The Most Innovative New Products Awards were back again this year at the Sweets and Snacks Expo. 

The awards, which were voted on by a panel of experts, were given out to nine new candy and snack products voted, “most likely to succeed” across various categories.

This year’s contest also featured a newly added, “Best in Show Award” category.

The Best in Show award winner is meant to represent the "People's Choice" as "best of the best" at the 2014 Expo, as all attendees had the opportunity to vote for the winner of this category.

Television reporter and food marketing expert Phil Lempert acted as a facilitator to guide the collaborative process of the panel to reach an agreement of five nominations in each of the nine categories. The panel-selected product nominees were displayed in the Most Innovative New Product Awards showcase, which was within the New Product Showcase.

A panel of experts made up of retail customers, food industry icons and trend experts helped the NCA narrow the field of more than 200 expected product entries.

So without further ado, the winners are:

Savory Snack:

Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce Popcorn, POP! Gourmet Popcorn

Sweet Snack:

Show Me The Honey Coconut Chips, Bare Snacks

Salty Snack:

Slim Chips Aged White Cheddar, Gourmet Basics

Seasonal:

Doodle Egg, Vigneri Chocolate

Novelty/Licensed:

Sour Farts Flow Pack, Leaf Brands

Gum and Mints:

Coconut Lime sugar free gum, Project 7

Chocolate:

Tabasco Dark Spicy Chocolate Wedges, The Chocolate Traveler

Non-chocolate category:

Draft Beer Jelly Beans, Jelly Belly

Gourmet/premium:

Bark Thins Dark Chocolate Toasted Coconut with Almonds, Ripple Brands

Most Innovative Best New Product Award Best in Show:

York Minis, The Hershey Co.

Candy Industry Magazine offers its sincerest congratulations to all the winners!

• Read More: Be sure to check out our Expo Product Listing, featuring more than 70 products from the show!