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| מוצר השנה ישראל 2014 |
I was unable to attend the 2014 Product Of The Year bloggers event that took place recently, yet Amit, Product of the Year
Community Manager, was kind enough to send my way the signature red bag full of winning items
for me to tryout.
To read about previous Product of the Year winners and how they go about picking the winning products you can click on my past blog posts Here , Here, Here and Here.
Since I mainly review food products, on this blog, I will focus most of my attention on the winning food and drinks.
To see all the winning products for 2014 you can checkout the Product of the Year website Here.
To read about previous Product of the Year winners and how they go about picking the winning products you can click on my past blog posts Here , Here, Here and Here.
Since I mainly review food products, on this blog, I will focus most of my attention on the winning food and drinks.
To see all the winning products for 2014 you can checkout the Product of the Year website Here.
I will start with a product I actually reviewed when it was first new on the market
1. Strauss Energy Bite-Size "Rice" Cakes- Energy’s line of bite size puffed rice cakes. I enjoyed this snack back then when I first tried it and I still like it now. I do buy the cinnamon flavored one when I find it on sale. So if you are looking for a good snack to take “on the go” stock up on these snack packs when you can find them on offer.
2. Tnuva Chocolate Milk 30% Less Sugar- I didn’t actually receive Tnuva’s Lower sugar chocolate milk in the bag, but Tnuva did win a product of the year award for this product. Rightfully so in my opinion, as I wrote in this post, I didn’t miss the extra sugar at all. The 30% less sugar chocolate milk is a wonderful refreshing chocolate milk that I think kids of all ages would enjoy.
3. Tusso Sugar-Free wafers- in June of 2012 I wrote about Tusso’s line of sugar free products. Back then I thought the Hazelnut chocolate bar was a “win” but I was less impressed with the sandwich cookies I had tried. In the Product of the Year bag I received this week, I got a package of Tusso Sugar-Free wafers. As it happens, wafers are one of my all time favorite snacks so I am very critical when it comes to wafers. I have to say the Tusso Sugar-Free chocolate filled wafers I got were ok, not the best wafer on the market but for a sugar-free wafer they were good, better than any other sugar–free wafer I have tried here in Israel. It’s nice to know that those who suffer from diabetes have a decent wafer to snack on.
4. Marmolight Stevia - I actually wrote about Sucrazit’s Stevia Based Sweetener Packets back in March of 2012 and although I have yet to try the Marmolight Stevia packets, I got in this Product of the Year bag, I am thrilled that Stevia packets are now so easily available in almost any local supermarket. If you have yet to try stevia sweetener I suggest you give it a try. Yes it takes getting used to and you have to “learn” how little you actually need but, once you find the right amount for your taste buds, you won’t mind the slight aftertaste and you will be happy to stop using chemicals to sweeten your drinks/food.
5. Star Kist Light
Tuna Chunks in Natural Extra Virgin Olive Oil- I have yet to
try this tin of tuna but given that I really liked the Star Kist Tuna 99 Calorie Containers I wrote about 2011, I’m
sure I will enjoy this seemingly healthy product from Star Kist as well.
6. Yad Mordechai Mini Bottles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil – since we are on the topic of Extra Virgin Olive Oil let me tell you about Yad Mordechai’s winning product. I know many people who enjoy flavored olive oil but they are hesitant to flavor a big bottle of olive oil because they still want the option of “plain” olive oil. Yad Mordechai solved this problem by making a line of Mini Olive Oils. This way you can get a few small bottles and flavor each one differently. I think this is a smart idea.
7. Sugat Kids- Toasted Alphabet Shaped Pasta- Sugat won for a line of 100% natural pastas made in all sorts of fun shapes like alphabet & numbers etc. I think this is a fun cool idea and if it helps get kids to eat a somewhat healthier side-dish, I'm all for it.
8. Materna Toddlers Biscuits- I got a bag of Materna biscuits for toddles. I actually tried them. No, I am not the target consumer for these cookies and since I haven’t tried other baby biscuits on the market, I don’t really know what to compare them to, but I was curious if adults would like them as well. I thought they were good, and can be nice with a cup of tea. They were slightly sweeter than I expected them to be but I am sure toddlers like that idea. And to make the parents happy they are enriched with Iron, Calcium and vitamins.
9. May Eden 500ml Sports Bottle Cap- Yes in the bottle it's the same wonderful water but May Eden changed their sports bottle cap. I have to say I prefer the “screw open/close sports cap” they have on the 750ml bottle. I think they work better and close more securely, for when you are “on the go”. I will say, this New May Eden 500ml Sports Cap is way better than the cap on the Neviot Sports bottle so, I guess that’s why they won. Bottom line I prefer the taste of May Eden water over Neviot and the taste is what really matters to me.
10. Goldstar Unfiltered Beer – I am not a fan of beer so I will have to pass this on to a friend who enjoys tasting new beers. If you like beer and you try this new unfiltered option let me know in the comments section what you think of it.
11. Yehiam 100% All Natural Turkey Cold Cuts- I was given a coupon to get a free pack of Yehiam’s Turkey Lunch Meat but I have not yet had a chance to pick it up. Judging from other Yehiam products I have tried I anticipate enjoying this sandwich meat as well. If I have anything interesting to add about this once I try it I will update this post.
Update: I had a chance to try this Turkey Cold Cut Meat. The coupon they gave me was for the 2% fat turkey meat (as in the photo above). At first I had it in a sandwich with vegetables and BBQ sauce. When I finished the sandwich I thought to myself "I have nothing interesting to write about this product". It was fine, I didn't dislike it but I didn't love it either. I decided to try it alone; not in a sandwich, and I didn't like it. I found it very dry and salty. In the sandwich with the vegetables and sauce I didn't notice the dryness or saltiness but on its own those issues were really noticeable. Even if you only eat it in a sandwich, to mask the dryness and saltiness, I personally didn't find anything extraordinary about it that warrants an award. I don't tend to buy lunch meat on a regular basis but if or when I might pick some up I don't think this is the product I would choose.
12. Shufersal “Green Line” of Gluten Free Breads- another winning product I received a coupon for was Shufersal’s “Green” Gluten Free Bread. I really look forward to trying this and comparing it to the Kosher for Passover rolls I enjoyed over Pesach. I am so happy to see more and more gluten free products readily available here in Israel, as a whole they are still way to expensive and that’s just not fair to people who suffer from Coeliac Disease. I hope that sooner rather than later such products will become much less expensive.
As with the turkey meat, when I try this bread I will update this post if I have anything interesting to say about it.
Update: I got to try the Shufersal Gluten Free Burger Rolls. I really would have preferred to try the bread or the "baguettes" but the branch I was at only had the burger buns so that's what I got. They come 4 in a pack.
When I was at Shufersal looking for them I checked the freezer department (near all the other gluten free breads) but could not find them there. I was surprised to see that they are sold in the regular bakery department and the package does not say they need to be frozen after opening. It says keep in a dry shady place.
I found the rolls to be soft and fresh. I thought they were fluffy but still substantial. As with other gluten free breads I have tasted, I picked up on what seemed to me to be a strong mashed potato flavor, even thogh it doesn't actually have any potatoes in it. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing if you like the taste of mashed potatoes as I do.
I liked this gluten-free roll. I thought it was a good option for those who suffer from Coeliac Disease and can't eat gluten, until I saw the ridiculous price the package says 15.90 NIS for 4 rolls (in this weekends newspaper it say they cost 12.90 and it's not a "sale" but the regular price, Shufersal claim they lowered the prices on many gluten-free products. Still it's double the price of regular burger buns. I think regular burger buns run about 12 NIS for a package of 8 this is a pack of 4.) In my opinion it's unfair how crazy expensive gluten-free products are. Those that suffer from a disease should not be further punished when they try to buy food in a country that almost all food is already so overpriced. Same goes for diabetics, why are all the sugar-free products more expensive? I think this has to change.
13. Shufersal “Green Line” Gluten Free Gnocchi - I have a very close friend who sadly suffers from Coelica disease so I am waiting to try this Gnocchi the next time she comes for a visit. I will keep you posted what we think of the product.
14. Milky Shake- Milky won for this Pudding Shake. I didn’t receive one in the bag but I did try it when it first came onto the market. I thought it was fun and interesting but if I was spending money (and calories) on a pudding I personally would go with the classic Milky. Still, I understand the need for the company to constantly try and come up with something new and exciting. It’s not a bad product, just overpriced. If you find it on offer I think kids of all ages would enjoy the treat (and the gimmick).
15. Pri Niv Apple Carrot Juice – another product I didn’t receive in the bag was Pri Niv’s Apple Carrot Juice. I have not tried this juice but I did write about Pri Niv’s Banana Based Drinks back in May 2012 and I am happy to see these healthier juices becoming more readily available and not only being sold in kiosks and at rest-stops.
Now I will list the Non Food products I received. I haven’t had a chance to try them yet but if or when I have something to add about them I will let you know. In the mean time, at least you know they are Product of the Year Winners.
Dove Men Care Shower Gel
Teva’s Avkamol Paracetamol Powder
Dr. Fisher Sebo Right Anti Aging Cream Line
Hawaii Black Brilliance Shampoo
Huggie’s Little Babies Line
Sano’s Rizpaz Fresh Home Floor Cleaner
Nikol “smart” Daily Disposable Wipes – I am actually really
interested in trying these. I wanted to buy them when I saw them in the store.
I like the idea of a stronger yet disposable cleaning cloth that I can use for “the
day” and then throw it out feeling somewhat less guilty. I will let you know
what I think after a few uses.
Depend Real Fit Disposable Underwear
Always Infinity Sanitary Pads
You Phone- They gave a cap and a free sim card but they won for the fact that You Club Members can get cell phone discounts if they shop at Mega Supermarket Branches or Dor Alon Gas Stations
Bezek Cloud Free- gave headphones and a flashlight key
chain Bezek won for their Free Unlimited Cloud Service
And last but not least the Gold Product of the Year Award went to Ahava for their OSMOTER Serum
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