The Specialty Food Association announced the winners of the 2026 Good Food Awards, recognizing 242 products from 198 makers selected through a blind tasting process from more than 1,200 entries. The awards offer food and beverage product developers a look at emerging innovation, craftsmanship and ingredient trends shaping the specialty food market.
The Sweets & Snacks Expo recognized the year’s most innovative confectionery and snack launches, highlighting trends ranging from nostalgic flavors to premium formats and experiential snacking. Organizers say the record number of entries reflects continued momentum in consumer-driven product innovation.
The 2026 FABI Awards recognize 28 food and beverage products gaining traction on menus, with 10 earning top “Favorites” distinction. The lineup reflects key trends, including global flavors, dairy-free innovation and more functional organic formats.
Cargill is leveraging AI to drive efficiency, sustainability and innovation across the global food system. From farm-level insights to supply chain optimization, its tools are delivering measurable impact at scale.
AeroFlexx earned top honors for its mono-material package that reduces plastic use and improves recyclability. The award highlights continued growth and innovation in flexible packaging across CPG categories.
Cargill earned a 2026 BIG Innovation Award for embedding advanced technologies into real-world operations, delivering ROI, waste reduction and emissions cuts at scale. The honor underscores how data-driven innovation is reshaping food security, sustainability and efficiency across the value chain.
The Specialty Food Association has announced the winners of the 2026 sofi Awards, recognizing standout products across 25 categories and five Grand Honors distinctions. Selected through blind tastings, the winners highlight the innovation, flavor and quality shaping the future of specialty food and beverage.
Smearcase, a New York City–based startup, has won the $100,000 Grand Prize at the Real California Milk Excelerator product innovation competition. The brand’s cottage cheese–based ice cream reflects growing interest in protein-forward, functional dairy formats that bridge indulgence and performance nutrition.
Oatrageous Oat Milk Liqueur secured a Walmart Open Call Golden Ticket, paving the way for expanded distribution in Florida and regional growth through 2026. The award-winning, dairy-free lineup—crafted with non-GMO oats and small-batch bourbon—continues to lead innovation in the emerging oat-based cream liqueur category.
Prepared Foods’ 2025 Spirit of Innovation Awards recognize excellence in new product development across retail, foodservice, and alternative channels. From authentic flavors to functional benefits, this year’s winners exemplify how trend insight, creativity, and collaboration drive industry innovation.
Prepared Foods presented its 17th annual "Spirit of Innovation" awards for new product teams during the New Products Conference, Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Chicago's Swissotel.