Eight food and beverage products were among 2016 Product of the Year USA winners recognized for product innovation on Feb. 11 in New York City. Winners in 29 categories were selected based on results of a TNS survey of 40,000 consumers and outperform category sales performance by 38.1 percent at retail.
Established in 1987, Product of the Year operates in 42 countries with the goal of guiding consumers to the best products on shelf while rewarding manufacturers for quality and innovation. Submissions of innovative products launched within the previous year are placed into categories such as food, beverages, home improvement, pet, etc., with one product being named the category winner based on the results of the TNS survey.
“Consumers are looking for quick, in-and-out experiences in stores when making their everyday household purchases," said Rich Fryling, managing director, Product of the Year USA. “The red Product of the Year Award seal lets shoppers know that over 40,000 fellow consumers prefer the winning products over the competition."
The following food and beverage products were named 2016 Product of the Year winners:
- Snacks: Gold Emblem abound™ Unsalted Pistachio & Almond Blend
- Sugar Confections: SweeTARTS Soft & Chewy Ropes
- Condiment: FRENCH'S Tomato Ketchup
- Frozen Foods: Ore-Ida Bold & Crispy Steakhouse Fries
- Better For You: Weight Watchers® Smart Ones® Smoothies
- Chocolate: M&M’s® Crispy Chocolate Candies
- Coffee Beverage: Skinny Cow Creamy Iced Coffee
- Ice Cream: Skinny Cow Dipped Ice Cream Bars