Meat & Poultry Ontario Celebrates Ontario’s Finest by Awarding 12 Platinum Products

Guelph, ON– October 30, 2024 – This past weekend celebrated Ontario’s finest at the Meat & Poultry Awards Gala In Niagara Falls, Ontario. Thirty-eight (38) awards were given to the winners of Ontario’s Finest Meat Competition alongside awards that recognized outstanding community contributions, Ontario’s Finest Butcher, industry leaders and the anniversary of members who were celebrating 10 and 25 years with Meat & Poultry Ontario (MPO).

“The Meat and Poultry Ontario Awards are about celebrating Ontario’s best,” said Franco Naccarato, Executive Director of MPO. “From showcasing everything from our Finest Butcher to our Finest Meats, we are celebrating the artisans in our industry that continue to propel the industry forward.”

The Ontario Finest Meat Competition is a bi-annual competition showcasing the best products in Ontario meat and poultry. From traditional to new and innovative taste profiles, 16 companies showcased their finest products with over 110 submissions for the chance to be crowned the platinum winner in 12 categories. Judging took place in June at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.

Entries were evaluated by food industry professionals and media experts including; Alexa Clark- Digital Strategist, Erin Circelli-Russell- Fanshawe College, Sabrina Falone- Marketing Consultant, Maurice Desharnais- Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery, Emily Richards- Chef and Author, Nithya Caleb- Food in Canada, Scott McQuay- Viscofan Canada, Steven Canclini- Reiser Canada, Brad Ryall- Hela Spice Canada Inc, and Troy Spicer- Fanshawe College.

Judging criteria was based on taste, aroma, texture, consumer experience, and visual appeal. The top three entries from each category were selected based on the judges’ combined scores to receive the honour of Silver, Gold and Platinum recognition.

The Platinum winners of the 2024 Ontario Finest Meat Competition are as follows:
● Bacon - Halenda's Fine Foods ‘Ruby Red Bacon’
● Kielbasa- L'Orignal Packing Ltd ‘Kielbasa’
● Smoked Sausage Traditional - Halenda's Fine Foods ‘Kranska’
● Smoked Sausage Specialty- Finest Sausage and Meat Ltd. ‘Jalapeno Cheddar’
● Deli Roasts - Halenda's Fine Foods ‘Smoked Montreal’
● Premium Wiener-Schinkel's Legacy ‘Cheese Dog’
● Salumi/Charcuterie - Halenda’s Fine Foods, Chorizo
● Premium Dried or Dry Cured - Halenda's Fine Foods ‘Dried Capicola (Necken)’
● Fresh Sausage-Other  - L'Original Packing Ltd ‘The Mysterious Sausage’
● Fresh Sausages - Pork-Elora Road Meats ‘Honey Garlic Sausage’ 
●Sausage-Dry/Semi-dry large - Halenda's Fine Foods ‘Kulan’
● Sausage-Dry/Semi-dry small - Sikorski Sausages Co. Ltd. ‘MeatSticks Mild

Meat and Poultry Ontario also recognizes Food in Canada and Canadian Packaging as 2024 media sponsors. 

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