ChefsBest

The ChefsBest Award for Best Taste

ChefsBest is a privately owned independent judging organization dedicated to recognizing and honoring America’s best food and food-related products. The mission of ChefsBest is to evaluate products using a panel of expert and highly trained judges, and to choose the best using a process that is unbiased and quantitative.

Product awards

Only one product in each of the hundreds of categories of food and food-related products can receive an award. If the category does not include a superior product that wins by a statistical margin, no award is made. Award winners may enter into an agreement with ChefsBest to display the award on the product packaging.^[1]

There are three types of ChefsBest Awards: The ChefsBest Award for Best Taste, The ChefsBest Award for Performance and The ChefsBest Certified Award. The ChefsBest Award for Best Taste is an award for the best tasting product in a food category. The ChefsBest Certified Award is recognition of the quality of a product that may be a one-of-a-kind in a product category where competitive judging is not indicated. The ChefsBest Award for Performance recognizes the best performing non-food product used in a kitchen. This includes items like small appliances, paper and food storage products.

Judging process

The judging process takes place at the ChefsBest Center for Taste in San Francisco. This center is an educational facility as well as a judging center where food professionals are able to learn about the sensory and flavor aspects of taste. ChefsBest proprietary judging methodology is based on a Sensory Attribute Quality Analysis (SAQA). This assures that the step by step judging process is objective and quantitative.^[2]

This judging methodology is unique. SAQA was developed by food industry leaders and sensory experts and is based on criteria used in the food industry to evaluate sensory and flavor aspects of the product.^[3] All chefs involved in the judging process have a culinary degree and an average of 20 years experience as an executive chef. In addition, each is certified as a "Master Taster", which requires a palate acuity test and being trained and certified in SAQA judging methodology.^{[citation needed]} Panels of certified judges are led through the SAQA judging process by professional certified panel moderators. Quantitative and qualitative data from the judging process are entered into proprietary software that insures the integrity of the judging process.

References

1. ^ http://www.chefsbest.org/about-us.htm
2. ^ http://chefsbest.org/about-judging.htm
3. ^ http://www.chefsbest.org/tasting-terminology.htm

External links

• Official website