Editors' Picks 2020: Beverage and Food winners

Coffee

Gold: Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, Topco Associates — Full Circle Market Whole Bean Canned Coffee
Topco insights showed that more than a third of coffee drinkers prefer grinding whole beans for better taste, and this is especially strong among millennials. In stylish Full Circle Market cans, great for reuse when the product is gone, a non-GMO whole bean coffee debuted.

Silver: Kruger North America — Black Drop Nespresso Compatible Aluminum Capsules

Bronze: Trilliant, Walgreens — Nice! Premium Cold Brew Vanilla Latte

Juice/Soft/Sports Drinks

Gold: Perrigo, Albertsons — O Organics Electrolytes
Not just a leader in private brands but the organic category, Albertsons’ O Organics electrolyte product stands out with its clean ingredient deck with no harsh products or dyes.

Silver: Nature’s Touch Frozen Foods Inc., Metro Inc. — Irresistibles Organics Very Berry frozen fruits

Bronze: New Age Beverage Corp., Topco Associates — Full Circle Market Organic Kombucha

Water

Gold: La Galvanina, Albertsons — Signature Select Craft Mixers
The first time a mixer like this was made in the Albertsons private brand space and leverages an Italian heritage of beverage making, upping a mixer segment that’s normally dominated by value offerings. This one competes with top-level mixers to go with an emerging craft cocktail category.

Silver: Albertsons — Signature Select Soleil and Caffeine
Bronze: Company Pure Distribution, Walgreens — Nice! Premium Icelandic Water

Dairy

Gold (three-way tie): Prairie Farms, Aldi — Friendly Farms Lactose Free Chocolate Whole Milk; Jasper, Aldi — Friendly Farms Original Oatmilk; Smithfoods, Aldi — Friendly Farms Almond Coconutmilk Blend
These three products outright fill a need for those with a dietary restriction but don't sacrifice on taste.

Silver: Aurora Organic Dairy, Topco Associates — Full Circle Market Organic Milk with DHA and EPA Omega-3

Bronze: Albertsons — Open Nature Oat Milk

Wine/Spirits

Gold: Gallo, Albertsons — Exponential Cabernet Sauvignon; Brick & Vine Cabernet Sauvignon
Albertsons offered two reds in the category at a price less than $10. Exponential was the 15th top growth brand for its 16 weeks, per IRI, while the Brick & Vine wines at Albertsons sell more than $2 million annually, with the cabernet totaling 35% of that cash.

Silver: Specialty Cellars, Albertsons — Round Rock Vodka

Bronze: Vintage Wine Estates, Albertsons — Signature Reserve Tennessee Whiskey

Food

Candy

Gold: Chocmod USA — Peanut/Pretzel Choco Snack
Indulgently innovative, this sweet-and-salty pairing has a soft truffle center coated with real crispy pieces of salted peanut or pretzel to give it a soft and crunchy mix too. The pouches are perfect for grab and go and has received a lot of interest all over the world.

Silver: Chocmod USA — White Chocolate Quinoa & Mango Snacking Chocolate

Bronze: Les Aliments Midlon Foods, Metro — Selection of Premium Belgian Chocolate Cups

Dressings/Oils

Gold: Catania Oils — Marconi Fresh Harvest Bag-In-Box Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Flavors are innovatively preserved by the box packaging that blocks harmful light, and the oil is in an airtight bag to seal freshness.

Silver: Fine Italian Food — Mantova Italian Dressing Spray

Bronze: Salad Girl Fresh Organic Salad Dressing — Dude Ranch, Creamy Caesar, Creamy Sassy (slaw, chopped dressing)

Syrups/Jams

Gold: Bascom Maple Farms — Coombs Family Farms Maple Stream
An innovative can that streams out the syrup for a cleaner delivery system that’s easier for kids with no sticky cap and no need to refrigerate.

Silver: Blackberry Patch, Albertsons — Signature Select Fruit Syrups (Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry)

Bronze: The Gracious Gourmet — Empresa line of jams (Chile Mango Lime, Blueberry Lemon Thyme, Balsamic Fig, Apple Sweet Cherry)

Condiments/Seasonings

Gold: Cape Foods, Checkers Shoprite South Africa — I Love Bacon Seasoning
Three seasonings that — despite the name — are 100% vegetarian, adding a smoky flavor to eggs, pizza and sandwiches. The seasonings are high quality for a low price point: $1.99.

Silver: Celtrade Canada Inc., Topco Associatesc — Culinary Tours Mayo Style Sandwich Spread

Bronze: Olive Packing, Aldi — Aldi-exclusive Specially Selected Stuffed Queen Olives

Frozen Desserts

Gold: J&J Snack Foods Corp., Walmart — Funnel Cake Fries
An innovative treat for the aisle, bringing a favorite carnival treat to the freezer section.

Silver: GS Gelato & Desserts, Topco Associates — Culinary Tours Sorbetto

Bronze: Deliciosa Food Group, Topco Associates — Culinary Tours Fusion Bars

Meat/Seafood

Gold: Golden West, Albertsons — Signature Select Citrus & Herb Spatchcock Chicken
This product ranks as the No. 1 own brands item in the refrigerated prepared meat category for the retailer, exceeding forecasted sales by 48%. So successful, it’s paved the way for 2020 line extensions.

Silver: Kubisch Sausage — Long John Snacks Pickled Sausage and Salami Stix

Bronze: LOC Industries/Alternative Kitchen, Sobeys, Healthy Planet, Metro — Organic Veggie Cold Cut Slices

Popcorn

Gold: Snack Innovations — Birthday Cake Drizzled Kettle Corn
When something is birthday cake-flavored, it’s almost never a product that also is non-GMO, dairy-free, free from allergens and completely guilt free. The drizzled popcorn is sprinkled with fruit and vegetable-colored sprinkles and only 140 calories per serving.

Silver: Snack Innovations — Sweet & Salty Turmeric Kettle Corn

Bronze: Specialty Food Group, Aldi — Aldi-exclusive Clancy’s White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn

Chips

Gold: Snyders of Berlin, Wakefern — Bowl & Basket Kettle Cooked Potato Chips
The first release in one of the most gorgeous, innovative private brand launches — Bowl & Basket. Sales were up in the category from the launch of these chips with innovative flavor profiles like Maui Sweet Onion.

Silver: Snak King, Albertsons — Signature Select Cheese Crunchies

Bronze: Uniban, Albertsons — Signature Select Plantain Chips

Nuts

Gold: Cibo Vita — Nature’s Garden Keto Snack Mix
An innovative mix of nuts, seeds and cheese that is a healthy and functional snack food sets itself apart by featuring Howaru Shape probiotics, a unique formula of 10 billion CFUs of bifidobacterium lactis B420, a naturally occurring strain originally isolated from dairy products.

Silver: Sun Tree Snack Foods, Dollar General — Good & Smart Salt & White Pepper Shelled Pistachios

Bronze: Tropical Nut & Fruit, Walgreens — Nice! Premium Cashew & Macadamia Blend

Protein/Snack Bars

Gold: Leclerc Foods USA, Aldi — Aldi-exclusive Elevation by Millville Fruit & Nut Bars
A top seller in the nutritional bar category, flavors like Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt make the nutritional bars a tasty snack on the go or to go with a lunch and contain no high-fructose corn syrup.

Silver: Your Bar Factory, Metro — Irresistibles Naturalia Kids Cereal Bars

Bronze: Doctors Scientific Organica, Smart for Life — Keto Triple Chocolate Protein Bar

Sweets

Gold: Apple Valley Foods, Metro — Irresistibles Choco Caramel Pecan Cream Pie
A pure indulgence: the decadent pie comes with a chocolate cookie crust, creamy chocolate, caramel, pecans and whipped cream. No artificial coloring or aroma, the pie serves eight slices and has registered rapid growth since its launch.

Silver: Poppies International, Aldi — Aldi-exclusive Benton’s Macaroons

Bronze: Dover Foods, Albertsons — Open Nature Vanilla and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Mix

Bread, Granola

Gold: Bagel Boy, Aldi — Aldi-exclusive L’oven Fresh Bagel Skinny’s
With 0 grams of saturated fat and only 110 calories per serving, the product brings a low-calorie option to the bagel category.

Silver: TWI Foods, Metro — Irresistibles Roti Flat Breads

Bronze: Bakery on Main/Garden of Light, Aldi — Aldi-exclusive Simply Nature Super Food Granola

Cheese/Yogurt

Gold: Great Lakes Cheese, Aldi — Aldi-exclusive Emporium Selection Cracker Cuts
Packed with an undeniable convenience, this product features pre-cut slices that can be easily added to a cheese tray for entertaining or a quick protein snack on the go. The delicious cheeses come in Extra Sharp White Cheddar, Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar and Gouda.

Silver: Schreiber Foods, Topco Associates — Food Club Foldz Greek Yogurt

Bronze: Great Lakes Cheese, Topco Associates — Food Club String Cheese Bites