameltz Orally Dissolving Supplements /
• Nutrameltz Inc. 

Paper, Plastic & Foil

• Reynolds Kitchens Unbleached Compostable Parchment Paper
• Reynolds Consumer Products Canada Inc. 

Personal Care

• Live Clean® Body Lotion
• Hain-Celestial Canada, ULC. 

Pet Needs

• Purina® Pro Plan® LiveClear™
• Nestle Purina

PRIVATE LABEL
FOOD

BAKERY FRESH (Par-Baked)

• Co-op Gold Croissant Loaf
• Federated Co-operatives Limited 

Beverages

• Life Smart Organic Kombucha
• Metro Inc. 

Condiments & Sauces

• Life Smart Naturalia Grapefruit & Pink Pepper Dressing
• Metro Inc. 

Confectionery & Shelf Stable Desserts

• Selection Premium Fruit Jelly Box
• Metro Inc. 

Dairy (Milk, Yogurt, Cheese & Spreadables)

• Delicious Kitchen Original Coconut Milk Beverage
• Walmart Canada 

Deli Meats and Cheeses

• Co-op Gold PURE Cheese
• Federated Co-operatives Limited 

Desserts (Fresh, Refrigerated, or Frozen)

• Western Family Ultimate Cheesecake Collection
• Save-On-Foods Limited Partnership 

Frozen or Refrigerated Prepared Foods & Entrees

• Longo’s Chickpea Veggie Burgers
• Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc. 

Fruit, Vegetable & Produce (Fresh / Refrigerated Or Frozen)

• Cal & Gary’s Meatless Burgers
• Calgary Co-op Association Ltd 

Meat, Egg & Seafood (Fresh/Refrigerated Or Frozen)

• Compliments Naturally Simple Pork Sausages
• Sobeys Inc. 

Shelf Stable Prepared Foods & Entrees

• Co-op Gold PURE Pasta
• Federated Co-operatives Limited 

Snack (Savoury)

• Irresistibles Old-fashioned Chips
• Metro Inc. 

Snack (Sweet)

• Selection Premium Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups
• Metro Inc. 

PRIVATE LABEL
NON -FOOD

Baby Care

• Personnelle Baby Baby Wipes
• Metro Inc. 

General Merchandise

• Selection Eco Compostable Tablewear Party Pack
• Metro Inc. 

Hair Care

• Personnelle Cleansing Wipes for Beard and Moustache
• Metro Inc. 

Health Care – Oral Hygiene

• Personnelle Bamboo Charcoal Toothbrushes
• Metro Inc. 

Health Care – Over The Counter

• Be Better Vegan Protein Powder
• Rexall Pharmacy Group Ltd. 

Household Products

• Co-op Gold PURE Concentrated Pods
• Federated Co-operatives Limited 

Personal Care

• Personnelle Eco Ultrathin Organic Pads with Wings
• Metro Inc. 

Pet Needs

• Special Kitty Flushable Clumping Cat Litter
• Walmart Canada 

SPECIAL AWARDS

Excellence in Ethnic Products

• Patak’s Veggie Curries
• AB World Foods 

Overall Consumer Value

• Western Family Ultimate Cheesecake Collection
• Save-On-Foods Limited Partnership 

Innovation and Originality

• Maxwell House Compostable Coffee Pods
• Kraft Heinz Canada 

Innovative Packaging

• SOUP’S ON Plant-Based Soups
• Victory’s Kitchen 

All Canadian

• Patience Fruit & Co Organic Dried Cranberries, No Added Sugar
• Fruit d’Or 

About Retail Council of Canada
Retail is Canada’s largest private sector employer. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members represent more than two thirds of retail sales in the country. RCC is a not-for-profit, industry-funded association that represents small, medium and large retail businesses in every community across the country. As the Voice of Retail™ in Canada, we proudly represent more than 45,000 storefronts in all retail formats, including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers and online merchants. www.RetailCouncil.org

RCC grocery members represent more than 95 per cent of the market in Canada. They provide essential services and are an important source of employment in large and small communities across the country. They have strong private label programs and sell products in every food category.

SOURCE Retail Council of Canada

Press Release – RCC-CCCD – EN – 28 Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards Winners – Media Partners

For further information: Branka Stavric, 416.467.3772, bstavric@retailcouncil.org

Related Links

http://www.retailcouncil.org