Finalists of Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards revealed

Retail Council of Canada (RCC) reveals the finalists for the 30^th Annual Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards.

The 30^th Annual Canadian Grand Prix New Product Award finalists represent 107 of the most impressive food and non-food products launched into the Canadian market in 2022. Submissions were received from large and small companies, from startups and family-owned independent retailers to established companies from across Canada. Both private label and national brands were evaluated.

“As we celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards, it is thrilling to see how new companies across the country continue to raise the calibre of new products they introduce to delight consumers,” said Diane J. Brisebois, president and CEO, Retail Council of Canada. “Our jury, which includes retailers, industry experts, and food influencers, were thoroughly impressed by the high-quality products they saw this year. The feedback they will be providing to the finalists will be invaluable to their ongoing new product development work.”

Chef and jury chair Marcus A. Von Albrecht, who has who has overseen the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards judging for 24 years, has directly witnessed the evolution of product development.

“I see the past feedback from our expert jury reflected in the most interesting new products. The quality of private label products is particularly exceptional. This year, not only did we continue to see companies introducing products to help Canadians easily create delicious meals at home, but we also saw considerable innovation in snack products that tap into beloved flavour combinations, like a favourite cocktail. We also saw nutrition-packed snacks that added a boost of protein or fibre or other nutrients. There was also an interesting trend in package design where contemporary graphics were paired with soothing pastel colours.”

The Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards are widely viewed as both an endorsement of excellence and a likelihood of products becoming successful commercially. Finalists can use the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Award finalist seal on their products.

This year’s jury of 31 food and grocery industry experts evaluated products based on innovation, taste, texture, consumer value, and packaging. The rigorous evaluation process required that to become a finalist, a product needed to receive an overall score of at least 70 per cent.

On May 31, 2023, the winners of the key categories and five specialty awards, will be announced live at the 30^th Canadian Grand Prix New Product Award Gala Dinner. The specialty awards recognize the products that had the highest scores in the categories of:
• innovation and originality
• package design
• overall consumer value
• best all-Canadian made product.
• excellence in ethnic products

This year’s Awards Gala Dinner show will be hosted by international food and travel celebrity Mijune Pak, known to many as the founder of FollowMeFoodie.com and judge on both Top Chef Canada and Iron Chef Canada.

The complete list of finalists is now posted on the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards website.

Visit rccgrandprix.ca/register-now to order tickets to the gala, which will be hosted at the Toronto Congress Centre and close the two-day RCC STORE 23 Conference.