Winners of the fourth Gulfood Awards, the Middle East’s most sought-after food and beverage accolades, were announced last night at a spectacular gala dinner held at the Samaya Ballroom, Ritz Carlton, DIFC.

Organised by The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the awards were judged by an international panel of independent industry experts and attracted a record number of entries in 24 categories. This year saw the introduction of a new ‘Local Food Award’, recognising products grown and produced in the UAE.

Trixee Loh, senior vice president for Dubai World Trade Centre, said: “Both the level of interest and quality of submissions we have received for the awards has been exceptional. It is exciting to see regional players in the food and beverage industry raises the bar for excellence and innovation every year.”

“As Gulfood continues to remain the largest annual food and hospitality trade show in the world, it is important to recognise those companies that contribute to the development of the industry through their creativity and inventiveness.”

Gulfood Award Winners 2013 include best new non-alcoholic beverage - Go Coco coconut water, best new Halal food - Mas Parés - the foie gras of the Pharaohs, best environmental sustainability initiative - Al Ghurair Foods’ Be Responsible Campaign, best customer marketing campaign – PepsiCo - Lay’s Flavour Me Campaign, best health education initiative award - Al Ghurair Foods – A Better Tomorrow!, best new fast food product or innovation award - MorLife – Goji Antiox Gluten-Free Muesli, local food award - Best Foods Company’s coconut date chocolate, best newcomer brand or business award - Dione Dairy ice cream and best new health food or beverage ingredient award - Al Rawabi Dairy’s Nutree Boost.

Gulfood helps buyers find the most innovative and widest range of products from every sector of their industry. A transactional show, it provides manufacturers, distributors and suppliers with unmatched opportunities to conduct business at a global level, the statement said. - TradeArabia News Service