SIAL Montreal 2009: Top Notch Innovators

Ten awards were given out to top food innovators, who exhibited at the 2009 edition of SIAL Montreal. The show serves specifically the North American market.

Winners of the Trends & Innovations awards at SIAL Montreal 2009 fell into three broad groups: the avant-garde, the practical pleasures, and the nutritional.

Members of the jury also hailed from diverse backgrounds. They are: Xavier Terlet, Founder and President of XTC World Innovation and SIAL consultant since 1995; Isabelle Marquis, Nutritionist and Director of marketing in health and innovation, Enzyme.; Nathalie Marcil, Director, commercial research and quality services to consumers, Métro; Martin Lemire, Vice-president and Chief-editor, Les Éditions Comestibles; Francine Masson, General Director, Alliance for Innovation in Agri-Food (APIA) and Gildas Meneu, food critic for many magazines.

Forward Thinking Distinction

Today, spectacular initiatives in molecular cuisine have gone against the established order; they have compelled the industry to be bold, to try surprising ingredient combinations, and to oppose tastes and textures, in infinite possibilities for interesting results.

In Calanquet, fruit juice is infused with aromatic plants and a dash of olive oil is added to give the juice a smooth and easy drinking texture. Plant extracts are also used in the Slow Cow drink that goes against the trend of energising drinks by allowing its consumers to relax instead.

Nutritional Trends Distinction

According to Xavier Terlet, XTC World Innovation, a few changes occurred in the last few years when it comes to nutritional trends. These days, nutritional products and vegetables and fruits form the centre of attention. Very technical and complex promises have subsided, which is allowing more practical and fun products to take on a larger dimension. As a result the Savoura Lunch was selected. It is a simple sachet holding three fresh and ready-to-eat mini cucumbers. The frozen gazpacho Jardinéo, sold in packages of two individual portions, won the judges’ favours too.

Greater modernisation does not mean that traditions have been forgotten. Tradition has evolved to be more representative of current codes and trends. This explains why judges found La Ferme Martinette’s maple syrup crystals mixed with fruits in a pepper mill-type dispenser a great fusion of tradition and modernisation. The same approach led the jury to notice the line of frozen crepes from À table!, which was inspired by the Breton tradition but with a resolutely modern twist (for example, by using fruit and chocolate fillings).

Pleasurable And Practical

The Trends & Innovations jury of the SIAL Montréal 2009 also emphasised practicality.

Galettine Moment (ready-to-cook dough for confectioner’s recipes) was the grand winner among the 10 new products introduced by the SIAL Montreal exhibitors.

The Doséo individual sauces, which are packed to be stackable and will not clutter cupboards or refrigerators was one such winner boasting practicality. Judges also appreciated the Coffret Découverte – Maison d’Orphée that offers seven different oils in 100ml bottles – an interesting initiation to the discovery of the many flavours of oil. Finally, the Choc-O-Lait was selected for originality – a stick is mounted on a chocolate cube which can be used as a stirrer in milk or hot chocolates.