Meat & Poultry Ontario (MPO) celebrated excellence across Ontario’s meat processing industry on October 3, as the winners of the 2026 Ontario’s Finest Meat Competition were announced at the MPO Awards Gala at The Westin Toronto Airport.
Ontario’s Finest Meat Competition gives MPO members an opportunity to put their best products forward and compete for recognition among the province’s finest meat processors. The 2026 competition featured 12 categories, spanning fresh sausage, bacon, deli products, smoked specialties, dry and semi-dry products, salumi and charcuterie, and the new Jerky category.
“Ontario’s Finest Meat Competition celebrates the best of our industry: recipes handed down through generations, products crafted with care, and new flavours that show where the industry is headed,” said Franco Naccarato, Executive Director of Meat & Poultry Ontario. “Every entry reflects the skill and pride of the people behind it. Together, they show the remarkable range of tradition, craftsmanship and innovation among Ontario’s meat processors.”
Entries were judged by a panel of experienced professionals representing a range of expertise across the food and meat industries. The 2026 judging panel included Chef Maurice Desharnais, Sabrina Falone, Chef Troy Spicer, Emily Richards, Alexa Clark, Steven Canclini and Scott McQuay.
Each entry was evaluated according to the requirements of its category, with judges considering factors such as appearance, aroma, texture, flavour and overall product quality. The competition recognizes top-performing products with Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond honours.
2026 Ontario’s Finest Meat Competition Diamond Winner
This year, Halenda’s Fine Foods Ltd. earned the Diamond title of Ontario’s Finest Meat 2026 with its Stuffed Iberico Back Bacon, a special distinction given to the single meat or poultry product that achieves the highest overall score across all categories in the competition.
2026 Ron Usborne Award of Excellence
Introduced in 2007, the Ron Usborne Award of Excellence recognizes the company achieving the highest accumulated score across Ontario’s Finest Meat Competition. Points are awarded based on product placements, with three points for each Platinum award, two points for each Gold award and one point for each Silver award.
The winner of the 2026 Ron Usborne Award of Excellence is VG Meats.
2026 Best Pork Product – Sponsored by Ontario Pork
This award recognizes the highest-scoring pork product in the competition. J & G Quality Meats earned the 2026 title for its Mexican Street Corn Sausage, which achieved the top score among all pork entries.
2026 Best Beef Product – Sponsored by Beef Farmers of Ontario
This award recognizes the highest-scoring beef product in the competition. Florence Meats earned the 2026 title for its Beef Biltong, which achieved the top score among all beef entries.
2026 Ontario’s Finest Meat Competition Platinum Winners
The Platinum awards recognize the top-scoring products in their respective categories. The winners are:
- Bacon – Traditional Side: Metzger's Meat Products Inc. – Side Bacon - Traditional Style
- Bacon – OPEN: Halenda’s Fine Foods Ltd. – Stuffed Iberico Back Bacon
- Deli Roasts: R. Denninger Ltd. – Smoked Beef
- Kielbasa: Highland Packers – Natural Casing Kielbasa
- Fresh Sausage – Pork: J & G Quality Meats – Mexican Street Corn Sausage
- Fresh Sausage – Other: L'Orignal Packing Ltd. – The Mysterious
- Salumi – Charcuterie: La Cultura Salumi Inc. – Beef Prosciutto
- Sausage – Dry/Semi-Dry – Small Diameter: L'Orignal Packing Ltd. – Mini Pepperoni Hot
- Smoked Sausage – Traditional: Highland Packers – Smoked Honey Garlic
- Smoked Sausage – Specialty: Florence Meats – Kranska with Parano Cheese & Jalapeno
- Premium Wiener: Halenda’s Fine Foods Ltd. – Iberico Premium Koby Dog
- Jerky: Florence Meats – Beef Biltong
The Jerky category was introduced for the first time in 2026, giving members a new opportunity to showcase seasoned and dried meat products and expanding the competition’s recognition of Ontario’s diverse meat products.
Judging took place at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, on June 24. The winners were announced at MPO’s annual Awards Gala on October 3.
The competition is proudly supported by its 2026 partners, Fanshawe College, Erb Transport, Ontario Pork and Ontario Beef.