Benja chicken and CP suasage become Thailand’s first chicken meat and sausage products that won Superior Taste Award 2022 by the prestigious International Institute of Taste, an annual event in Brussels, Belgium. 

Mr. Prasit Boondoungprasert, Chief Executive Officer of Charoen Pokphand Foods PLC (CPF), said that CPF has won awards for “Benja chicken”, 3 CP sausauge products and 2 Meat Zero products. The awards bring pride to all Thais involved in the innovation of safe and quality food products that offer both traceability and tastes exceptionally rated by the world’s top chefs. 

“It’s not easy to invent a quality, nutritious, safe and tasty food. The awards thus bring a great pride to the Management and employees of CPF. Today, the taste of our 6 products is guaranteed by the world’s top chefs,” Mr. Prasit said.  

More than 2,000 food and beverage products from across the world were enlisted for the Superior Taste Award 2022. Benja Chicken is Thailand’s first chicken brand that won an award. The innovative meat product of CPF comes from a specially-selected breed and the chicken is raised by superfood like unpolished rice and flaxseed.  The meat consequently smells favorably and is soft and 55% more juicy than normal. The pink meat is 100% free of hormones or antibiotics, as certified by NSF. 

Three CP sausauge products also brought Thailand the first Superior Taste Award in sausage category - CP Crispy Chicken, CP Chicken Frank and CP Chili Chicken Frank. All CP sausages are made of high-quality meat from CPF’s closed farms. All the farms boast the contamination-free, safe, modern and high-standard production process. The meat is stored and transported in temperature-controlled condition. The robotic technology is employed in raw material management along with Radio - Frequency Identification (RFID), to offer traceability. CP sausages come with various tastes for various consumer groups. CP sausages earlier were voted the No.1 brand in Thailand by Marketeer Magazine, reflecting the products’ cleanliness, safety, hygiene and taste that has long captivated consumers. 

Two plant-based “MEAT ZERO” products – nuggets and garlic patty –are the remaining award winners. 

Developing a convincing meat taste, the alternative products are a result of over 2 years of research and development under the collaboration between CPF RD Center and world-class experts from various countries like the United States, Japan and Taiwan as well as food scientists from Chulalongkorn University and Mah Fa Luang University. The “PLANT-TEC” innovation was discovered and MEAT ZERO was developed as a perfect alternative meat in terms of flavor, smell and texture. Superior Taste Award 2022 guarantees its quality in terms of flavor. 

Trending and sustainable health food – with favorable flavor

The International Taste Institute reports that health and sustainable food and beverages are trending and shows continuous growth. The number of alternative products like plant-based protein as well as vegetarian and gluten-free food enlisted for the certification in 2022 doubled. But taste is the most important in the evaluation methodology. Meanwhile, the Ingredion Proprietary Research shows that in 2022, taste is the priority for 53% of plant-based meat buyers, trumping other factors like nutrition values, brands and convenience. As such, it remains a great challenge for food and beverage producers to come up with health and yet delicious products. 

Superior Taste Award is granted following the evaluation and certification by a jury of professional chefs and sommeliers. The products are certified for standard production process and taste. The award is granted by the International Taste Institute, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The evaluation is conducted in cooperation with 15 European food and beverage associations. The jury is composed of more than 200 professional chefs and sommeliers. They taste more than 1,000 entries from all over the world on an annual basis and give score based on input from an array of 5 sensory experience - visual, aromatic, flavour, textural aspects,  and final mouth feel. Only professional judges are involved. With their experiences and credentials, they are expected to uplift the taste of food and beverage products, eventually to strengthen the institute’s mission in filling the world with delicious and quality products.