The Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of the Canary Islands has announced the 2026 edition of the Official Agrocanarias Sea Salt Competition, which will be held in Lanzarote on September 16 and 17. The registration deadline is August 28.
The Government of the Canary Islands, through the Canary Island Institute of Agro-food Quality (ICCA), has launched the call for the Official Agrocanarias Sea Salt Competition 2026, a biennial event that this year moves to Lanzarote. The event will take place on September 16 and 17 on the island, aiming to recognise the best salt production in the Archipelago.
The first day, September 16, will be dedicated to standardising technical criteria among the jury members. The following day, September 17, the official tasting will take place, where a panel of specialists will evaluate the samples using a blind tasting system. Two main categories are established: ‘Virgin Sea Salt’ and ‘Flower of Salt’, which will compete for grand gold medals, gold medals, and silver medals.
In addition, two special distinctions will be awarded. One will be for the production with the highest overall score, which will receive the title of Best Sea Salt of the Canary Islands 2026. The other, for the Best Organic Sea Salt of the Canary Islands 2026, will be awarded to the highest-rated organic sample, provided it is registered in the organic production operator registry.
The competition also includes a category for innovation, image, and presentation, open to products primarily made with sea salt, excluding fine salt and liquid salt. This distinction aims to encourage creativity in the sector and reward innovative proposals.
The director of the ICCA, Luis Arráez Guadalupe, has emphasised the importance of this competition in valuing an emblematic product of the islands. “This is how we respond to the commitment of the Government of the Canary Islands to promote an emblematic product of our islands,” he stated. Arráez added that the competition aims not only to highlight the excellence of artisanal salt production but also to “support the preservation of a landscape and a centuries-old tradition closely linked to Canary identity and our environmental heritage.”
“With this competition, the ICCA aims not only to highlight the excellence and diversity of our artisanal salt production but also to support the preservation of a landscape and a centuries-old tradition closely linked to Canary identity and our environmental heritage.”
Individuals or legal entities that produce, package, and market sea salt in the Canary Islands, who are present in commercial channels and have their own brands, may participate. Each entity can submit one reference and commercial brand per category, and private label brands are excluded. Applications must be submitted by August 28 through the electronic headquarters of the Government of the Canary Islands or on the ICCA website.
The labels and packaging of the awarded products will be displayed at the ICCA facilities until the next edition of the competition. Furthermore, the Best Sea Salt of the Canary Islands 2026 will be featured in a report on the Institute's website and will be disseminated to general and specialised media. The awarded companies will receive their recognition at an official event scheduled for the end of the year.
This biennial competition has established itself as a platform to highlight the quality of Canary sea salt, a product with historical and cultural roots. The celebration in Lanzarote, an island with a long salt production tradition, reinforces the link between the competition and the territory. Interested parties can consult the complete rules in the Official Bulletin of the Canary Islands and resolve doubts through the ICCA channels.
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