Sassy™ Apples won the Primary Sector Award at the 2024 New Zealand Food Awards in Auckland on Thursday night.

Launched in 2023, Plant and Food Research developed the new apple variety grown and marketed by Next Generation Apples, a New Zealand-based group comprising Golden Bay Fruit and Taylor Corp.

“Sassy™ Apples were developed through plant-breeding techniques to create an apple with a crisp texture, high flavour, long storage and shelf life, novel skin and flesh colour, optimal harvest maturity, and pest and disease resistance,” deputy director-general of New Zealand Food Safety Vincent Arbuckle, said.

“It is exciting to see how investment in research can lead to practical advances without sacrificing on bite or flavour.”

The judging panel was impressed by the product’s innovation and journey through the supply chain, from research to orchards to supermarket shelves.

“Sassy™ Apples exemplify excellence throughout the supply chain,” Arbuckle stated. He also remarked on the overall high quality of the entries in the Primary Sector category, noting their reflection of an exciting, thriving food and fibre sector.

“All finalists demonstrated a commitment to the kind of quality and ability to overcome challenges which have always formed the foundation of New Zealand’s food production,” he said.

Finalists for the category included Waitoa Free Range Chicken, Good Guise Paneer, and Akaroa Salmon.

The New Zealand Food Awards, organized annually by Massey University, celebrate innovation and excellence in food and beverage nationwide.

New Zealand Food Safety, part of the Ministry for Primary Industries, has been involved with the awards for over 20 years and has sponsored them since 2008.