ISM names three confectionery winners as its 2021 new product stars
The team behind the ISM international confectionery trade fair has named its three star new product winners for 2021 as Confiserie Burg Lauenstein from Germany, Selectum from Austria and Francois Doucet from France, reports Neill Barston.
While this year’s physical event was cancelled amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, organisers of the sector showcase wanted to celebrate some of the industry’s continued momentum with some strong product development on show.
As ISM explained, its New Product Showcase, which is judged by an independent industry jury, has been the central platform for the industry’s new products since 2009 and has established itself as an appealing attraction for all decision-makers at the event in Cologne, Germany.
Normally, the key global sweets and snacks global trade fair presents the new products to the visitors in a high-calibre special exhibition during the trade fair. This year, ISM opted for a digital edition of the New Product Showcase due to the cancellation of the physical event, which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary.
“For ISM, the New Product Showcase is an important medium for making the high number of innovations transparent to the trade audience. With no physical trade fair taking place, it was important to us to support the industry with the business platform ISM as a stage for presenting their new products. We are delighted that with 70 exhibitors from 20 nations and in total 110 products, the digital response was very high. This underlines the innovative power of the industry and how much it needs ISM as an industry platform for sweets and snacks,” explained Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse.
First place went to the “Lauensteiner Tea Leaf Tin”, which combines tea and chocolate with each other masterfully. According to the jury, true chocolate perfectionists were at work here. That alone would have been prize-worthy, but the packaging and overall contents also stand for high quality. Unanimously – something that doesn’t happen all that often – the jury was convinced that the winner is not just a chocolatey highlight for tea lovers. The Lauenstein chocolate-makers have optimally selected nine well-known tea combinations to match the different types of chocolate. Confiserie Burg Lauenstein has succeeded in capturing and combining the finest tee aromas with the chocolate in a very well-balanced manner. An exceptional idea in top chocolate quality, very well implemented in terms of taste, elaborately and elegantly packed.
Second place this year went to the “Paddies Cheestastic”, that impress as cream-filled, tender crunchy pastry puffs filled with a fine cheesy cream. The jury came to an agreement fast here, they really are cheesetastic. They don’t shed crumbs, don’t make a mess and are crispy light. The product is flaky and tender, can be easily crushed with the tongue only to be rewarded with the full-bodied, creamy Cheddar cheese filling. For the jury a cutting-edge, practical, to-go micro snack that is rich in protein as well as being gluten and palm oil-free. Furthermore, the Paddies are baked using the trend ingredient chickpea flour and the latest induction technology without being deep-fried and are 100 percent CO² emission-free.
As the ISM team noted, “KARA Fruit Taste”, the coated crunchy cereals covered in the finest fruit chocolate convinced the jury with its top confectionery quality and fruity, crispy-light combination of different ingredients and ultimately claimed third place. A delicate shell made of the finest fruit chocolate conceals a core comprising of gluten-free, crunchy cereals. People, who are looking for a light summer snack, but who don’t want to do without chocolate, can fall back on the KARA crispy chocolate balls during the hot months too. Passion fruit, lime, banana or raspberry enter a wonderful, fruity liaison with fine, tenderly melting white chocolate – typically French.
In addition to this the product excels due to its high quality, distinct fruity taste without artificial flavours and is additionally gluten-free, fruity & crunchy, as well as perfectly crafted. The winners of the New Product Showcase will additionally be presented in the scope of the New Product Showcase Film