Ohio Signature Food Contest winners announced
The Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT) and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) sponsored the Ohio Signature Food Contest which showcases many new products ready to take that next step – actual product development.
Rebecca Singer, CIFT president and CEO, and Connie Ward, business development field director, OFBF, named the two winners selected in recognition of their product concepts. During the event, the winners were described as:
- Hot Pepper Relish by Charles Garrett (Newton Falls, Ohio) – A mixture of Inferno or hot wax peppers in a tomato based sauce that adds a punch of heat to any sandwich.
- Shiitake & Onion Soup Mix by Te’Lario Watkins (Blacklick, Ohio) – A blend of shiitake mushrooms and onions that can be made into a soup, mixed into sour cream for a dip or applied as a seasoning for meat.
Following a review of written applications and presentations by food entrepreneurs and chefs to a panel of judges, the highest scoring concepts were selected based on the viability of the product, commercialization potential, business strategy and overall appeal to the marketplace.
Announcing the Ohio Signature Food Contest winners with @OhioFarmBureau at the Ag Hort Building at the @OhioStateFair pic.twitter.com/iiysrUjzCp
— CIFT (@CIFTtweets) August 1, 2017
As a result of the award, technical assistance from CIFT will be provided to the startup businesses ranging from business planning, product/process development, shelf stability testing, labeling review, regulatory assistance, and batch product preparations for sampling.
Later, production will take place at the Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen (NOCK) in Bowling Green, Ohio. The NOCK is a commercially-licensed kitchen that educates and provides technical assistance to new and growing food businesses.
