Specialty Food Association completes judging under complicated pandemic challenges
The Specialty Food Association has completed its 2020 sofi™ Awards judging in the midst of the pandemic. Launched in 1972, the sofi (specialty outstanding food innovation) Awards celebrate the culinary excellence and creativity of its 4,000+ members. This year, however, the process was more complicated given the challenges of COVID 19. Thanks to a partnership with Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University (FIC), the Specialty Food Association (SFA) persevered, and produced its 48th annual sofi™ Awards competition, resulting in 157 winners across 49 categories from around the world.
Originally scheduled for March at the FIC in Bridgeton, N.J., the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of judging. Faced with perishable entries, the SFA and FIC collaborated with Gateway Community Action Partnership, a local nonprofit, which received donated specialty foods that included breads and tortillas, coffees and teas, a wide variety of cheeses, dips, yogurt, honey, soups, snacks, chocolates, and specialty candies.