Hungry for food and beverage trends? From retail grocery to restaurant and beyond, the industry’s most compelling new products combine trend insights with tastes, technologies and textures. And behind it all are the teams who make it happen. These are the passionate entrepreneurs, innovation and consumer insights strategists, food scientists, research chefs and others who ideate and innovate.
A Deep Dive into the Future of Food & Beverage
Prepared Foods recognizes all these people with its annual Spirit of Innovation (SOI) Awards. Since 2003, these distinctive awards honor innovators for new product development excellence. This year’s program considered as many as 35 items introduced from January 2024 through March 2025. A panel of nine judges later evaluated more than 20 items for overall innovation, a R&D team’s problem-solution story and product sensory performance (including taste, appearance, texture, smell, etc.).
Products were considered in each of five categories including Retail Food, Retail Beverage, Foodservice Front of House (addressing consumer trends), Foodservice Back of House (addressing operator needs) and Alternative Channel (products for in-store deli and/or convenience store). Judges also presented an overall “Most Innovative” designation to one new entry.
Read on for a look at this year’s winners, who represent some of the industry’s best new efforts in snacking, on-the-go convenience, indulgence, authentic ethnic flavor and gut health. Prepared Foods also is proud to share four additional Honorable Mention company and product profiles. These also are noteworthy products for overall teamwork and food science achievement as well as sustainability.
Fast Facts: Prepared Foods’ Spirit of Innovation Awards
Prepared Foods’ operational partner is Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations, a third-party food and beverage product development firm headquartered in Chicago.
Prepared Foods received more than 185 initial submissions and companies were asked to support nominations with product and innovation details. BNP Media food and beverage editors next used information and industry insights to identify as many as 35 new products that advanced through two rounds of preparation and tasting in July and August at Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations.
2025 Spirit of Innovation Award Winners
Pop Oats LLC
Fermenteria
Cuisine Solutions Inc.
Eli’s Cheesecake
Joe Jurgielewicz & Son Ltd.
Ajinomoto Foods North America Inc.
Finally, a panel of nine industry judges evaluated each product against a five-point scale for overall innovation, the team’s problem-solution story and product sensory performance (including taste, appearance, texture, smell, etc.).
Finalist judges included:
- Melanie Bartelme, Global Food Analyst, Mintel
- Nicole Wollack, Sensory and Consumer Insights Manager, Imbibe
- Jenni Spinner, Chief Editor, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery
- Zal Taleyarkhan, Corporate Research Chef, Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations
- Bryce Danner, Research Chef & Kitchen Mgr., Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations
- Mary Sobczak, Marketing and Account Mgr., Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations
- Mike Leonard, Publisher, Prepared Foods
- Nick Roskelly, Exec Editor-New Media, Prepared Foods
- Bob Garrison, Chief Editor, Prepared Foods
The annual competition is free and open to all prepared foods and beverages developed for retail-grocery sales, commercial and non-commercial foodservice operations as well as alternative channel outlets such as in-store deli-bakeries and convenience stores.
