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SFA reveals 2023 sofi Award winners

Candy categories included Chocolate and Non-Chocolate Confectionery.

The Specialty Food Association has announced the winners of its 2023 sofi Awards. Short for specialty outstanding food innovation, the sofi Awards are a celebration of creativity and culinary excellence.

Available only to product-qualified members of the SFA, the sofi Award entries were judged at the Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University, SFA’s partner for the awards. FIC experts evaluated products in anonymous tastings across 53 categories using criteria that included flavor, appearance, texture, aroma, ingredient quality, and innovation. There are 97 Gold and New Product sofi Award winners in total. A full list of these products can be found here.

“The breadth of creativity and quality showcased by this year’s winners represents what the sofi Awards have been recognizing for over 50 years–the best of the best in specialty food,” said Denise Purcell, vice president, resource development for the SFA. “The innovation and care SFA’s members put into their products are the foundation of our industry and are what makes specialty foods special.”

The candy winners include:

Chocolate - Dark: Organic Haiti 70% Dark Chocolate Bar by Bixby & Co., LLC
Chocolate - Milk and White: Maine Grains Organic Oat Milk Chocolate Bar, by Bixby & Co., LLC, and Maine Grains Organic Oat Milk Chocolate Bar by Bixby & Co., LLC
Chocolate Candy: Moroccan Spice with Lime, by CocoTutti Chocolates, and Bourbon Pecan Toffee, by St. Croix Chocolate Company
Confectionery (Non-Chocolate): Spicy Chili Beer Brittle, by Bixby & Co., LLC, and Probiotic Strawberry Yoggies, by Cibo Vita Inc.

Judging for the sofi Product of the Year Award and New Product of the Year Awards will be conducted onsite at the 2023 Summer Fancy Food Show by retail and foodservice buyers. The winners of these two sofi Awards will be named at the Show on Tuesday, June 27.