Parvella Chocolate Spread by Parvella International was named the Best in Show in the annual New Product Competition that precedes Kosherfest, which opens on Tuesday, November 15, at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. The chocolate spread, manufactured by Parvella International in South Africa, was one of hundreds of new products entered in the annual new product competition that were judged by a distinguished panel of industry experts and consumers.

As a group, the new product winners this year represented a great deal of product enhancement and line extension in many of the categories. Some of the winners were the familiar kosher companies that have been steadily increasing their SKUs, often going well beyond their traditional items. Like last year, Manischewitz won the best new Kosher for Passover product; this year it was its Matzo S’mores. Other familiar winners were Exotic Sauce and Paskesz. As many as 300 new products will be introduced at Kosherfest (November 15-16); many will be gluten-free and part of the ongoing expansion of the category. The fact that Parvella, a product from South Africa, and Shneider’s from France were big winners shows just how prominent kosher products from overseas have become on the American market. The new product introductions also show that the kosher food market is growing in both the traditional foods as much as it is in healthier and more gourmet items.

In addition to Best in Show, winners in the other categories were as follows:

Frozen Entrees & Meal: Crab Flavor Surimi Cakes (Sea Food Imports)

Savory Snacks, Chips, Crackers: Slim Kim & Highland Pop, gourmet popcorns (Highland Pop)

Sweet Snacks and Cookies: T-CHOC (Shneider’s)

Beverages (non-alcoholic): Squeez’R Classic Lemonade (North Shore Bottling Company)

“On the Go” (convenience breakfast): 2C Chocolate & Cereal Snack bar (5-pack) (Shneider’s)

Cheese: Parmigiano Reggiano (Shneider’s)

Wines, Beer or Spirits: Even Zahav-Goldstone (Doyn)

Pastas, Soups, Rice, Grains: Cal Delight Microwavable Authentic Thai Instant Noodle Meals (DS International Traders)

Breads and Baked Goods: Gevinni New York Style Cheesecake (Gevinni)

Dips and Spreads: Parvella (Parvella International)

Candy: Fruit Stripz Strawberry (Paskesz Candy)

Baking Aisle: Dairy Nougat Cream/Dairy Choc. Cream (Quality Frozen Foods)

Giftware, Novelties & Non-food: Chanukah Dreidel Ladle (Shulsinger Judaica)

Kosher for Passover: Matzo S’mores (The Manischewitz Company)

Spices, Oils and Vinegars: KOKO Gochujang (KOKO Food)

Packaged Meats: Dried Beef Sausage (Usine Amsellem)

Condiments, Sauces, Dressings and Marinades: MIKEE Asian Sauces (Exotic Sauce Packaging)