PLMA announces 2023 Salute to Excellence Award winning private-label products

The Private Label Manufacturers Association honorees include Walmart and Amazon.

Photo: Jenni Spinner

Sweet potato pancake mix from Giant Eagle, cauliflower-crust pizza from Albertsons, and potstickers from Amazon are among PLMA’s 2023 Salute to Excellence award winners for store brand innovation.

They join nearly 100 Salute to Excellence winners announced today at PLMA’s 2023 Private Label Trade Show here. Created in 1986, the annual awards program recognizes outstanding food and nonfood products introduced within the last year by supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchandisers, convenience stores, online retailers, wholesalers and more.

This year, close to 750 product entries were submitted by 53 North American retailers.

“PLMA is thrilled to celebrate the winning retailers for their commitment to store brand product and packaging excellence,” says PLMA president Peggy Davies. “From innovations in flavors and ingredients to vitamin-enriched health and wellness products, the Salute to Excellence award winners underscore the important role of store brands.”

Submissions were sampled and evaluated by a panel of professional and consumer judges on several criteria, including taste, product concept, packaging, and value for money.

Among the winners:

Bakery and desserts

Breads & Rolls: The Kroger Co., Simple Truth Upcycled Multigrain Quinoa Bread

Cakes & Pies: Amazon, Aplenty Salted Caramel Mascarpone 6" Cheesecake

Cookies: Walmart Inc., Great Value Twist & Shout Strawberry Creme Sandwich Cookies

Crackers: Albertsons Companies, Signature Select Entertaining Crackers Rosemary

Desserts: Walmart Inc., Marketside Brookie

Muffins: Metro Richelieu Inc, Irresistibles Piña Colada Flavoured Muffins

Snacks

Nuts & Trail Mixes: Southeastern Grocers, SE Grocers Prestige Colossal Honey Roasted Nut Trio

Peanut Butter & Nut Butters: Price Chopper, PICS Chunky Peanut Butter

Salty Snack: Chips (Tie): Circle K, Circle K Buffalo Chicken Wing Chips; Southeastern Grocers, SE Grocers Naturally Better Organic Mexican Style Street Corn Flavored Corn Chips

Salty Snacks: Nibbles & Noshes: Walmart Inc., Great Value Honey Mustard Pretzel Twists

Sweet Snacks: Albertsons Companies, Signature Select Apple Pie (Handheld)

The winning products were displayed at PLMA’s 2023 Private Label Trade Show, which took place November 12–14 in Rosemont, IL. The full list of winners can be viewed at plmawinners.com.

Jenni Spinner is the chief editor of Snack Food and Wholesale with more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business communications. She has written extensively about food production, safety and packaging; pharmaceutical drug development; concrete and masonry construction; and more. She holds a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Illinois. Jenni can be reached at spinnerj@bnpmedia.com.

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