The Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest has helped launch small, startup food companies while garnering recognition in new markets for established Georgia brands since 2007. Your product could be the next winner!
More than a Contest — it’s a Business Booster
- Each entry is featured in the digital product directory, including a professional product photo and brief overview, which is seen by leading food industry buyers and media outlets.
- Finalists will receive personalized press releases, the use of the Flavor of Georgia finalist logo on their label and promotional materials, and the opportunity to present their product to a panel of food industry experts.
- Finalists also receive a one-year Georgia Grown membership, compliments of the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
- The grand prize winner will be awarded an exhibit space at the Georgia Food Industry Association annual convention (a $1,500 value) and three consultation sessions from the UGA Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center (FoodPIC) on product or process design, ingredient functionality, sensory testing, or shelf-life determination (a $1,500 value).
Category Descriptions
Select the best category for your product at registration:
- Baked goods — breads, cookies, cakes and pies
- Barbecue sauces — excludes marinades, which compete in sauces and seasonings
- Beverages — includes all cold and hot beverages, including smoothies and teas. Excludes alcoholic beverages
- Condiments, sauces and seasonings — includes pasta sauces, spice rubs, mixed spices, marinades, finishing sugar or spices, hot sauces, ketchups, mustards
- Confections — chocolates, sweet nuts, caramels, candies, and cold confections (ice creams, gelatos, and non-dairy popsicles). Excludes mixes, which compete in miscellaneous
- Dairy products — includes animal-derived milks, cheeses, butters, and yogurts. Excludes ice creams, gelatos and frozen dairy novelties, which complete in confections. Excludes plant-based products, which compete in miscellaneous
- Honey and syrups — includes honeycombs, infused honey, maple syrup, etc.
- Jams and jellies — excludes chutneys, which compete in condiments and salsas
- Meats and seafood — includes animal-derived cooked or uncooked meats and seafood, excluding jerky, which competes in snack foods
- Miscellaneous — includes mixes, single ingredient products (oils, flour, etc.), nut butters, plant-derived milk, cheeses, etc., meat alternatives and any products not represented by another category
- Pickled vegetables, relish and salsas — includes pickles, relishes, chutneys, other pickled vegetables, and salsas
- Snack foods — includes chips, popcorn, jerky, snack bars, cheese straws, and savory nuts
Final product categories and placement are at the discretion of contest organizers and all decisions are final.
If you have any questions about your entry, please contact us at flavorofga@uga.edu.
Contest Registration
Registration is required prior to sample submission and must be completed online. All product information must be entered at time of registration. Products must be registered and paid in full by 5 p.m. EST Feb. 13, 2024, to be considered eligible. All entry fees are non-refundable.
A valid food license number or co-packer license number is required at the time of registration. Contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Division for questions concerning licensing.
Registration is closed for 2024.
How to Submit a Product Sample
Products must arrive within the Submission Window: March 11-13, 2024
Products that arrive before March 11 may be lost or damaged and are not guaranteed to be judged.
Products that arrive after March 13 will not be included in the first round judging.
All product entries must:
- have two of the same exact product sample submitted
- have a product label affixed to the samples (it will be photographed for the digital directory)
- be properly secured within a shipping container to prevent damage (i.e. bubble wrap)
- be labeled with the official Flavor of Georgia entry/shipping label affixed on the outer box or container
- have required storage requirements appropriately marked on the label – non-perishable, refrigerated or frozen [product must arrive properly cold or frozen if applicable].
All samples must be shipped to or dropped off at:
Gourmet Foods International
ATTN: UGA Flavor of Georgia
3370 Panthersville Rd
Decatur, GA 30034
Instructions for shipping:
- Overnight shipping is preferable for perishable items, but check with your carrier for complete details
- NOTE: FedEx and UPS do not have refrigerated trucks AND they don’t deliver before 6 p.m. Your cold or frozen product will spoil if it sits on a truck all day waiting to be delivered
- Samples must be received at Gourmet Foods International (see address above) between Monday, March 11 and Wednesday, March 13, 2024
- Product received outside of this mandatory window will not be accepted and are ineligible for judging
- It is solely the responsibility of the entrant to ensure that samples arrive during this time frame and in good condition
Instructions for in-person delivery:
- Tuesday, March 12, 2024, is the ONLY day for in-person drop off of product samples at Gourmet Foods International (see address above)
- Products may be dropped off without an appointment between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
- Samples should be in a secure container since it will be placed in a large warehouse environment
For questions about DROP OFF ONLY, call 404-954-7600.
Direct all other questions to flavorofga@uga.edu.