MINUTE® RICE CUPS RECOGNIZED AS 2025 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR USA AWARD WINNER

40,000 American Shoppers Voted Minute Rice Cups as Most Innovative Product in the Convenience Meal Category of 2025

HOUSTON, Feb. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Riviana Foods Inc., America's leading rice company, is pleased to announce Minute^® Rice Cups, the light and fluffy single-serving rice cups that are ready in one minute, have been recognized as a winner of the 2025 Product of the Year USA Awards. Determined through a national study of 40,000 American shoppers in partnership with Kantar, a global leader in consumer research, Product of the Year is the largest consumer-voted awards program centered around product innovation. Minute Rice Cups were awarded the highly acclaimed honor of the best product within the Convenience Meal category. 

Ready in one minute, Minute Rice Cups are a delicious go-to pantry staple for a quick and easy addition to any meal. Simply peel off the lid, heat, and enjoy Minute Rice Cups on their own or mixed with your favorite ingredients for a flavorful bite. The pre-portioned cups are perfect for on-the-go lifestyles and are gluten-free certified, MSG-free, cholesterol-free, and contain no preservatives.

Minute Rice Cups come in a number of rice varieties and exciting flavors to suit an array of meals and occasions, including:

• Butter & Sea Salt Jasmine Rice Cups: A simple yet satisfying rendition of traditional rice, featuring a delectable and smooth blend of Jasmine Rice with a hint of butter and sea salt. 
• Sticky Rice Cups: Restaurant-style sticky rice delivers a pleasing consistency and subtle flavor.
• Hot Honey Chicken Seasoned Rice Cups: The perfect blend of sweet and heat to bring some sizzle to your lunch, dinner, or on-the-go snack. 
• Cilantro & Lime Jasmine Rice Cups: Aromatic jasmine rice that is lightly seasoned with zesty natural flavors, including lime juice, cilantro, and sea salt.
• Yellow Rice Cups: A bold, tasty rice cup lightly seasoned with onion powder, garlic powder, and turmeric.

Renowned as a globally established seal of approval, Product of the Year has supported U.S. shoppers as a trusted guide to the best new products on the market both online and in-store for 17 years. The distinctive Product of the Year red seal serves as a beacon to help consumers cut through the masses of products on shelves to locate the best new products that demonstrate innovation in their function, design, packaging, or ingredients. 

"In a highly crowded and dynamic marketplace, Product of the Year plays a crucial role in linking consumers with the latest innovative products across various industries including food, beverage, personal care, pet care, household, and more," said Mike Nolan, Global CEO of Product of the Year Management. "We're thrilled to celebrate Minute Rice Cups as a 2025 Product of the Year Award Winner, voted on by 40,000 Americans for the unique value, quality, and innovation they bring to households nationwide."

"Minute Rice Cups receiving the prestigious Product of the Year Award in the Convenience Category is a testament to the innovation and customer reaction to these category-leading products," said Erica Larson, Director of Marketing at Riviana Foods. "Minute Rice is committed to providing customers with high-quality and delicious products that elevate their pantry and bring flavor and fun to their everyday meals. We're proud to have Minute Rice Cups endorsed by Product of the Year and the 40,000 customers who voted."

On February 6^th, the complete list of 42 2025 Product of the Year Awards winners was revealed at the annual Product of the Year Awards Event held at Tribeca 360° in New York City. 

For further information about Minute Rice Cups, or to find a retailer near you, visit www.minuterice.com/cups. 

Additional details on the full list of 2025 Product of the Year Winners, and a chance to win a selection of the winning products, can be found at productoftheyearusa.com, along with on Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) at #POYUSA2025.

About Riviana Foods Inc. and Minute^® Products:
Riviana Foods Inc. ("Riviana") is the largest processor, marketer, and distributor of branded and private-label rice products in the United States. The Riviana family of well-known brands includes Minute^®, Success^®, Mahatma^®, Carolina^®, RiceSelect^® and Tilda^®. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Riviana is a subsidiary of Ebro Foods, S.A., a company known as the global leader in rice.

The Minute product line includes an assortment of Instant Rice and Quinoa, ready in five minutes and 10 minutes depending on the grain type, as well as an assortment of Minute Rice Cups, packaged in convenient, single-serve BPA-free cups and ready in one minute.

Join the Minute^® community online at www.minuterice.com. Also, follow @MinuteRiceUS on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

About Product of the Year:
Product of the Year is the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. Established over 30 years ago, POY currently operates in over 40 countries with the same purpose: Guide consumers to the best products in their market and reward manufacturers for quality and innovation. Product of the Year winners are backed by the votes of 40,000 consumers in a national representative study conducted by research partner Kantar, a global leader in consumer research. The award is a powerful merchandising program for marketers proven to increase product sales, distribution, and awareness. Winning products are announced in February each year and receive the right to use the Product of the Year logo in marketing communications for two years. For more information, visit productoftheyearusa.com. 

About Kantar:
Kantar is the world's leading marketing data, insight, and consultancy company. We know more about how people live, feel, shop, vote, watch, and post worldwide than any other company. Working across the entire sales and marketing lifecycle, we help brands uncover growth in an extraordinary world. Kantar services over half of the Fortune 500 companies in 100 countries.

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SOURCE Riviana Foods Inc.