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Camelait premium Camel Ice Cream was the big winner at the SIAL Innovation Awards. Organised by SIAL Middle East in conjunction with Etihad Airways, the award was presented to the Al Ain Dairy company at a special ceremony at the Aloft hotel in Abu Dhabi.
The healthy alternative to regular ice cream was recognised as a ground breaking product reflecting global trends and it was certainly a case of second-helpings for Al Ain Dairy having won the award once before at the augural ceremony back in 2011 for their cardamom flavoured vitamin A and D enriched milk.
Kingston Fernandes, Head of Sales for Al Ain Dairy Company said: “We are thrilled to receive the SIAL Innovation Award, it gives us great confidence and belief that this delicious, healthy and unique product will be a global success. SIAL Middle East has once again provided us with a fantastic platform to bring our products to an international audience.”
Out of the original 142 food and beverage products entered, 42 were shortlisted, out of which ten finalists were selected and five of those products were produced in the UAE. Acquacedri Natural Mineral Water, Helmig’s Curcumin Effervescent, Constant Energy shot and two products from eventual winner Al Ain Dairy.
Speaking on behalf of a panel of judges which consisted of independent international food professionals, Xavier Terlet, CEO of the global food industry consultants, XTC World Innovation said:
“The judges were extremely impressed by the quality of all of the 142 entries we received this year at SIAL Middle East. Social media is accelerating global consumer trends, so it’s encouraging to see a wealth of new and innovative products coming to market in response to that growing demand,” said Terlet.
“Throughout the show health and convenience have been the prevalent trends this year, with many new products focusing on natural ingredients while still meeting the approval of evermore discerning consumers. Al Ain Dairy’s low fat Camelait Camel Ice Cream, is an outstanding product, it touches all trending criteria and thoroughly deserves this accolade.”
The awards are based on stringent criteria and cover an array of food categories including health, taste, ethics, convenience and appearance, as well as the level of innovation involved in developing the product, including the manufacturing process and ingredients. This year, the SIAL Middle East exhibition featured winning products from other regional competitions held in China, Brazil, Canada, Paris and the Philippines.
Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi, Director of Communication and Community Service Division at Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) and Chairman of the SIAL Middle East organising committee said: “The SIAL Innovation Award provides ongoing encouragement to all food companies in the UAE. Not only to react to market trends or to anticipate them, but to try and create demand by producing innovative products that can appeal to what is fast-becoming a transient global audience.”
Exhibitors and visitors to SIAL, the region’s fastest growing professional trade event for the food, drink and hospitality industry, will have the opportunity to view a range of winning products from other global SIAL events at the Innovation Observatory, one of the many highlights of the three-day exhibition and conference.
Held under the strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, SIAL Middle East is part of the world’s largest network of professional food events, which include SIAL Paris, SIAL China, SIAL Canada, and SIAL Brazil.
Concluding today (Wednesday 26 November), SIAL Middle East has hosted over 1000 exhibitors, 650 chefs, buyers from 50 major airlines and 27 international pavilions underscoring the growth and popularity of the event.
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