Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT) President & CEO, Rebecca A. Singer announced two winners of the Ohio Signature Food Contest during the joint Ohio House and Senate Agriculture Committee meeting at the Ohio State Fair.
The contest, co-sponsored by CIFT and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, showcases new, innovative products ready to take that next step — actual product development.
These two winners were selected in recognition of their unique product concepts:
* David Brooks of Dublin, Ohio with his New York deli-style cheesecake: A rich, restaurant-quality cheesecake baked in a shortbread crust that incorporates Ohio ingredients — some of the freshest and finest anywhere, including rich, heavy cream and a unique blend of three vanilla extracts.
* Amy Pausch of Alexandria, Ohio with her non-alcoholic shrub beverage: An intense raspberry zero-proof drink with a subtlety sweet caramel flavor that comes from unique ingredients including coconut sugar and a dark balsamic vinegar.
Following a series of applications and presentations by food entrepreneurs to a panel of judges, the highest scoring concepts were selected based on the viability of the product, commercialization potential, business strategy, and overall appeal to the marketplace.
