Celebrating the world’s most innovative
Mintel’s Most Innovative is our global awards programme recognising the products, brands and teams shaping the future of consumer packaged goods. Now in its third year, the awards celebrate innovation that responds to evolving consumer needs, creates meaningful value and sets new standards for its category.
Recognition for the innovation shaping the future of your category
Bringing a new product to market takes vision, persistence and collaboration. Innovation projects can take years, involve setbacks and require teams across the business to align behind a single idea. Mintel’s Most Innovative creates a moment to celebrate that achievement.
Winning can help you:
- Gain credibility with customers, retailers, investors and shareholders.
- Build reputation through recognition from one of the industry’s most trusted voices.
- Increase visibility through global industry exposure.
- Celebrate the people behind the idea and recognise the talent, creativity and hard work that brought it to life.
An award to be proud of
A global stage for innovation: Mintel’s Most Innovative is a global awards programme that evaluates product innovation across markets and categories, giving brands the opportunity to see how their launches compare with the best innovation launching around the world.
Judged by the best: Winners are selected by a panel that combines Mintel’s category and innovation experts with senior CPG leaders, innovators, strategists and journalists from the world’s leading trade media. We bring multiple perspectives to the evaluation process.
Over 50 years of innovation knowledge: For more than five decades, Mintel has combined deep consumer understanding with continuous intelligence on product launches globally, giving us a unique perspective on what people want, how needs are evolving and which innovations are best positioned to succeed.
The timeline
01. Award Applications Open: 2nd November 2026
02. Award Applications Close: 31st December 2026
03. Shortlist Announced: 1st February 2027
04. Winners Announced: 1st March 2027
The industries
Mintel’s Most Innovative recognises excellence across three industries globally: Beauty & Personal Care, Food & Drink, and Household.
Beauty & Personal Care
- Bodycare
- Colour Cosmetics
- Facial Skincare
- Fragrance
- Haircare
- Oral Care
- Shave / Depilatories / Deodorants
- Soap / Bath / Shower
- Suncare
Food & Drink
- Alcoholic Drinks
- Bakery
- Dairy
- Dessert & Ice Cream
- Meals & Meal Components
- Non-Alcoholic Drinks
- Pet Food
- Sides & Sauces
- Snacks
- Sugar Confectionery
- VMS & Nutritional Products
Household
- Fabric Care
- Toilet Care
- Surface Care
- Dish Care
- Air Care
- Pet Care
Meet the judges
Andrew McDougall
Principal Strategist, Mintel
Andrew specialises in understanding how consumer behaviour, cultural change, and category innovation are reshaping the future of beauty.
Claire Tassin
Principal Strategist, Mintel
With over a decade of experience working with brands on evolving consumer behaviours, across health and lifestyle, Claire is Mintel’s wellness research expert.
Jenny Zegler
Principal Strategist, Mintel
Jenny has 18 years of experience covering the food and beverage industry with her specialty in tracking food and drink trends and insights.
Jamie Rosenberg
Principal Strategist, Mintel
Jamie has more than 20 years’ experience leading projects for domain expansion, M&A, open innovation, competitive response, and strategic early warning.
Jacqui Parr
Online Editor, The Grocer
Jacqui is the editor of thegrocer.co.uk, where she leads The Grocer’s digital editorial strategy and oversees daily news, analysis and features covering the UK food and drink industry.
Jae Hong Park
CEO, The K Beauty Science
Jae is a cosmetics industry journalist with more than 34 years of experience. He is the founder and CEO of K Beauty Science publication, covering cosmetics science and developments in the beauty industry.
Clément Pasquier
VP, Insights & Strategy at Coty Consumer Beauty
Clément is VP, Insights & Strategy at Coty Consumer Beauty, where he helps shape growth and innovation through consumer-centric and data-driven strategies.
Thanh Vo
Senior Director, Innovation Hub for ASEAN & South Pacific at The Coca-Cola Company
Thanh has led innovation, portfolio transformation, and commercialization across global consumer goods companies for more than 18 years.
The 2026 winners
The details
- Mintel’s Most Innovative Award does not have an entry fee.
- Your product must have launched in 2026.
- Your product must currently be available to buy.
- Your application must be for a new product launch and not a relaunch or reformulation.
- If you have any issues when applying for the award, please contact us at MMI@mintel.com.
Hear from last year’s winners
“Recognition from an organisation as respected as Mintel celebrates the collaboration it takes to turn an idea into an experience. This achievement belongs to the teams who developed the product and to the Independent Distributors who bring it to life every day.”
“Since winning, the MMI badge has become part of how we introduce DEFI: in press features, award applications, creator recruitment, and investor outreach. When someone hears “Mintel’s Most Innovative,” the conversation starts from credibility instead of scepticism.”
“Being selected as an EMEA Food & Drink winner was an incredibly proud moment for the whole team and was great recognition in a piece of genuine innovation that’s capable of shifting expectations around what’s possible in Savoury Pastry.”
“Since winning, we have seen greater recognition from industry professionals, increased retailer interest and growth in website traffic. The award has strengthened our brand’s credibility and provides independent validation that our proposition is genuinely innovative and has the potential to make a meaningful impact on the category.”
“We entered Mintel’s Most Innovative because we wanted independent, expert confirmation that a holistic, personalized and clinically grounded approach is where the haircare category needs to go. Mintel’s judges are among the most respected voices in consumer innovation worldwide.”
