May 4, 2004
CHICAGO, IL — May 4, 2004 — Recognizing the grocery industry’s newest food, beverage and consumer products, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) presented the first-ever Retailer Choice Awards during a special ceremony today during the 2004 FMI Show being held here.

Awards were given to products in 12 different categories. The categories, winning products and companies:

  • Bakery Products — Baker’s Inn Breads, Interstate Brands Corp.
  • Beverages — Strawberry Daiquiri and Pina Colada In-A-Bag, Lt. Blenders Frozen Concoction
  • Condiments and Sauces — Morton Hot Salt, Morton Salt Co.
  • Entrées and Prepared Foods — Forkless GourmetTM Bun Meals, Forkless Gourmet, Inc.
  • Equipment — SaniCart Wipe, Nice-Pak Products, Inc.
  • Health and Beauty Products — Safonique Natural Laundry Detergent, Safonique, LLC
  • Marketing/Packaging — Hot’n Handy, Robbie Manufacturing
  • Pet Products — Waggers…by Pet Central, Waggers Pet Products
  • Shelf Grocery Products — 4C Carb Careful Plain and Seasoned Crumbs, 4C Foods Corp.
  • Snacks and Confectionary — Dec-a-Cake Super Squeezerz, Tone Brothers, Inc.
  • Seasonal Products — Fairway Logo Golf Balls, Fairway Products
  • Technology — Brickstream Intelligence for Marketing — Consumer Products Edition (software)

“FMI is especially pleased to award the outstanding product innovations that drive our business,” declared FMI President and CEO Tim Hammonds. “The Retailer Choice Awards and New Products Showcase provide well-deserved recognition to those companies that bring exceptional value and quality to consumers.”

All the products in the competition have been featured during the past few days in the New Product Showcase at the 2004 FMI Show, one of the world’s largest annual food trade events. To qualify for the Showcase, products must have been launched in the past year and they must be completely new, a category or line extension or, in exceptional cases, relaunched or repackaged.

Retailer and wholesaler attendees at the FMI Show voted for their favorite products. Votes were tallied after the show closing yesterday afternoon, and the winners were announced this morning.

For details about the FMI Retailer Choice Awards, please visit the FMI Web site at www.fmi.org.