The National Restaurant Association (NRA) announced the recipients of the most innovative products in 2012 on March 7th. Eighteen recipients will be honored in the annual show from May 5th to May 8th in the Food and Beverage Products Innovations Gallery.
After looking at the list, we picked out seven items that we think that you should keep your eye on if you’re in the food and beverage business.
Tempura Battered Extreme Beans
Cavendiah Farms took Kentucky flat beans and dipped them in a uniquely spiced tempura batter. They look good on plates and are a tasty alternative to the friend green bean trend.
MaxSnax BBQ Chicken
ConAgra’s line of Max Fit for Kids Plus made a tasty product that also passes the new National School Lunch standards. They took three mini handheld triangles of whole grain quesadilla dough, lean chicken, cheese and a tangy BBQ sauce. School lunches that are both palatable and meet the new standards of healthy are hot this year.
Copa di Vino Wine (Copal)
What’s special about this wine? It reduces costs and it’s green. Forego the bottle and put the wine straight into a recyclable and sealed plastic cup—portable and quick. Perfect for foodservice on the go.
3-in-1 Soup, Sauce, and Dip
HJ Heinz put out a frozen base that is designed to be three menu items in one. It saves space and it’s easy to work with. For soup, you add water. For sauce, you add milk. For dip, you add sour cream. Simple, fast, and tasty.
Simplii Oat Shakes
We think that this one is especially interesting because the judges say it tastes great and it has all of the qualifiers of some of the biggest taste trends in the industry right now. We have one question, though, is it gluten free, too?
- Oat based
- Dairy free
- Soy free
- Non-GMO
- 100% vegan
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