The winners of the 2021 Product of the Year USA, the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation, include cookies, chips and CBD gummies. 

Chosen by 40,000 American shoppers in a national survey conducted by Kantar, each of the winning products has been awarded as the most innovative in their category by Product of the Year.

For over 30 years globally and 13 years in the USA, Product of the Year has championed brands by awarding their highly-coveted red seal to products that demonstrate innovation in their function, design, packaging or ingredients.

This year’s winning products reflect the trends and categories that everyday shoppers care about most as they spend more time at home — from the latest cleaning supplies to CBD offerings and the tastiest snacks.

“For all the obvious reasons, shoppers are spending less time in the supermarket than ever, but still crave new and innovative products to light up these difficult times. Because of this, we are more excited than ever to announce the 2021 Product of the Year winners and help shoppers find that ‘great new product’ when it matters most, however they do their shopping this year," said Mike Nolan, Global CEO of Product of the Year Management. “What makes Product of the Year so trusted is our unique process, which gives shoppers the confidence that each product with our iconic red logo is backed by 40,000 Americans. That’s a powerful advantage for our 2021 winners, as a Product of the Year Award positions them as THE innovative leader in their category.”

Below are the winners from the Snack & Candy category as well as the CBD Ingestible category. A full list of the winners from every category, including the other food and beverage items pictured above, is available on the Product of the Year website. 

Winners:

Cookie: Keebler Chips Deluxe Original

Ernie and the Elves added more love and more magic to Keebler’s Chips Deluxe Original Chocolate Chip Cookies by renovating the recipe through the inclusion of more real – and high quality– ingredients. Each cookie now contains even more real chocolate, natural vanilla, and a touch of Keebler’s Elfin’ Magic from the Hollow Tree. Thanks to the Elves, families are able to share the delicious, crumbly, sweet satisfaction of Keebler Chips Deluxe Original Cookies.

Daniel Vera, Head of Cookies R&D at Ferrara, said they were honored to receive the recognition. 

“We’re so honored to receive this Product of the Year recognition for Keebler Chips Deluxe Original and the Keebler brand,” Vera said. When we set out to revitalize the brand and improve the quality and freshness of our cookies, like adding more real chocolate to Chips Deluxe Original, we did it for our customers, and we’re so happy to see that they are enjoying the changes to our cookie portfolio.”

Healthy Snack: ALDI-exclusive Clancy's White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn

ALDI-exclusive Clancy’s White Cheddar Popcorn is air popped and flavored with real cheddar cheese. With no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, it’s a great gluten-free snacking option.

Chips: ALDI-exclusive Simply Nature Bean Chips

ALDI-exclusive Simply Nature Bean Chips are gluten freecchips that are high in fiber and made from whole beans and rice. Each serving has 5 gramscof plant based protein.

CBD Ingestible: cbdMD CBD Gummie – cbdMD

Made with quality ingredients for superior flavor and texture, and properly sourced with cbdMD’s patent-pending Superior Broad Spectrum formula, 2021 CBD Ingestible Winner cbdMD CBD Gummies are bite-sized chewables that are infused, rather than coated, with CBD, providing a THC-free option for gaining the whole-body benefits of CBD, along with valuable terpenes. Paw CBD’s veterinarian-formulated CBD Hard Chews for Dogs combine the powerful properties of premium THC-free CBD oil with rich, creamy peanut butter - made with real peanuts - into one simple, tasty treat.

“When it comes to determining the ‘best of the best’, we believe Product of the Year and its iconic red seal is the gold standard for brands nationwide. In a heavily saturated market, we are humbled to be recognized as a leader within the CBD industry and to see our products again be awarded this top distinction. This year is especially exciting, as both our cbdMD and Paw CBD brands were awarded top honors,” said Marty Sumichrast, co-CEO of cbdMD, Inc.