April 11, 2002 - Pork roast, barbeque and 'chop on a stick' winners of Consumer's Choice Awards

by Dan Murphy

The winners of the National Pork Board's first Consumer's Choice Pork Awards contest, sponsored by pork producers through the checkoff program, included some predictable R-T-E entrees, and some "creative" entries, such as Pork Chop on a Stick.

But all of the winning retail items had one thing in common: They were chosen by a consumer panel on the basis of how well the products meet the needs of today's contemporary households.

"As a pork producer, I've always been committed to raising a product that meets the needs of families," said Steve Schmeichel, a pork producer from Hurley, S.D., and chairman of NPB's Demand Enhancement Committee. "Recognizing innovation by rewarding the best new pork products helps ensure that producers and manufacturers will continue to keep their ears to the ground and adapt to what consumers need."

The 2002 Consumer's Choice Pork Awards, presented this week in New York City, were given to supermarket products introduced after June 2000 that were scored by consumers for good taste, a fit for busy lifestyles, overall product appeal and the likelihood of purchase. The winners were chosen from more than 50 entries submitted by consumers across the country, ranging from pre-cooked bacon to ribs to barbecued pulled pork to pre-seasoned and sliced pork roast.

"Most importantly, taste was the key driver in product evaluations," Schmeichel said. "Convenience, product appearance and healthfulness carried some weight in consumers' evaluations, but the impact seemed greatest if a product already was considered to taste good."

An additional key learning was how consumers define convenience. From easy-to-prepare and easy-to-use packaging attributes to time-saving, microwaveable and no messy clean-up, "convenience" is defined through the eyes of the purchaser.

Here are the innovative pork products named winners of the Consumer's Choice Pork Awards: Homestyle Seasoned Pork Roast with Gravy, from John Morrell & Co and RMH Foods, was selected for its home-cooked flavor and convenient 10-minute preparation time.

Genuine Pulled Pork Bar-B-Que Slathered with Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sauce,. From Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, was recognized for its barbecue taste and hassle-free heat-and-eat preparation with only two minutes cooking time required in the microwave.

Pork Chop on a Stick, from Iowa Quality Meats Ltd.. was a winner for flavor and ease of storage with individually wrapped pork chops.

Ready-to-Serve Bacon, from the Oscar Mayer Division, Kraft Foods North America, was a favorite among consumers for adding flavor to sandwiches or salads and because it's fully cooked and ready to serve or microwave.

Thomas E. Wilson Italian Seasoned Pork Roast, from IBP, a Tyson Family Food Co., was chosen because of its ease of preparation, being pre-seasoned and pre-sliced with a cooking time of only five minutes. Manufacturers of the winning products will be awarded a keepsake Consumer's Choice Pork Awards golden fork trophy and granted free exclusive use of an official award seal in merchandising for one year.

For more information about this year's winning products, or to nominate a product for next year's contest, contact NPB's Becca Hendricks at 515/223-2788 or via e-mail at ConsumersChoice@porkboard.org

This article reprinted with permission from Meat Marketing & Technology.

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