The "GUST" tasting competition identified 160 best food products in Belarus

June 10, Minsk / Tatyana Lobas - BELTA /. 55 enterprises became winners of the "GUST" tasting competition in various nominations. 160 food products received diplomas, the head of the competition organizing committee Larisa Koreshkova told a BELTA correspondent. The award ceremony for the winners took place today in Minsk. All diploma winners received the right to mark the winning products with the competition's logo, so consumers will be able to easily identify high-quality food products by this mark. A total of 70 enterprises from the republic participated in the competition. Bakery, meat, and dairy products, as well as alcoholic beverages, were evaluated. About 600 samples were presented for tasting. The largest number of awards were received by Borisov, Minsk, Gomel, Lida, Vitebsk, Volkovysk, Slutsk meat-packing plants, Orsha and Berezovsky meat-canning plants, Snov and Dzerzhinsky agro-combines, Soligorsk poultry farm and Rassvet poultry farm, Berezovsky cheese-making plant, Lida and Lepel dairy-canning plants, Soligorsk branch of Lyuban cheese-making plant, Polotsk dairy plant, OJSC "Moloko" (Vitebsk), ChUP "Rechitsamolo", Berezinsky cheese-making plant. These enterprises have managed to maintain a high standard for more than one year: most of them have repeatedly received diplomas of the "GUST" competition. It is noteworthy that along with the flagships of the food industry, enterprises located in small and medium-sized towns are increasingly making themselves known. By acquiring modern equipment, they are actively retooling and implementing new technologies. For example, among the winners in the nomination for the best bakery products were Baranovichi, Kobrin, Gantsevichi, Pinsk, Zhodino, Svetlogorsk bakeries, ChUP "Pinsky koopro", Malorita district cooperative. The best alcoholic beverages were recognized as products of Minsk Winery, RUP "Minsk Kristall", Brest Distillery "Belalko", Minsk Sparkling Wine Factory, Mozyr Distillery "Ethanol", Malinshchizna Distillery "Akvadiv", Vitebsk Winery and Vitebsk Distillery "Pridvinye". This year, the "GUST" tasting competition is held in March, June, and December. The June stage coincided with the international specialized exhibition "Belagro-2010", where the best products of the republic's enterprises were demonstrated. Assessing the results of the competition, Larisa Koreshkova noted the increased quality of food products presented for tasting. "In the Year of Quality, it could not have been otherwise - the enterprises of the republic have made significant progress in this direction, implementing new technologies and innovative products," she emphasized. For example, among the bakery products, the line of health-oriented products stood out, and among dairy products, soft and brine cheeses, the production of which will continue to develop. In the future, the competition organizers intend to expand the number of nominations and types of food products presented. Separate nominations for dairy and meat products for healthy, school, and baby food will appear. The "GUST" (Guarantee of Success of Modern Goods) tasting competition has been held since 2001 with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Belarusian State Institute of Standardization and Certification, CJSC "Minskexpo" and the Center for Creative Technologies "Artshock". The goal of the competition is to increase the competitiveness of products, promote goods in domestic and foreign markets, implement modern world-class packaging technologies, and stimulate the production of import-substituting food products. The competition jury included leading specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Trade, the State Committee for Standardization, specialized institutes, and scientific and practical centers in the field of food products. This competition is the only professional competition in Belarus where products are evaluated by organoleptic expertise. The product that received the highest number of points became the winner of the tasting competition. "Golden GUST" diplomas, which traditionally mark enterprises for consistently high quality, implementation of new technologies, and a wide range of products, will be awarded to the heads of these enterprises based on the results of all three stages of the competition in December. -0-