Elit's "Plin de Carne" sausage range has been named winners of the prestigious "Product of the Year 2023" award in the "Sausages" category following the "Product of the Year 2023 for Innovation" competition!

The recipe innovations have transformed the "Plin de Carne" sausage assortment into family-friendly deli products suitable for a balanced dietary style.

The sausages in the new "Plin de Carne" range from Elit offer consumers sensorial experiences of exquisite taste, based on the highest quality ingredients, without GMOs (genetically modified organisms), added starch, soy, gluten, or mechanically separated meat (MDM). These benefits are clearly highlighted on the new label.

"This is the second time we've received such an important public recognition for our products in this competition! The recent 'Product of the Year' distinction for Plin de Carne brings great joy to our entire team, but not as a surprise! I sincerely believe that our team and the quality of our products would earn us an award every day if the competition ran daily," said Voicu Vuscan, Administrator of Elit.

The "Plin de Carne" House Sausages, "Plin de Carne" House Dried Sausages, "Plin de Carne" Fuet Sausages, "Plin de Carne" Grill Sausages, and "Plin de Carne" Spicy Grill Sausages will proudly carry, alongside the clean label, the public recognition of the exquisite taste by obtaining the "Product of the Year 2023" distinction!

"The passion for offering customers sausages with an exquisite taste is what drives us to be better every day. Through the 'Plin de Carne' range, we continue our promise to provide nourishing, flavorful products suitable for a balanced dietary style. I want to thank the entire team involved in the project's implementation and also the consumers who appreciate the results of our work!" said Cristian Oradan, CEO of Elit.

"Product of the Year" is the world's largest consumer goods competition. Established in France in 1987, the competition operates in 44 countries.

"Through this edition, it has been confirmed once again that innovation is one of the fundamental pillars of a successful business. We are pleased that numerous innovative products [...] have received recognition from consumers and will differentiate themselves in the market through this distinction," stated Mihaela Paduraru, Country Manager of "Product of the Year®" Romania.

The Product of the Year study was conducted across 36 categories. The total sample size of the study was 6,447 respondents from urban areas, internet users, aged between 18-65. In the "Sausages" category, the sample size was 510 respondents.

The maximum sampling error in the category is +/- 4.3%. The study took place from March 15 to May 2023. The evaluation criteria were: innovation, attractiveness, purchase intention. For more details, visit www.produsulanului.com.

About ELIT

Elit is the market leader in the meat products industry in Romania, producing over 50,000 tons of exquisitely flavored deli products annually at its 5 proprietary factories in Bucharest, Alba Iulia, Cugir, Arad, and Ceptura de Jos.

With a tradition of over 20 years, Elit produces all ranges of deli products: Salamis, Sausages, Specialties, Crenvursti, Parizer, Smoked Meats, Fresh Sausages, Dried Cured Meats, Mici. Consumers can find these across all sales channels, primarily in traditional commerce, where they hold an impressive customer portfolio.

The Elit team of 2,500 professionals has developed a wide range of high-quality products carefully selected over time. With integration into the Smithfield group, Elit promotes Smithfield Romania products (under the Comtim range) and Smithfield Poland products (Morliny, Yano, Krakus, and Berlinki ranges) in traditional retail.

Elit became the market leader in the Romanian meat products industry through the acquisitions of producers Maier (in 2019) and Goodies (in 2023). These acquisitions complement a team of remarkable employees who produce high-quality products in line with the highest operating standards.