The 2015 Fresno Food Expo, presented by Union Bank, is accepting entries for its third annual New Product Awards through Thursday, July 2, 2015 at midnight. The New Product Awards, presented by Baker Peterson Franklin CPA LLP, showcase innovative San Joaquin Valley food and beverage products and packaging, recognizing food trendsetters with two distinctive awards: the People’s Choice Award and the Buyer’s Choice Awards.

Designed to build both buyer and consumer awareness of the diverse food products grown and manufactured in the valley, the New Product Awards have been utilized as a strategic new product launching pad for valley businesses. The 2015 Fresno Food Expo New Product Awards are open to registered exhibitors with a new food product, varietal or packaging concept. The product must be introduced to the marketplace between July 25, 2014 and July 23, 2015.

“In the past three years, the New Product Awards have directly impacted businesses, bringing their products to the forefront of buyers’ attention on the show floor and, as a result, get more products onto store shelves, in restaurant kitchens and into other vital distribution channels,” Ashley Swearengin, mayor of Fresno, said in a press release. “That is the purpose of the Fresno Food Expo — connecting the local food production industry with over 750 varied buyers from retail, wholesale, foodservice and more from across the nation and around the world, creating valuable economic growth in California’s most agriculturally diverse region.”

This marks the first year that the Buyer’s Choice Award celebrity judging panel will choose a first, second and third place winner, in previous years only a first place winner was selected. The 2015 Buyer’s Choice Award celebrity judging panel will be made up of professionals from retail, restaurant/foodservice and packaging industries, including world-renowned chef Erna Kubin-Clanin, owner of 5-star Erna’s Elderberry House and Chateau du Sureau; Whole Foods local sourcing guru Harvindar Singh; Sean Topping, direct store delivery receiving manager and local marketing lead of Albertsons-Safeway Northern California division; and Jim Jarosz, division manager at leading custom packaging solutions company Landsberg Orora.

Last year, a total of 42 new products from 35 different valley-based companies were debuted at the 2014 Fresno Food Expo New Product Awards. Casa de Tamales’ Pepperoni Tamale and Chicken Bacon Tamale, as well as L.T. Sue Co.’s San Joaquin Valley Tea were both awarded the Buyer’s Choice Award at the 2014 Fresno Food Expo, when a tie was declared by the celebrity judging panel. Previous finalists and winners have experienced significant achievements since their participation in the New Product Awards from retail premium shelf placement to large box store contracts and an increase in bulk orders.

“Since being honored with the 2014 Buyer’s Choice Award we have opened a new, second location in downtown Fresno, and a third location is on the verge of opening as part of a local food truck pod,” Liz Gonzalez, owner of Casa de Tamales, said in a press release. “Additionally, our tamales are available for shipping to anywhere in the U.S. (except Oregon). We are amazed by the great feedback our handmade, family-recipe tamales have received from the industry and our community.”

Also returning in 2015, is the People’s Choice Award, which allows the general public to choose and vote on their favorite new product or packaging solution. This represents a test consumer marketplace and provides businesses with valuable, immediate feedback on their products. Voting for the People’s Choice Award begins July 9, 2015 and goes until July 23, 2015. Votes will be tracked on the Fresno Food Expo website. For more information on the San Joaquin Valley New Product Awards, including how to participate in the People’s Choice Award, visit www.fresnofoodexpo.com/expo/new-product-awards. The 2014 People’s Choice Award was Baloian Farms’ for their Squash Sauté Kits.

“We were thrilled with the public’s overwhelming response to our Squash Sauté Kits that garnered the award, which provides an added endorsement of our product that truly helps with buyer outreach,” Richard Cowden, account and marketing manager of Baloian Farms, said in the release. “Not only did we meet a variety of regional, national and international buyers at the 2014 Fresno Food Expo, but we also met other local growers and manufacturers who are part of making our region a leader in the global food industry.”