About the Contest

Georgia’s strong agriculture industry enables entrepreneurs and businesses to develop products that are unique, flavorful and innovative. To support healthy entrepreneurship, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) is proud to host the Flavor of Georgia contest as a Signature Event each year.

History of the Contest

Since 2007, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has celebrated approximately 1,800 Georgia food products in Flavor of Georgia contests.

The Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest is managed by the UGA Department of Food Science and Technology. Spread over the Athens and Griffin campuses, the department focuses on research in areas critical to the quality, safety and economic value of our food supply while minimizing environmental and energy costs.

Faculty within the department include food chemists, microbiologists and processing engineers who focus on the many food and agricultural systems that drive Georgia’s economy. These world-renowned faculty train the next generation of food scientists for the workforce and engage with stakeholders to provide innovative and practical solutions to add value to various food commodities.

The food science and technology department houses the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and the Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center (FoodPIC), both on the Griffin campus. While CFS faculty are involved with innovative research to improve food safety through the prevention, detection, and control of contamination and transmission of foodborne pathogens, FoodPIC personnel focus on assisting the food industry in Georgia and the Southeast with the development and commercialization of new and existing food and beverage products.