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World Taste Award

Terms And Conditions

Effective date: 28/03/2026

1. Acceptance of Terms
a. Binding Agreement:By accessing this website or registering for a certification cycle, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
b. Non-Compliance: If you do not agree with any part of these terms, you must cease use of this website and our certification services immediately.
c. Amendments: World Taste Award reserves the right to update these terms to reflect regulatory changes. Continued use of the platform constitutes acceptance of updated terms.
                  
2. Intellectual Property & The F.L.A.V.O.R. Methodology

a. Ownership: All content, including text, graphics, and the proprietary F.L.A.V.O.R. Sensory Methodology, is the exclusive property of World Taste Award. 
b. Medal Usage:Awarded medals and digital assets are licensed, not sold. Unauthorised use, reproduction, or modification of our branding is strictly prohibited under French, Australian, Irish and International copyright laws.
c. Methodology Protection: Our audit criteria and reporting structures are protected trade secrets. You may not reverse-engineer or republish our proprietary evaluation systems.
                  
3. Professional Conduct & Entry Integrity
a. Lawful Use: You agree not to use this website for any unlawful, fraudulent, or prohibited activities.
b. Infrastructure Integrity: You must not engage in conduct that could harm, disable, or disrupt our servers or digital infrastructure.
c. Data Accuracy: Producers must provide truthful technical data for all products submitted. Inaccurate data may result in the immediate disqualification of an entry without a refund.

4. Audit Integrity & Entry Cap
a. The Entry Limit: To maintain our high-precision sensory standards, we strictly fix our annual intake.
b. Registration Logic: Spots are secured on a "first-come, first-served" basis. We reserve the right to close the registry once this cap is reached to protect the integrity of the jury's focus.
c. Individual Merit: Products are audited against an absolute sensory standard, not against a competitor quota.

5. Privacy & GDPR Compliance
a. Data Governance: Our collection and use of your personal and business data are governed by our Privacy Policy.
b. Legal Framework: We operate in full compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
c. Third-Party Processing: By using our services, you acknowledge that certain data is processed by secure, GDPR-compliant third parties (e.g., Stripe for payments).

Cookies Policy

1. Purpose & Transparency

a. Function: Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure site security, analyze traffic, and improve the user experience for our global producer community.

b. Definition: Cookies are small data files stored on your device that allow us to remember your preferences and recognize you on return visits.

c. Commitment: We are committed to transparency in how we track data, in full compliance with the EU ePrivacy Directive and GDPR.


2. Categories of Cookies We Use

a. Essential Cookies: These are strictly necessary for the technical operation of the website (e.g., secure login, payment processing via Stripe). These do not require user consent.

b. Analytical Cookies: We use them to understand how visitors interact with our content. These are only activated if you provide explicit consent.

c. Functional Cookies: These remember your language preferences and region to provide a seamless experience.


3. Consent & Control

a. Prior Consent: No non-essential cookies will be deployed until you have made an active selection via our Cookie Management Banner.

b. Withdrawal of Consent: You have the right to change your cookie preferences or withdraw consent at any time without affecting your access to the site.

c. Browser Settings: Most web browsers allow you to block or delete cookies through their internal settings. However, disabling essential cookies may impact site functionality.


4. Data Retention & Third Parties

a. Duration: "Session" cookies expire when you close your browser. "Persistent" cookies remain for a fixed period (typically 12–24 months) unless manually deleted.

b. Third-Party Access: We do not sell cookie data to third parties. We only share data with secure service providers to optimize our platform's performance.

c. Privacy Integration: Cookie data that qualifies as "personal data" is protected under the terms of our Privacy Policy.

Privacy Policy

1. Data Collection & Identification

a. Personal Data: We collect identification information including names, professional email addresses, business locations when a Producer registers for a certification cycle or subscribes to our insights.

b. Technical Data: We automatically collect non-personal information such as browser types, device identifiers, and connection data to optimize our platform’s performance and security.

c. Voluntary vs. Mandatory: While browsing is anonymous, providing specific data is a contractual requirement for processing award entries and issuing 3-year licenses.


2. Lawful Basis for Processing

a. Contractual Necessity: We process your data to fulfill our obligations, including performing sensory audits, delivering reports, and managing your certification.

b. Consent: We rely on your explicit opt-in for marketing communications and non-essential analytical cookies.

c. Legal Obligation: We retain financial and transaction records to comply with Irish tax and regulatory requirements.


3. Strategic Use of Information

a. Operational Excellence: We use your data to manage the annual intake and provide tailored customer support.

b. Audit Delivery: Your technical product details are used exclusively by our French expert jury to perform the proprietary F.L.A.V.O.R. sensory method.

c. Communication: We use your contact details for critical order updates, results delivery, and, where consented, high-value industry updates.


4. Data Protection & Security

a. Security Standards: We adopt industry-leading encryption and secure storage protocols to protect against unauthorized access or data breaches.

b. Transaction Safety: All payment processing is handled by GDPR-compliant third-party providers (e.g., Stripe); we do not store full credit card details on our servers.

c. Access Control: Internal access to producer data is strictly limited to personnel essential to the audit and certification process.


5. Data Sharing & Third Parties

a. No Commercial Trading: We strictly do not sell, trade, or rent personal identification information to third parties for marketing purposes.

b. Trusted Partners: We share data only with essential service providers who are legally bound to GDPR-level data protection.

c. Anonymised Analytics: We may share aggregated, non-identifiable demographic data with partners to showcase the global reach of the World Taste Award community.


6. Your Rights (GDPR Compliance)

a. Right to Access & Rectify: You may request a copy of the data we hold about you or request corrections to inaccurate information at any time.

b. Right to Erasure: You may request the deletion of your data ("The Right to be Forgotten"), subject to our legal requirements for financial record-keeping.

c. Data Portability: You have the right to request that your data be transferred to another service provider in a structured, machine-readable format.


7. Retention & Policy Updates

a. Retention Period: Due to our 3-year integrated license model, we retain producer data for the duration of the license plus one year for administrative closure.

b. Policy Amendments: World Taste Award reserves the discretion to update this policy. The "Last Updated" date at the bottom of the page will reflect the most recent version.

c. Acceptance: Continued use of our website following any updates constitutes your acknowledgment and acceptance of the revised practices.