Willcox, Ariz. – In a recent blind judging competition for overall quality, the independent professional chefs at the American Culinary ChefsBest® Center for Taste awarded EuroFresh Farms the 2012 ChefsBest® Certified Award for all six EuroFresh tomatoes and cucumbers the greenhouse grower produces and ships in the U.S.
The EuroFresh products highly rated by ChefsBest® include: Tomatoes on the Vine (TOVs), Romas, Campari, Bella Bites, Long English Cucumbers, and Mini Cucumbers.
“The ChefsBest® Award reinforces our commitment to provide great-tasting, safe and high-quality produce to consumers throughout the year,” said Johan van den Berg, CEO of EuroFresh Farms.
“Food is the third largest annual expenditure in American households. Consumers can be assured they are making the best, most informed buying decision at the grocery store when they choose ChefsBest® products such as EuroFresh tomatoes and cucumbers,” said Daryl Mazow, President of ChefsBest®.
Mazow said the ChefsBest® judging process follows a strict, proprietary protocol. All of the ChefsBest® judging competitions are performed blind so the chef panelists do not know which leading American brands are being evaluated. To further ensure objectivity, the products are served in random order with only a three-digit code identifying product samples.
The products are then judged on varying dimensions of taste. To receive the ChefsBest® Certified Award, a brand must meet ChefsBest’s® quality standards. In the event that a product does not meet these quality standards, no ChefsBest® Certified Award is given.
In addition to being professionally-trained in the culinary arts, Mazow said all of the ChefsBest® chef panelists are certified as Master Tasters™. They have been rigorously trained and screened for palate acuity. This screening ensures the chefs’ taste buds are sophisticated enough to detect various flavor nuances. In fact, to protect these “prized” taste buds, chefs avoid caffeine and cannot smoke, drink or eat spicy food for several hours before judging to prevent any residual flavors from tainting the products being judged.
To uphold the high integrity standards for the ChefsBest® Award, Mazow said the judging process is protected from outside influence. Products are purchased nationwide in the U.S. by ChefsBest®, just as a consumer would. ChefsBest® determines categories and performs testing independently of manufacturers, who do not pay to be judged. Only one brand within the category can earn the ChefsBest® Award. There are no second or third place awards so consumers can be sure they are getting the best product.
ChefsBest® Award Winning products are easily identified by the three chef heads profiled on the double gold medallion. To find out more about ChefsBest®, please visit www.chefsbest.org, www.EuroFresh.com/chefsbest, or call EuroFresh at (520) 384-4621.
ABOUT EUROFRESH FARMS
EuroFresh Farms is the leading year-round producer and marketer of greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers in the United States. EuroFresh Farms products are Chef Endorsed and Certified Safe that delivers premium quality produce grown with care in one of the world’s largest greenhouse complexes. Spanning 318 acres in Willcox and Snowflake, Ariz., all EuroFresh produce is endorsed by the professional chefs at ChefsBest® for overall quality, and certified as Pesticide Residue-Free by SCS (Scientific Certification Systems). For more information, visit www.EuroFresh.com or call (520) 384-4621.
Source: EuroFresh Farms
