National Restaurant Association Announces 2012 Food And Beverage Product Innovations Awards

The National Restaurant Association today announced the recipients of the 2012 Food and Beverage Product Innovations Awards, which this year recognizes consumable products that deliver significant restaurant operator benefits ranging from new flavor concepts to better-for-you nutritional profiles and operator flexibility. The awardees have been selected by an independent panel of experts who represent a broad variety of both commercial and non-commercial segments.

Award recipients will be showcased in the exclusive Food and Beverage Products Innovations Gallery on the exhibit floor at the 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, set for its new dates May 5-8 at Chicago's McCormick Place.

"Our esteemed panel of judges selected groundbreaking food and beverage products that customers will soon be buzzing about," said Jack Crawford Convention Chair for NRA Show 2012 and President and CEO of Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative, LLC. "These customer-centric standouts will give NRA Show attendees plenty to think about and act on while they tour this year's exhibit floor. As the largest restaurant and hospitality trade show in the United States, the NRA Show is the only place where foodservice professionals can find all the memory-making foods and beverages, trends and insights they need to stay on top."

The 2012 Food and Beverage Product Innovations Award recipients are:

Cavendish Farms - Tempura Battered Extreme Beans
Cavendish Farms has taken long Kentucky Flat beans pickled in a blend of spices and added their signature crispy tempura coating. It's a spicy tasty snack that offers superb plate appeal and excitement to any menu.

ConAgra Foodservice - Angela Mia NSA Crushed Tomatoes
This is the only no-salt-added crushed tomato product on the market today-it delivers fresh tomato flavor (100% California), aroma and color with only 14% of the sodium in traditional crushed tomatoes.

ConAgra Foodservice - The Max Fit for Kids Plus MaxSnax BBQ Chicken
These mini handheld triangles of 51% whole-grain quesadilla dough are loaded with chunks of white-meat chicken, a blend of cheeses and a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce and it meets new National School Lunch standards.

Cook Natural Products- Mara's Pasta
The only 100% whole wheat pasta made from Maragrain. Grown by U.S. family farmers and designed to please the palate of the most finicky child. Each two-ounce serving contains seven grams of dietary fiber and eight grams of protein.

Copa di Vino - Copa di Vino Wine (Copa!)
First wine by the glass bottled directly into a recyclable plastic cup that allows an operator to conveniently serve wine anywhere without the need to uncork and pour-reduces costs and waste.

HJ Heinz Company - 3-in-1 Soup, Sauce or Dip
This is a unique frozen product that allows an operator to create three menu items by simply changing the preparation. Reconstitute with water for a soup, milk for a sauce or sour cream for a dip.

HMC Farms - Grape Escape
Fresh de-stemmed grapes washed and ready to eat. Packed in single serve two-ounce or three-ounce bags. Grape Escape meets the challenge of profitably serving healthy fresh fruit snacks year round. No preservatives or additives and an 18-day shelf life.

HomeFree LLC - Gluten Free Vanilla Mini Cookies
These cookies are a good source of whole grains (9 g), certified organic (70%), heart healthy, Kosher pareve, vegan and Non-GMO Project Verified. They are free of the top eight allergens and certified gluten-free.

Jennie - O Turkey Store - Precooked Turkey Burger
Developed specifically for K-12 foodservice, this product gives students an amazing burger experience with all the nutritional benefits of turkey. Most importantly