The Italian Food Awards USA are back for their highly anticipated 8th edition in 2026. Sponsored by Italianfood.net (the premier international brand of Gruppo Food), this prestigious event remains the only B2B initiative entirely dedicated to celebrating the excellence and innovation of Italian food and beverage products in the North American market.
Held annually alongside the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York, the awards bridge the gap between Italy’s finest food suppliers and top-tier international buyers, distributors, and retail professionals.
Spotlight on Innovation: The 2026 Edition
This year, the spotlight shines on Italian F&B companies that have successfully launched new products over the last two years (across retail, large-scale distribution, and Ho.Re.Ca channels) within the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
The Italian Food Awards USA 2026 provide a unique, high-visibility platform to showcase outstanding product launches, keeping the global food community updated on the latest trends emerging from Italy’s famous Food Valley and beyond.
The 2026 Award Categories
The selected products will compete across 8 distinct categories, reflecting the diverse and evolving landscape of Italian food excellence in North America:
- Aperitif & Beverage
- Deli Food
- Frozen
- Future Excellence
- Oils & Condiments
- Pasta, Pizza & Baking Ingredients
- Preserves & Sauces
- Sweets
Discover whole list of candidated products here ↓
The Evaluation Process
To ensure absolute transparency and industry relevance, the category winners are determined through a rigorous, two-step evaluation process that combines hard market data with expert culinary and retail insight:
- Brand Sales Performance: Measured in collaboration with NielsenIQ (NIQ), analyzing the value performance and market data of the candidate product brands in the region.
- Qualitative Judgment: Determined by an elite, international jury of practitioners who cast their votes based on innovation, taste, and market potential.
The final results from both phases are combined to crown the winners for each individual product category.
Meet the 2026 Jury of Experts
This year’s special jury is composed of 11 distinguished professionals from the international food business community, including top-tier retail category managers, general managers, and food culture ambassadors:
Experience the Best of Italy
The finalist products will be showcased inside the Italian Pavilion during the Summer Fancy Food Show 2026 in New York, giving buyers and attendees a firsthand look at the cutting edge of Italian food innovation. Stay tuned as we prepare to celebrate the brands driving the global reach of Italy’s agri-food industry!