Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards: Quebec accounts for 50% of food products

Montreal, February 27, 2024 – Of the hundred or so food products that will be tested at the prestigious Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards – , the 31st edition of which will take place on May 29 in Toronto -, nearly half come from Quebec-based companies. The Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards, presented by the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), recognizes the innovation and excellence of Canadian food and non-food products that have appeared on retailers’ shelves over the past year.

As part of the deliberations, the jury will meet at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) from February 27 to March 1. The jury is made up of nearly thirty experts and media from the food industry, as well as member suppliers and retailers. Among them, for the first time this year, we find chef Samuel Sirois, Canadian candidate for the famous Bocuse d’Or culinary competition in 2023 and Chef-instructor at the ITHQ.

“The Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards annually recognizes products sold in stores from coast to coast for their innovation, taste and craftsmanship. Year after year, we are proud to welcome the expert jury of this prestigious concourse to the ITHQ, a Mecca of culinary excellence in Quebec. Of course, I am also delighted to see that Quebec know-how finds its way into more than half of the food products submitted for the 31st edition of the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards,” said Michel Rochette, President of RCC – Quebec.

The products tested will be prepared exactly according to the instructions on the package and must be served as part of a blind taste test to ensure the objectivity of the evaluation. The jurors will then have to score each product according to four evaluation criteria: the characteristics of the product, its innovation and originality, the presentation and packaging, and the overall value to consumers. Products with an overall average score of 70% or higher qualify as finalists. These will be announced next April and the awards ceremony will take place in Toronto on May 29 at RCCSTORE24, the largest annual gathering of Canadian retailers.

In addition, on the sidelines of the deliberations, RCC will introduce the members of the jury to Aliments du Québec-certified restaurants, whose menus highlight Quebec products.

“It has been an honour to host the deliberations of this important Retail Council of Canada’s Canada-wide competition for several years. I have had the pleasure of participating in the past and the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec is pleased to contribute again this year, with one of our chef instructors among the members of the jury. Thanks to his exceptional culinary skills forged over many years of taste and sensory experience, Samuel Sirois will be able to reveal the new food products that have stood out over the past year,” said Liza Frulla, General Director of the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ).

“I am excited to see so many products designed by Quebec food processors in the running for this year’s Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. This event highlights the innovative spirit of entrepreneurs and the high quality of the products of the local food processing industry as part of this pan-Canadian award,” said Sylvie Cloutier, President and CEO of the Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec (CTAQ).

Canadian Grand Prix for New Products

For more than 30 years, the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards, presented by the Retail Council of Canada, has celebrated the innovation and excellence of Canadian food and non-food products that have hit retailer shelves over the past year. Whether national or private label, the products are tested according to the instructions on the packaging, whether it is a food product to be prepared or a non-food product to be used. The jury is made up of nearly thirty experts and media from the food industry, as well as member suppliers and retailers. Eagerly awaited every year, this event is one of the most prestigious in the retail industry. The winners will be announced at RCCSTORE24, Canada’s largest annual retail gathering, in late May in Toronto.

For more information, visit: https://rccgrandprix.ca/

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About the Retail Council of Canada

Recognized as the Voice of Retailers^™ in Quebec and Canada since 1963, the Retail Council of Canada is an industry-funded, not-for-profit association that represents small, medium and large retail businesses that are embedded in people’s daily lives. The organization’s members include the largest banners in Quebec and Canada; from department stores to food distribution, specialty stores, pharmacies, independent retail and online stores. RCC is a hub where unique expertise converges, developing guides, tools and certified training, in addition to being a true source of data and analysis. The retail sector employs more than half a million Quebecers and generates sales of nearly $110 billion (2022).

 

For more information, please contact:

Laurence Tôth
Director, Public Affairs
AUCOIN Stratégie & Communication
581 305-4501
ltoth@aucoinstrategie.com