Applications are now being accepted for the second Ontario Chicken Innovation Award, a campaign that inspires new, innovative Ontario chicken products.
“Chicken continues to be the top choice for Canadians at home and in restaurants and we know that consumers crave new, innovative food products,” said Rob Dougans, president and CEO of the Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO). “At CFO, we want to help our industry get new products to market which is why, for the second year in a row, we’re making an additional supply of chicken available to help accelerate chicken product innovation.”
Created in 2018 by CFO, the Ontario Chicken Innovation Award is the first-of-its-kind in the chicken industry, recognizing top consumer-facing innovations and providing an additional supply of chicken to enable that innovation and accelerate growth.
The first recipient was Grand River Foods and Maple Lodge Farms, collaborating to develop a new, frozen, cooked, smoked chicken product.
“This program is about bringing new, innovative products to market to meet consumer needs. That’s why we’re looking for innovations that are consumer facing, first-of-their-kind Canada and that have some track record – piloted or introduced to the market in the last 18 months, so that historical sales data can be included in the application,” said Ed Benjamins, chair of the CFO. “I encourage all companies involved in the processing, marketing and sale of chicken to consider applying.”
Applications are available at chickeninnovation.ca, and will be accepted until September 13.
The program is open to primary processors, further processors, retailers, foodservice and restaurant companies in Canada. Companies that are not primary processors must include a primary processor as part of their application. Innovations must use chicken grown and fully processed in Ontario.
Eligible applications are reviewed by the Independent Advisory Committee of experts. The Committee considers four factors: historical sales/demand, projected future sales/demand, innovation/quality of ideas and economic value.
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