Competition Rules

 1) ELIGIBILITY: Participants must be a business member of the Ontario Independent Meat Processors Association ("OIMP") with dues in good standing on the date of registering their entry through to March 5, 2011 when awards are handed out. Non-Members that wish to enter the competition may do so by joining the OIMP association prior to January 17, 2011.

 

2) ENTRIES: All products entered into the competition must be solely processed by the entrant. Each OIMP entrant may enter multiple entries of a different item in each product category with the exception of side bacon, black forest ham, bone-in ham, and premium hotdog. OIMP has the right to disqualify any product that does not meet the rules of the competition.

 

3) REGISTRATION: A non-refundable entry fee of $150.00 per item must be submitted with the completed registration form by 4:30 pm (ET) January 17, 2011. Product name registered when entered must match product name on label and/or packaging. This name will appear on Award plaque, media releases and signage.

 

4) PRODUCT DELIVERY: Erb Transport, the official carrier for the competition, will pick up your entries at no charge and deliver to the judging location. All entries must be ready for pick up on January 24, 2011. Shipping details will be provided upon receipt of your paid registration form. OIMP, including its agents, representatives and those associated with them, will take measures to safeguard entries, however, OIMP is not responsible for any entry, or notification or the like, which is lost, misdirected or which arrives late, as the case may be, whether or not due to the fault of OIMP or of any other person or thing. All entries (including the delivered product) become the property of OIMP and will not be returned.

 

5) CATEGORIES: Eligible companies can enter product in the following categories. Category definitions form part of these rules and must be adhered to by all entrants.

 

6) CATEGORY CANCELLATION:  In the event that any category fails to show at least six (6) entries the category will be cancelled. If such category is cancelled for such reasons, the entry fee will be returned to the entrant.

 

7) PRODUCT PREPARATION: All entries must be produced using recognized Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) or process controls as required in the federal or provincial inspection programs in Ontario. Establishments must be either licensed by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

 

8) ONTARIO PROTEIN DEFINITION: All meat items submitted in the competition and meat ingredient used in blended, value added products must meet the Ontario definition below for the relevant commodity.

Pork, lamb, goat, rabbit: The animal must be born, raised and finished in Ontario by an Ontario farmer.

Veal: The veal animal must be started, raised and finished in Ontario by an Ontario veal farmer.

Beef: To be considered a fresh Ontario beef product the animal must be raised and finished in Ontario by an Ontario beef farmer and come from a youthful animal that is graded or meets a grade equivalent. To be considered an Ontario value added beef product the beef animal must be raised and finished in Ontario by an Ontario beef farmer.

Poultry: The turkey, chicken, duck, goose or any other meat bird must be placed, raised and finished in Ontario by an Ontario poultry farmer.

Ratites: The emu, ostrich or rhea must be raised and finished by an Ontario ratite farmer.

Exotics (Bison, Red Deer, Elk): Exotic species must be raised and finished by an Ontario farmer.

 

9) PRODUCT LABELLING: Product labels must meet all meat product regulatory labelling requirements. Entries may contain company information on packaging material and must meet all entry criteria stated in these rules and in the category definitions. Product name registered when entered must match product name on label.

 

a) SIDE BACON - (Limit one entry)

Bacon slices must come from a full, properly trimmed belly with rind off. Product must be cured and smoked and meet the minimum temperature requirements of 60°C (140°F).

Presentation – Entry must be submitted as two separate 454 g (1 lb) packages each representing 16-18 consecutive slices from the same belly. Product must be separately tray packed and vacuum packaged and properly labelled.

The product must be fully cooked and may include cornmeal and other coatings. Bacon can be of any weight from a full properly trimmed boneless loin. Bacon must be cured and smoked to a temperature of not less than 71°C (160°F).

Presentation – Entry must be submitted as two separate 250 g (1/2 lb) packages. Product must be separately tray packed and vacuum packaged and properly labelled.

Product can be made from any meat ingredients, or any combination. The product must be cooked to a temperature of not less than 71°C (160°F).

Presentation - Entry must be submitted as a whole ring closed at both ends vacuum packaged and properly labelled. May not be cut or sliced. Entry should not exceed 1 kg (2.2 lbs).

d) BLACK FOREST HAM - (Limit one entry)

A boneless ham may be made from the top round and bottom round of the pork leg muscle. The associated inner portion of the shank may be left on. Ham must be cured and smoked to a temperature of not less than 71°C (160°F).

Presentation – Entry must be submitted as a whole piece and vacuum packaged and properly labelled. May not be cut or sliced.

e) BONE IN HAM - (Limit one entry)

A bone in ham must contain at minimum the femur bone. The hock may be on or off. Ham must be cured and smoked to a temperature of not less than 71°C (160°F).

Presentation – Entry must be submitted as a whole piece and vacuum packed and properly labelled. May not be cut or sliced.

Product can be made from any meat ingredient, or any combination. This category does not include fermented products. The meat ingredients can be ground, chopped or diced. The product must be presented in a casing. The product must be fully cooked to 71°C (160°F).

Presentation - Entry must be submitted as a whole piece and vacuum packaged and properly labelled. May not be cut or sliced.

Product may be prepared from beef or veal. Product can be made from one or more whole muscles or muscle portions. The product may be made with or without cure or smoke. The product must be fully cooked to 71°C (160°F).

Presentation - Entry must be submitted as a whole piece and vacuum packed and properly labelled. May not be cut or sliced.

Product may be prepared from any poultry species. Product can be made from one or more whole muscles or muscle portions. The product may be made with or without cure or smoke. The product must be fully cooked to 71°C (160°F).

Presentation - Entry must be submitted as a whole piece and vacuum packed and properly labelled. May not be cut or sliced.

Product may be made from meat of any species. Product must be fermented using a starter culture or an acidulant meeting the requirements for degree hours to a pH of 5.3 or less. The product can be in a natural or artificial casing.

Presentation - Entry must be submitted as a whole piece and properly labelled. May not be cut or sliced.

Product may be made from shoulder, loins, bellies or ham. This must be a whole muscle product. Single muscle portions or multiple muscle products may be presented. Product may be cold smoked. Products must be shelf stable and processed so they do not require refrigeration and are ready to eat. Product must meet the water activity requirement of < .85 for shelf stable product.

Presentation - Entry must be submitted as a whole piece and vacuum packaged and properly labelled. May not be cut or sliced.

Sausage must be an uncooked linked product made from any meat or meat combination. Product must be in an edible casing.

Presentation – Entry must consist of 2 separate wrapped trays. Each tray must be properly labelled.

Sausage must be a ground or emulsified linked product made from any meat or meat combination. Product must be in an edible casing. The sausage must be cooked to a minimum of 71°C (160°F).

Presentation - Entry must consist of 2 separate vacuum packed packages. Each package must be properly labelled.

m) PREMIUM WIENER - (Limit one entry)

Wiener must be an emulsion product made from any meat or meat combination. Product can be in a natural casing or skinless.

Presentation – Entry must consist of 2 separate retail style vacuum packed packages. Each package must be properly labelled.

To be eligible for this category the product must indicate the current health trends it is addressing such as but not limited to low sodium, low fat, allergen free, nitrite free or functional ingredients. Labelling claims must be in compliance with Food and Drugs Act and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act. Product may be made from any meat or meat combination. The product must be fully cooked to 71°C (160°F).

Presentation – Product must be packaged as it would be sold at retail and properly labelled.

 

11) JUDGING: A panel appointed solely by OIMP will judge the entries on January 27, 2011.

 

12) SCORING CRITERIA FOR ALL CATEGORIES: All entries will be scored based on the following point system.

Consumer Appeal ................................................................................................................ 20 pts

Appearance ......................................................................................................................... 10 pts

Texture ................................................................................................................................ 15 pts

Aroma ................................................................................................................................. 10 pts

 

13) AWARDS: Three awards will be given in each class: Platinum, Gold, and Silver. “Ontario Finest Meat Competition Awards” will be presented on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at the OIMP Award Gala held at the Doubletree by Hilton – Toronto Airport in Toronto, Ontario. Plaques will be presented and professional photographs taken.

 

14) RON USBORNE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: A plaque will be presented to the company achieving the highest accumulated score. Accumulated scores will be calculated by assigning three points for each Platinum placing entry, two points for Gold and one point for Bronze within each category.

 

15) PRODUCT AUCTION: The product auction is a long standing tradition and recognizes winning product during the OIMP Awards Gala. A number of platinum winning products will be placed on the auction block with proceeds going to support OIMP activities. Entrants who had product auctioned will be contacted the week following the event to provide up to 10 pounds of product. The OIMP will coordinate delivery arrangements of winning product to successful bidders.

 

16) 2011 ONTARIO FINEST MEAT AWARD LOGO: Winners will be able to use the designated logo (under development) on product packaging and promotion upon signing a Logo Usage Agreement.

 

17) PROMOTION: Platinum, Gold, and Silver winners in each product category will receive:

a. Use of designated logo

b. Professional product photo taken at time of judging

c. Press release distributed province-wide to food, lifestyle, business, trade and agricultural media announcing winners

d. Local release targeted directly to media in their region

e. Recognition on oimp.ca, ontariomeatproducts.ca, and in BLOCKtalk

f. Social media announcements (on Facebook and Twitter)

g. Opportunity to have product showcased at events such as Premier’s Agri-Food Summit, Queen’s Park Farmers Market, Alliance MPP Queen’s Park Reception, OIMP Annual Conference, Grocery Innovations

 

18) MARKET DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: OIMP is working with retailers on a project to open up market opportunities for OIMP members and increase sales of processed Ontario meat and poultry products. The product you enter into the competition regardless of whether you place may be eligible for inclusion of the OIMP Market Development Pilot Project (MDPP). If your product is deemed eligble;

a) Your product will be permitted to use the Ontario Finest Meat logo/brand free of charge for two years upon signing a Logo Usage Agreement

b) The Ontario Finest Meat products will have ongoing media outreach (e.g. TV segments, print promotion, social media) to drive customers to look for product. This promotional support will be provided FREE of charge. Product for in-store demos or media sampling must be provided free of charge by the processor.

c)  If your product is chosen by retailers participating in the MDPP it will be sold and promoted in-store with a retail launch in April 2011 that will include point-of-sale materials, in-store demos, and promotion in retail flyers and on retail websites

d) Your company may be chosen to be featured in one of three videos that will be produced for social media (YouTube, website, MSN, Yahoo, etc.) and broadcast media

e) Your product may be chosen for professional recipe development and photography which will be used in media outreach initiatives.

 

19)  PUBLICITY RELEASE:  By entering the Competition, and in consideration of being allowed to participate and possibly winning an award, the entrant:

a) agrees to the Competition rules,

b) agrees to the use without compensation of photographs and photographic images of themselves (including any and all photographs and photographic images taken of them and/or their submitted product entry), name and city of business operation/residence in all publicity campaigns, whether or not related to the competition, including in all advertising, media material and on the OIMP Website, and

c) gives and grants to OIMP and OIMP's respective licensees, agents, successors and assigns in perpetuity the right to reproduce, use, publish, broadcast, exhibit, distribute, transmit and/or otherwise exploit, as applicable, in all forms of advertising and promotion of OIMP's goods, services and/or business including in any and all media now or hereafter known including without limitation by means of newspaper advertising, magazine advertising, television advertising, direct mail advertising, video, electronic mediums including electronic networks such as the "Internet", merchandise, the following (the following being collectively referred to as the "Subject Matter"): photographs submitted or taken as part of the Competition, a description and photo of the product submitted into the Competition (whether or not the product is a winning product); a description, bio and photo of the entrant and the company with which he/she is affiliated with and any photographs taken by sponsor at any stage of the Competition and after the Competition (the copyright in all such photographs shall be and remain exclusively that of OIMP, and if any copyright is deemed to be assigned to OIMP pursuant to the paragraph then all moral rights relating to such works will be deemed to have been waived by the assignor).

 

20) LIABILITY FOR PRODUCTS: While the OIMP will be undertaking measures to ensure the safety and integrity of all entries, OIMP does not assume any responsibility for the protection and safeguarding of any entries for health or any other reasons. Accordingly, all liability for each entered product rests solely with the competitor no matter what the reason for potential or actual liability that might otherwise accrue to OIMP (including if OIMP has for any reason been negligent in any manner) and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, OIMP assumes no responsibility for sickness, illness, disease, infection, malady or other affliction caused by the ingestion, handling or cooking of products entered in the OIMP Product Competition, no matter what the cause (even if OIMP is negligent).

 

21) OIMP PRIVACY POLICY: Personal information about entrants collected in connection with this Competition is collected solely for the purpose of administering this Competition. No further informational or marketing communications not related to this Competition will be sent to the entrant by sponsor unless the entrant has in some manner provided sponsor or its affiliates, as the case may be, with expressed permission to do so.

 

22) COMPETITION RULE CHANGES: At the sole option of OIMP, and without any prior notice, these rules may be modified if, in the sole opinion of OIMP, it is necessary or desirable to ensure that the competition is conducted fairly.

 

For questions regarding category definitions contact:

Dave Tiller – OIMP Technical Director

T: 519.7634558 Ext 222