Sept. 18, 2008 – PARIS, TX – Still a hot commodity 60 years after pioneering the Mexican sauces category, Pace Picante Sauce and salsas took top honors for their categories in Chile Pepper magazine’s 2009 Fiery Food Challenge. Pace Foods won a total of six awards, including three of the coveted first-place Golden Chile trophies, presented this past weekend at ZestFest in Fort Worth, Texas, one of the country’s leading spicy food events.While several new Pace specialty salsas were among the winners, the judges also recognized the enduring quality and craftsmanship behind longtime Mexican sauce category leaders Pace Picante Sauce and Pace Thick & Chunky Salsa.In the competition’s “Hot” heat-level salsa category, the Golden Chile award went to the hot variety of Pace Picante Sauce, while the hot variety of Pace Thick & Chunky Salsa took second place. In the “Medium” heat-level salsa category, the Golden Chile was awarded to the new Pace Triple Pepper Salsa, which is part of the new Pace specialty salsa line. The mild variety of Pace Thick & Chunky Salsa won second place in the “Mild” heat-level category.The new Pace Tequila Lime Salsa took the Golden Chile in the competition’s “Alcohol Based” salsa category. And one of the latest offerings in the Pace specialty salsa line, Pace Pineapple Mango Chipotle Salsa, took second place in the fast-growing “Fruit” salsa category.“While we were honored by this level of recognition at the Fiery Food Challenge, it was no surprise to us that the care and craftsmanship Pace Foods employees put into our Picante sauce and salsas came through,” said Pace Brand Manager Eric Shultz. “We have never taken shortcuts when it comes to taste, and have preserved the integrity of our original, exclusive Pace Picante Sauce recipe for 60 years.”
The Fiery Food Challenge, a competition sponsored by Chile Pepper magazine, is a blind taste-test judging of entries in more than 80 categories. Professional judges evaluate hundreds of sauces, salsas and other spicy treats and award first, second and third prizes in each category. Awards are presented during ZestFest, a spicy food event held the same week as the Fiery Food Challenge, at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
About Pace FoodsPace Foods, founded in 1947 when David Pace introduced his original Pace Picante sauce, today is a leading brand of salsas and Picante sauces. David Pace was passionate about using the freshest ingredients, harvested and hand-selected in peak season to achieve the best flavor and quality – a tradition that has been proudly carried on by Pace Foods since it was acquired by Campbell Soup Company in 1995. Pace salsas and Picante sauces are produced in Paris, Texas.
CONTACT:John Faulkner [email protected]Mary Uhlig<A href="mailto:[email protected][email protected]<BR>Laura Hernandez Aplin [email protected] Dublin & Associates, (210) 227-0221
