The October issue ofCooking Light  magazine features the brand's first "Taste Test Awards" ("The Tasties"). PublisherTime Inc., New York, N.Y., said its editors tested 200 food products and came up with the best-tasting winners -- including several refrigerated and frozen foods -- in 32 categories. Twenty-six of the categories feature grocery store products while six showcase artisanal standouts. The issue hits newsstands September 17th.

To qualify in the grocery categories, foods had to be available in major markets nationwide.Cooking Lightsaid it vetted products against nutrition standards, eliminating those that contained artificial trans fats, too much salt, or artificial sugars.

The panel of editors tasted finalists "blind:" the tasters did not know which brands they were sampling. Not all products are low fat. Some higher fat items are on the list because of their superior quality and taste. Used moderately, these products have a place in a healthy lifestyle. In each category, one Grand Prize Winner (GPW) is selected as well as one or more Taste Test Award Winners (TTA).

"Our staff spent most of the last year tasting American grocery and artisanal foods for our awards," says Editor Scott Mowbray. "We ate our way through bread, cereal, and hummus to find products that we felt deserved recognition. We added the artisanal categories because there is so much exciting action in the world of handmade food right now."

2010 Taste Test Award Grocery Winners included the following refrigerated and frozen categories:
   
Salted, Gourmet Butter
GPW: Organic Valley
TTA: Lurpak
TTA: Chimay

Unsalted, Everyday Butter
GPW: Target Market Pantry
TTA: Borden
TTA: Whole Foods 365 Organic
TTA: Wal-Mart Great Value
   
Hummus
GPW: Tribe Classic
TTA: Athenos Original
   
Ice Cream (Light, Vanilla)
GPW: Turkey Hill Vanilla Bean
TTA: Edy's Slow-Churned
   
Frozen Pizza (Margherita variety)
GPW: Tandoor Chef  Naan Pizza
TTA: Amy's Kitchen
   
Sausage (Chicken & Apple variety)
GPW: Lou's Famous 
TTA: Al Fresco Sweet Apple
   
Sour Cream (Light)
GPW: Daisy 
TTA: Organic Valley
TTA: Target Market Pantry 
   
Tofu (firm)
GPW: Melissa's Organic
TTA: Nasoya Organic
TTA: Tree of Life
   
Yogurt ( Plain, Nonfat Greek)
GPW: Fage
TTA: Chobani
TTA: Voskos Organic