Sustainability criteria

Your product(s) must:

Not be airfreighted.
Be GMO-free.
Be free from pesticides banned for outdoor use in the UK and EU, including clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam.
Be packaged with materials that are at least 80% by weight recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable.
Not contain palm oil or soya sourced from lands deforested within the last 5 years or contain palm oil or soya certified as sustainably sourced (e.g., through the Roundtable for Responsible Palm Oil or the Roundtable for Responsible Soya).
Be made with ingredients you know the origin of – either where they’re grown or who supplies them.

Health and nutrition criteria

Your product(s) must:

Not contain either fats (such as butter or ghee) and/or non cold-pressed culinary oils as the principal ingredient(s) by weight, as listed on the ingredient label.
Not contain sugar and/or syrups as the principal ingredient(s) by weight, as listed on the ingredient label.
Not contain added salt of more than 1.5g per 100g of the product.

Exclusion of Ultra-Processed Foods (NOVA Group 4)

Your product(s) do or does not qualify as NOVA Group 4 (Ultra-Processed Food):

For our awards specifically your product(s) must:

Be free from artificial colourings, flavourings, additives, and preservatives (synthetic or nature-identical ingredients are not allowed).
Be made using ingredients that come directly from natural sources.
Not include ingredients created through synthetic processes or involving chemical transformation. Naturally derived concentrates are permitted, provided they remain free from synthetic additives or chemical alteration.

And your product(s) must not contain:

Industrial Additives: Protein isolates (e.g., soy protein isolate, pea protein isolate), modified starches, added starches, or high-fructose corn syrup.
Synthetic Preservatives: Potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, or other synthetic agents.
Artificial Fats: Hydrogenated, semi-hydrogenated, or interesterified fats.
Texturising and Functional Additives: Synthetic emulsifiers (e.g., polysorbates, mono- and diglycerides), anti-foaming agents, bulking agents, gelling or glazing agents, and thickening agents including xanthum and guar gum.
Synthetic Humectants: Substances that retain moisture in processed foods.

Specific Product Requirements

For rice only (including snacks and ready-made meals where rice is the principal ingredient by weight)

FOR RICE ONLY, YOU MUST:

Reduce water use by at least 30% through methods like Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD).
Adopt at least one practice to lower methane emissions (e.g., AWD, dry seeding).
Use at least 60% organic or natural fertilisers to enhance soil sustainability.

For avocados, nuts, or ground nuts only (including snacks and ready-made meals where avocados, nuts, ground nuts, or any of the 3 combined, are the principal ingredients by weight)

YOU, OR YOUR SUPPLIERS, MUST NOT SOURCE ANY OF THE ABOVE:

From water-scarce areas defined as high stress or above by The Water Risk Atlas
And you/your product suppliers must also:
Use water mitigation measures such as drip irrigation, mulching, cover cropping, or water recycling.

STANDARDS AND COMMITMENTS

Fair Labour Standards

All entrants must adhere to the awards’ fair labour standards, which consist of:

Compliance with applicable employment and health and safety laws in the countries where your foods or ingredients are sourced.
A zero-tolerance policy toward child labour, slave labour, and human trafficking.
Respect for workers’ rights, including the right to fair wages (in accordance with the legal minimum wage or living wage, where applicable), safe working conditions, and freedom from exploitation.

Sustainability commitments

The awards gather insights into the initiatives and policies that entrants are implementing to promote sustainability.

Sharing this information helps the awards to:

Build a deeper understanding of how sustainability is being integrated into supply chains across diverse sectors and business sizes.
Promote and celebrate sustainable practices, driving progress within the food and drink industry.

On entry, please upload your sustainability information (which may include your standard product brochure, ESG policy, sustainable sourcing guide, supplier code of conduct, sustainability mission statement, environmental practices, sustainability program, any sustainability claims on your product label/s, or similar).

The Awards

Eligibility Criteria

Sustainability criteria

Your product(s) must:

Health and nutrition criteria

Your product(s) must:

Exclusion of Ultra-Processed Foods (NOVA Group 4)

For our awards specifically your product(s) must:

And your product(s) must not contain:

Specific Product Requirements

For rice only (including snacks and ready-made meals where rice is the principal ingredient by weight)

FOR RICE ONLY, YOU MUST:

For avocados, nuts, or ground nuts only (including snacks and ready-made meals where avocados, nuts, ground nuts, or any of the 3 combined, are the principal ingredients by weight)

YOU, OR YOUR SUPPLIERS, MUST NOT SOURCE ANY OF THE ABOVE:

STANDARDS AND COMMITMENTS

Fair Labour Standards

All entrants must adhere to the awards’ fair labour standards, which consist of:

Sustainability commitments

The awards gather insights into the initiatives and policies that entrants are implementing to promote sustainability.

Sharing this information helps the awards to:

Have questions? Feel free to get in touch– we’re happy to help

Everything at a glance

The Awards

Eligibility Criteria

Sustainability criteria

Your product(s) must:

Health and nutrition criteria

Your product(s) must:

Exclusion of Ultra-Processed Foods (NOVA Group 4)

For our awards specifically your product(s) must:

And your product(s) must not contain:

Specific Product Requirements

For rice only (including snacks and ready-made meals where rice is the principal ingredient by weight)

FOR RICE ONLY, YOU MUST:

For avocados, nuts, or ground nuts only (including snacks and ready-made meals where avocados, nuts, ground nuts, or any of the 3 combined, are the principal ingredients by weight)

YOU, OR YOUR SUPPLIERS, MUST NOT SOURCE ANY OF THE ABOVE:

STANDARDS AND COMMITMENTS

Fair Labour Standards

All entrants must adhere to the awards’ fair labour standards, which consist of:

Sustainability commitments

The awards gather insights into the initiatives and policies that entrants are implementing to promote sustainability.

Sharing this information helps the awards to:

Have questions? Feel free to get in touch– we’re happy to help

Sponsors

Everything at a glance