The votes are in for Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 2015 Readers’ Choice Best New Retail Products contest. Congratulations to Kahiki Foods, Gahanna, Ohio, for placing third with a total of 870 votes for its Steam & Serve Bag Meals.

Marina Mayer, editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods and the creator of the Readers’ Choice Best New Retail Products contest, talked exclusively with Scott Corey, “master of magical moments and multimedia,” to discuss more in-depth about the contest, the “winning” product and what’s in store for the future.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods: First off, congratulations on being named one of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Top 5 Readers’ Choice winners in 2015. What does this recognition mean to you, your company and its products?

Scott Corey: We are honored to be voted one of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Top 5 Readers’ Choice winners in 2015, and we are so appreciative to the many Kahiki Foods fans who made this achievement possible. This win is a testament to what frozen food consumers want and need—bold flavor profiles and convenient, intuitive meal options. At Kahiki, we’re committed to providing products that frozen Asian food fans appreciate and love.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods: Your new retail product—Steam & Serve bag meals—placed No. 3 with 870 votes. What features does this new product hold that would allow it to even be nominated?

Corey: Our steamable meals are convenient to make and offer a taste and texture experience similar to that of a restaurant. Steaming also helps to preserve the flavors and nutrients in the ingredients. All of our products are made without artificial flavors, preservatives or MSG, and are made with all-natural ingredients, including all-white meat chicken and Asian vegetables. Also, both our Steam & Serve Chicken Fried Rice and Chicken Lo Mein can be prepared in the microwave in less than 10 minutes.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods: How did you go about accruing so many votes? What was your plan?

Corey: Since we engage with our fans on social media daily, sharing recipes, fun facts and hosting giveaways, it’s a great community to ask for input. When learning of our nomination, we shared this news with our fans throughout the month, across Twitter, Facebook and within our e-newsletter. To make the process even more fun, we hosted a giveaway with Kahiki Foods-themed prizes, as a thank you to those that participated.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods: What goes into developing a new product?

Corey: When developing a [new] product, we always listen to our fans to best learn their needs and wants. We also conduct extensive research to keep each of our products exciting and new. Always providing consumers with a wide range of meal options, our Steam & Serve Chicken Lo Mein became the first noodle item in our line.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods: Any unique features to the product’s packaging?

Corey: Each of our steam-and-serve bags has a unique, laser micro-perforated film that vents steam, designed to perfectly cook every meal. Consumers are able to prepare both our Steam & Serve Chicken Fried Rice and Chicken Lo Mein in the microwave, conveniently cooking without any added cleanup.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods: What is on the horizon for your company?

Corey: We’re looking forward to providing our consumers with even more new, exciting Asian flavors, including seasonal offerings. We will also continue to share recipes and prizes with fans. We’re on a trajectory of consistent innovation and we will be a brand to watch in the coming months, as we launch new initiatives and continue to add creative flavors to our product lines.