The Superior Taste Award (hereinafter "Award") is granted on a yearly basis by the International Taste & Quality Institute, 106 Observatoire Avenue in 1180 Brussels, (hereinafter "iTQi") with the aim of honouring and promoting superior tasting food and drink. iTQi juries are composed of Chefs, beverages experts and Sommeliers (hereinafter "Jury") members of the major European culinary and sommeliers institutions.

The products evaluation carried out by iTQi (hereafter "Evaluation") is open to producers and retailers of food and beverage products from around the world (hereinafter "Participant").

Admission of products

Each Participant is entitled to enter as many different products as he desires (hereinafter "Entry").

Each product submitted for the Evaluation (hereinafter "Product") must have gone through some transformation process. Unprocessed foods (such as fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry and meat) and wine are not eligible for the Evaluation.

The Product must be specifically branded and currently sold in grocery stores.

Delivery of product samples

Product samples (hereinafter "Samples") have to be shipped according to the Samples Delivery Instructions indicated on iTQi Website. Samples delivered must be fully identical as the products sold in the trade, i.e. same content, packaging and labelling.

A copy of a quality control certificate for each Product must be provided together with the shipment of the Samples.

Delivery costs, taxes, import and Customs duties for shipment to iTQi offices are at the expenses of the Participant.

Judging by iTQi

iTQi uses a proprietary tasting methodology. The main principles are as follows:

• Products do not compete against each other but are rather evaluated on their proper gustatory merits.
• Products are evaluated exclusively on taste by an independent Jury of professional Chefs, beverage experts and Sommeliers.
• Each Product is judged blind i.e. with no indication about its origin, packaging and without revealing the manufacturer's or brand-owner's name.
• The Product is evaluated by each Jury member. The judges are not authorized to communicate between themselves in any way during the tastings.They score each specific organoleptic criteria and write comments or suggestions. The global mark based on a 100 points scale results from a consolidation of each individual score.
• iTQi limits its Evaluation exclusively on assessing organoleptic (sensory) criteria and does not judge the quality of the ingredients of the Products. The quality and sanitary control of the Products and their production process are under the sole responsibility of the Participant.

After the Evaluation, the Participant receives for each Product a report with a sensory analysis graph showing the global and specific marks per organoleptic criteria.

The decisions made by the Jury shall be final.

Superior Taste Award ®

For a specific year, three types of Awards can be granted:

• 3 stars award for exceptional Products with a global mark of 90% and above
• 2 stars award for remarkable Products with a global mark between 80% and 90%
• 1 star award for good tasty Products with a global mark of 70% and 80%

No Award is granted to Products with less than a 70% of the marks. iTQi does not publish information on Products or Participant that are not awarded.

The Award is granted to a Product (hereinafter "Awarded Product(s)") for a period of 3 years .

A Crystal Taste Award is granted to products with a 3 stars Award for 3 consecutive years.

Usage of the Award

For all Awarded Products, the granting of the Superior Taste Award for is officially materialized under the form of a Certificate (hereinafter "Certificate").

The granting of the Award entitles the Participant to receive a medal (hereinafter "Medal") and to use the Award label issued by iTQi, displaying the year of attribution and the number of stars (hereinafter "Label").

To preserve the integrity and credibility of the Award, its usage is governed by the following rules:

• The Certificate, Label and Medal cannot be modified in any way without iTQi prior written consent. Any communication about the Award must obligatorily and visibly specify the type of Award received with the appropriate number of stars and the year of granting.
• The Certificate, Label and Medal is exclusively linked and restricted to the sole awarded Product and no other products.
• In case of a material change to the Product, its ingredients or manufacturing process, the Participant shall immediately inform iTQi. The Product will need to be reassessed in order for the Participant to keep the right of usage of the Award.
• The names of the Jury members having participated to the Evaluation will not be disclosed. Participants are not authorized to contact Jury members without iTQi's prior written consent.

In case of failure by a Participant or of any company or person acting on a its behalf, to comply with the present rules, iTQi has the unilateral right, in addition to its right to claim compensation for damages, to withdraw and cancel the Award but also to inform any third parties, including the press, and under any form including on its Website.

iTQi shall not bear any responsibility or liability, financially or otherwise, with respect to any Product liability claim. The Participant shall hold iTQi harmless from any such claim from any party whatsoever. The Participant shall compensate iTQi towards any damage, direct or indirect, including damage to reputation and costs, iTQi would suffer with respect to any such claim. This Participant's guarantee towards iTQi includes, but is not limited to, claims related to an abusive, erroneous or misleading usage of the Award by the Participant.

Signature of a Non-Exclusive License Agreement

As owner of all right, title and interest in and to the Award registered trade mark and associated names, logos and graphics (hereinafter 'Licensed Marks'), iTQi will grant their free use in the advertising, marketing and sales of the Awarded products with the signature of a Non-Exclusive License Agreement.

iTQi reserves the right to ask a sample of all type of communication used by the Participant to verify the conformity of the present rules and of the License Agreement.

Disputes

iTQi reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions of the present Evaluation Rules and Regulations . Any dispute by the Participant about the Evaluation results must be made in writing within 15 days of the date of the Awards Ceremony.

In no event shall iTQi be liable whether in contract, tort, by statute or otherwise of any loss of profits and/or loss of business arising out of or in connection with the Award.

iTQi shall not be liable for any failure whatsoever to provide the Award as a result of any force majeure or supervening circumstances.

Governing Law

The Award and these terms and conditions shall be governed by Belgian Law. In case of a dispute, the Commercial Court of Brussels shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

Sundry

By and when entering a Product, the Participant accepts to be fully bound by the present Evaluations Rules and Regulations and, if and when the Participant is granted an Award, by the present License Agreement.