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Snacks

The winners in the Good Food Awards snacks category have met the highest standards of achievement with meticulously sourced, high-quality ingredients that have been thoughtfully prepared with the right snacking moment in mind. We consider these snacks the tastiest items to grab between meals! Whether it be through the crisp texture of a cracker or the unique flavor combination of a granola, snacks celebrate a diversity of flavor profiles and textures.

About

The Good Food Awards rely on the expertise of the snacks community to create the tasting, determine judges and set standards for the category. Read on to learn who has been integral to building the category, as well as what the snacks standard are and who will be judging this year.

Committee

Co-Chairs

Erick Garman

Trade Development Manager, Oregon Department of Agriculture

Erick Garman is a Trade Development Manager for the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). His role at the ODA includes marketing Oregon food and agriculture products locally, domestically and internationally. Erick works closely with small to mid-sized producers to advance sales, enhance market access and development, provide regulatory assistance and export consultation. Prior to working at the ODA, Erick spent over 16 years in marketing and advertising. His experience includes raising marketing funds for non-profit and government organizations, building strong relationships with buyers and sellers and encouraging new and innovative ways to bring products to market.

Julie Rentsch

Business Development Director, Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council

As Business Development Director, Julie manages processor relations, trade support, market development, and strategic partnerships on behalf of the dairy industry. A graduate of Queen’s University, Canada, Julie’s prior experience includes brand management and market development in North America and Europe for Kraft Foods, William Grant & Sons, and the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission. In her spare time, Julie is Founder and President of CISV Portland, a volunteer-run non-profit that provides cross-cultural peace education to youth ages 11+. She can often be found hovering over the cheese tray at social gatherings

2024 Judges

Alex Grand

Relationship Specialist, Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

Cody Bowman

Communications Director, The City of Portland

Jana Jenkins

Owner, Oregon Ag Distribution

Jamie Painter

Senior Field Representative, Congressman Blumenauer

Brenna Davis

CEO, Organically Grown Company

Anthony Myint

Executive Director and Co-Founder, Zero Foodprint, Mission Chinese Food

Emily Davidson

CEO, Portland Creamery

Gregory Smith

Chef, Noble Rot, ODA

Charley Wheelock

Founder, Woodblock Chocolate

Alison Rosenblum

Sr. Manager Alternative Channel Development, Tillamook County Creamery Association

Emma Evans

Co Founder, SnackFest + Portland Night Market

Leif Benson

Oregon's Culinary Ambassador, Oregon Department of Agriculture

Heather Arndt Anderson

Food Writer and Recipe Developer, OPB Superabundant

Amy Wong

Board Chair, Oregon Organic Coalition

Katie Bray

Executive Director, Cheese Association (Oregon Cheese Guild)

Noah Cable

Partner, Wellspent Market

Bill Oakley

Founder, Steamed Hams Society

Kristen Penner

Founder/CEO, North Coast Industries

Ivy Manning

, Cookbook Author

Jim Morris

Marketing Communications Manager, Pear Bureau Northwest

Standards

In order to be eligible for a Good Food Award, snacks entries must meet the following standards:

  • Made in the USA or US territories.
  • Made with a balanced objective of local, organic and highest-quality.*
  • Made with transparency in supply chain.**
  • Free of high fructose corn syrup, palm oil and artificial ingredients, including colors, flavors and preservatives.
  • Made with rBGH-free milk, where milk is used.
  • Made with flours
    • That have not been bleached or bromated
    • Grown without the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers.***
  • Free of genetically modified ingredients.
  • Made with spices that are certified organic, Fair Trade, or traceable to the farm level.*
  • Must include more than one ingredient or be created in such a way that an agricultural product has been transformed into a value-added snack. If product entered is a single ingredient transformed to a value-added snack, single ingredient must be grown without the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers.****
  • Made by a crafter that is an upstanding member of the good food community, committed to equity and inclusion in all levels of their business,***** as exemplified through integrating these  practices:
    • Creating a safe and healthy work environment where employees receive a fair wage, are safe and respected at work and have access to the resources they need to keep themselves healthy.
    • Offering a diversity, equity, and inclusion training to staff members and/or leadership annually.
    • Thoughtfully acknowledging the heritage of culturally-specific food on websites, packaging and/or marketing materials.
    •  For the small percentage of Good Food community that operates on a significantly larger scale, meeting additional criteria related to board diversity, maternity leave and employment practices.*****

*Ingredients that make up less than 2% of the product (such as spices, sugar, or lemon juice) may be sourced from farther afield, or from a larger distributor.
**That is, an earnest attempt is made to verify the origin and production methods of the ingredient. If made with ingredients that are not grown domestically, a farm-direct or certified organic source has been sought and documentation of this search, including notes on calling distributors, is provided.
***Grains made grown with minimal synthetic inputs using IPM will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the type of crop and region of growth.
****Ingredients grown with minimal synthetic inputs using Integrated Pest management practices will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
*****Check if you are in the 2% of companies meeting the Good Food Foundation definition of large scale, and review the addition criteria on the Rules & Regulations page.

 

Subcategories

Additionally, snacks must fit in one of the following subcategories:

  • Cookies & Baked Goods (e.g. brownies, shortbread, macarons, sweet breads – must be ready for retail)
  • Jerky
  • Dehydrated Fruit
  • Popcorn (must be pre-popped)
  • Granola
  • Chips (e.g., corn, potato, veggie)
  • Crackers & Crisps (excludes graham crackers or other sweet cookie-like crackers)
  • Bars & Balls (e.g., granola, protein, energy)
  • Hard Pretzels
  • Snack Mixes (e.g., trail, nut, seed, or party!)
  • Puffs (e.g., cheese, quinoa, rice, veggie)