Following the official launch of applications for the Italian Food Awards 2026, Italianfood.net (the international platform of Food Publishing Group) is proud to announce the distinguished panel of industry leaders who will compose this year’s Jury of Experts.
As the award approaches its culmination—a live prize-giving ceremony scheduled for October 18 at 5:00 P.M. during SIAL Paris—a select group of international buyers, importers, and retail directors will evaluate the most high-performing and innovative Made in Italy food and beverage products on the European market.
A World-Class International Panel
The 2026 Jury brings together prominent key players across major distribution channels, food service operators, and international trade networks. The panel of experts includes:
- Jean-Sébastien Blum – Vice President Global Food Procurement, Metro AG
- Romain Cacace – Buying Manager Wine & Food, Carniato
- Elena Cavallo – General Manager, Made IT
- Marcello Curcuruto – CEO, Italimport Sp. z o.o.
- Regis Fraudin – Category Director, Carrefour France
- Thomas Lancelot – Purchasing & Sourcing Director, TWF – Traditional World Foods
- Konstantin Lebens – CEO, Genuport
- Joe Moscato – President, Aurora Importing & Distribution
- Beatriz Santos – Commercial Director, Eroski Group
A Rigorous Two-Pillar Evaluation Process
To maintain the award’s reputation for impartiality and commercial relevance, the winner selection process relies on a dual-evaluation framework combining hard market evidence with expert industry voting:
- Market Performance Data (NIQ): Empirical data provided by Technical Sponsor NielsenIQ (NIQ) will measure candidate product lines’ sales and category performance across European markets over the past 18 months.
- Jury Evaluation: The newly revealed international jury will assess entries based on product quality, packaging innovation, sustainability, and commercial readiness for international retail and food service expansion.
The Jury of Experts will also be solely responsible for crowning the winner of the Future Excellence category—a special award dedicated to breakthrough pipeline innovations launching by June 30th, 2027.
Next Steps in the Award Timeline
With applications officially closed as of September 4th, the voting phase is officially underway:
- Opening of the Polls: September 10, 2026
- Closing of the Polls: September 18, 2026
- Prize-giving Ceremony: October 18, 2026, at 5:00 P.M. (@ SIAL Paris)
The initiative is carried out in collaboration with Technical Sponsors Italia del Gusto – Consorzio, NielsenIQ, and Universal Marketing srl.
Stay tuned to Italianfood.net for further updates as we head toward SIAL Paris 2026!