Esteemed award honors the industry’s most impactful food and beverage product innovators.

The National Restaurant Association announced the recipients of its first annual Food & Beverage Product Innovations Awards, which recognize progressive food and beverage products that will make a significant impact in the restaurant industry. The recipients will be showcased in the F&B Product Innovations Gallery (booth 7129) at the 2011 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at Chicago’s McCormick Place May 21-24.

Award recipients were selected for their significant advancements and innovations in ingredients, preparation, processing, and packaging.

The first annual Food & Beverage Product Innovations Award recipients are:

ConAgra Foodservice – The Max Fit for Kids Plus Whole Grain Stuffed Crust Pizza
ConAgra Foodservice – PAM® Cooking Sprays
DrybagSteak, LLC – UMAI DrybagSteak
Epicurean Butter – Spreadable Roasted Garlic Herb Butter
Fermin & Wagshal’s – Ibérico de Bellota Heritage Pork
Food Market Merchandising, Inc – got milk? Magic Milk Straws
H.J. Heinz Company – Heinz® Dip & Squeeze® Ketchup
Inventure Foods Inc. – Boulder Canyon All Natural Snacks in Fully Compostable Packaging
La Brea Bakery – Telera Roll
Lamb Weston, (a brand of ConAgra Foods) – Sweet Things Mini Tater Puffs®
S&D Coffee, Inc. – Teafinity Natural Brewed Iced Tea with the Brewmaster System
Sinco Inc. – Hand-stretched Wood-fired Pizza Crusts
The Bread House & Granary – Going Chia! Energy Fiber Bars

The awards will be presented in the World Culinary Showcase on Saturday, May 21.

Award recipients were selected based on judges’ evaluation of the products as well as claims made by the manufacturers.